Urban and Regional Planning Program Requirements
The Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) is the degree for students intending to practice as planners or to apply the planner's insight beyond traditional career destinations. Planning skills are highly marketable wherever systematic, holistic and strategic thinking is a prime requirement.
MURP students must complete:
- A minimum of 51 semester hours of graduate work, including:
- All core courses (27 semester hours)
- A selected Concentration (15 semester hour minimum)
- Additional electives (9 semester hours)
If you are entering the program and have already engaged in the study of planning, you may petition the faculty during your initial semester to determine whether any credit will be awarded or degree requirements relaxed as a result of these prior activities. A maximum of 15 credits of course work can be applied for advanced standing. The standard credit limit on transfers from other universities outside the University of Colorado System is 9 credits.
Advanced Standing
If you have received the College's Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvd) degree on the Boulder campus and you have maintained a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, you will be afforded advanced standing in the MURP program if admitted.
The MURP program normally entails 51 credits of study. If you have received the BEnvd degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder AND also completed within the BEnvd Program an undergraduate "Planning" Option with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (and with a grade of at least a "B" in ENVD 4320, Planning Studio III), you will receive a waiver with credit for URP 6630 Planning Studio I, if admitted to the MURP Program. You will be able to earn the MURP degree upon completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours, including a maximum of 21 credit hours of core courses and all requirements for an approved Concentration.
BEnvd graduates who did not pursue a "Planning" Option but achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 will also be eligible for up to nine credits of advanced standing, if admitted to the MURP Program.
Prerequisites
MURP applicants are expected to present by the start of classes a basic level of computer literacy and should be familiar with PC or Apple operating systems. Acquiring familiarity with digital visualization techniques and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) prior to the onset of classes is encouraged but not required. Certain non-credit short courses may be offered to bolster mastery during the fall and spring semesters. Essential topics in this realm will be covered in a series of as many as three skills modules during Studio I.
Dual Degrees
Dual degrees are now offered combining the Master of Urban and Regional Planning:
In every instance the total credit requirement of the Dual Degree is considerably less than would be needed if each degree were independently pursued. In addition, MURP graduates may subsequently seek admission to the College's Master of Urban Design and Ph.D. programs.
Independent Study and Thesis Courses
To engage in an independent study course, the student must provide the instructor with an outline of the topic of study, a time schedule for completion of the work, and a summary of intended work products if any. The instructor may require additional supporting materials before agreeing to proceed. Independent study is particularly encouraged when the topic of study would fall outside of our regular curriculum, or if deeper knowledge is sought than is provided in a regular course offering.
- Independent Study courses (URP 6840) and Thesis work (URP 6950 and URP 6951) may meet Concentration requirements, depending on the topic, upon the Program Advisor's approval
- Thesis for 6 or more credits may substitute for Studio II
If you are considering Thesis work, you must:
- Secure a thesis advisor from our regular faculty
- Assemble a committee
- Secure approval of the Thesis proposal before work commences
- Comply with the official campus form guidelines
- Make a final presentation
- Win the approval of the committee
- File a bound copy in the Auraria Library
MURP Internships
Up to 3 credits of the 51-credit MURP Program may be undertaken in internship work. For an internship, you must secure the consent of an employer, obtain the approval of a faculty advisor for the work, file the needed "contract," and obtain necessary signatures--those of the prospective employer, faculty internship advisor and of course your own.
The employer is to submit a final, written appraisal and the faculty internship advisor will then assign a final (pass/fail) grade. The grade will be based upon the employer's report and the student's own summation of work done and knowledge gained.
The College of Architecture and Planning also maintains an Office of Mentor and Internship Programs. For more information about the function of this office, click here. This office largely serves the needs of the M.Arch Program and addresses that program's specific internship provisions, which differ from those for the MURP. The Director, Chris Nims, may nevertheless be able to assist in identifying internship possibilities. He can be reached at 303-352-3998 or christopher.nims@ucdenver.edu.
For information on applying to the Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program, learn about the three steps of the application process.