A master’s degree in Urban Planning equips you with techniques and skills required to plan and develop a certain part of land by using various planning techniques or programs. In addition to that, they are hired to develop both long term and short-term plans to revive old community areas. For example, they could be asked to plan new shelters for homeless people, parks for children, community homes for the elderly and so on.
What Is Urban Planning?
Urban Planners can transform bare lands into entire communities that can house a certain number of population or reboot facilities that were not functional before. Typically, Urban Planners are hired by public or private development firms, government agencies or businesses etc. Most of their work involves planning and creating models of various landscapes and infrastructures. They use various software to create maps and models for their clientele.
What Can You Do with a Master’s in Urban Planning?
After successful completion of a master’s degree in Urban Planning, you may find work with public or private organizations and businesses. As per the data reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018-19, a Master’s degree in this field may help you work as a ‘Urban and Regional Planner’.
Urban and Regional Planner
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Median Annual Salary, 2019: $74,350
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Projected Growth Rate, 2018-2028: 11%
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Average Annual Mean Salary, 2019: $77,750
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State with the Highest Salary, 2019: District of Columbia-$109,370 per year
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State with the Highest Employment Rate, 2019: California: 7,980
Civil Engineers
Civil Engineers are responsible for designing, building and supervising infrastructure systems and projects.
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Median Annual Salary, 2019: $87,060
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Projected Growth Rate, 2018-2028: 6%
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Average Annual Mean Salary, 2019: $94,360
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State with the Highest Salary, 2019: California - $110,480 per year
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State with the Highest Employment Rate, 2019: California - 49,090
Landscape Architects
Landscape architects are responsible for designing parks and various outdoor spaces for recreational facilities, campuses, businesses, homes etc.
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Median Annual Salary, 2019: $69,360
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Projected Growth Rate, 2018-2028: 4%
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Average Annual Mean Salary, 2019: $73,970
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State with the Highest Salary, 2019: California - $90,940 per year
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State with the Highest Employment Rate, 2019: California - 2,510
Note: These figures have been obtained from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What to Expect with a Master’s in Urban Planning?
The course curriculum of this degree may vary for each university. For instance, the curriculum of Master of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP) offered by the University of Florida includes courses like,
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Planning Theory and History
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Quantitative Data Analysis for Planners
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Planning Administration and Ethics
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Planning Research Design
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Sustainable Community Development and so on
On the other hand, Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) offered by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) allows students to choose one or more concentrations/majors from the list of following areas:
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Community Economic Development and Housing (CEDH)
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Design and Development (DD)
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Environmental Analysis and Policy (EAP)
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Regional and International Development (RID)
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Transportation Policy and Planning (TPP)
How to Choose a Master’s in Urban Planning?
Just like the curriculum of each university varies, the requirements of graduation also vary. It is better to opt for a degree that is accredited by the relevant authority. For example, the Master in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) offered by the University of Florida is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. It is offered in both formats, on-campus and online. Students can complete it in 4 semesters or 2 years with 52 credit hours. On the contrary, the MURP offered by the UCLA is also a 2-year degree program which is offered with 72 credit hours and it is also accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.
What Are the Admission Requirements of a Master’s in Urban Planning?
The mode of admission is almost same for most universities because majority of them require students to complete an online application with a certain amount of application processing fee. However, other requirements vary from one institution to another. For instance, if you want to apply for the MURP at UCLA, you must provide the university with the following documents in addition to the online application and processing fee:
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All previous degree certificates and transcripts
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A statement of purpose with 1,000 words
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A current resume
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3 recent recommendation letters
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Valid GRE Scores
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International candidates must have valid TOEFL or IELTS scores
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Sample of your previous work (optional)
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A personal history statement of maximum 500 words