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School of Urban and Public Affairs

School of Urban and Public Affairs

Master of City and Regional Planning

Program Director: Ivonne Audirac, Ph.D.

City and Regional Planning

Located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the fourth largest metropolitan region in the U.S., our program is situated in an optimal laboratory to study, analyze, and provide planning intervention into contemporary urban problems, such as sprawl, pollution, equity, carbon footprints, economic development, aging infrastructure, and, more generally, creating sustainable regions.

The PAB-accredited master's degree program in City and Regional Planning (MCRP) is broadly focused on metropolitan sustainability.

The MCRP program prepares students for careers as professional planners with public, private and nonprofit organizations, and to make a contribution to society through basic and applied research into metropolitan planning and sustainability. The application of planning theory, knowledge, techniques, and skills to “real world” planning problems provides students with practical experience for guiding the future city, region, and nation. The application of theory and research is facilitated by research activities and centers within the School, including the Institute of Urban Studies. The MCRP mission, goals and objectives, and accreditation efforts are shaped in consultation with the twelve-member MCRP Advisory Board composed of alumni and area practitioners.

UTA’s City and Regional Planning Program is officially recognized and accredited since 1978 by the Planning Accreditation Board. Accredited programs must meet strict professional and academic standards developed by the PAB and its sponsoring organizations, the American Institute of Certified Planners, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, and the American Planning Association.

CURRICULUM AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Required Core Courses (24 credit hours)

CIRP 5300 Foundations of Urban Theory
CIRP 5303 Planning History and Theory
CIRP 5304 Plan Implementation, Zoning, and Regulations
CIRP 5308 Metropolitan Sustainability and Ethics
CIRP 5310 Introduction to Urban Structure, Policy and Planning
CIRP 5316 Land Use Planning Law
CIRP 5318 Techniques of Planning and Administrative Analysis
CIRP 5380 Research Questions in Planning (taken in the penultimate semester)

Emphasis Area Required Courses (6 credit hours)

MCRP offers the following three structured emphasis areas. Two courses are required for each emphasis area along with four or five electives (four for thesis students, five for professional report students).

Urban and Suburban Design and Redevelopment

CIRP 5332 Project Studio (rotating)
CIRP 5325 Physical Planning and Urban Design

Green Cities and Transportation

CIRP 5332 Project Studio (rotating)
CIRP 5327 Introduction to Green Cities and Transportation

Community and Economic Development

CIRP 5332 Project Studio (rotating)
CIRP 5322 Economic Development Planning and Policy

Suggested Emphasis Area Electives (12 hours for thesis students, 15 hours for professional report students)

Urban and Suburban Design and Redevelopment

CIRP 5305 Land Use, Management and Development
CIRP 5306 Urban Revitalization
CIRP 5313 Urban Growth Policies
CIRP 5340 GIS and Suitability Analysis
CIRP 5345 Planning and Real Estate Development
CIRP 5356 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
CIRP 5357 Intermediate Geographic Information Systems
CIRP 5360 Urban Management/Planning Internship

Choose no more than two (thesis) or three (professional report) of the following:
ARCH 5306 Urban Design
LARC 5301 Site Planning and Development Processes
LARC 5302 Land Development Planning
LARC 5382 Seminar in Urban Design

Green Cities and Transportation

CIRP 5309 Transportation/Land Use Modeling and Policy Analysis
CIRP 5315 Transportation Policies, Programs and History
CIRP 5340 GIS and Suitability Analysis
CIRP 5341 Environmental Regulations: Laws and Planning
CIRP 5342 Environmental Policy (also listed as URPA 5317)
CIRP 5343 Foundations of Environmental Policy (also listed as URPA 5365)
CIRP 5350 Environmental Planning
CIRP 5351 Techniques of Environmental Assessment
CIRP 5356 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
CIRP 5358 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Transportation Planning
URPA 5360 Urban Management/Planning Internship

Choose no more than two (thesis) or three (professional report) of the following:
EVSE 5309 Environmental Systems — Biological Aspects
EVSE 5310 Environmental Systems — Chemical Aspects
EVSE 5311 Environmental Systems — Geological Aspects
CE 5324 Transportation and Air Quality
CE 5329 Environmental Risk Based Corrective Action
CE 5355 Environmental Permitting

Community and Economic Development

CIRP 5306 Urban Revitalization
CIRP 5313 Urban Growth Policies
CIRP 5324 Community Development (also listed as URPA 5313)
CIRP 5326 Cultural Planning and Urban Development
CIRP 5345 Planning and Real Estate Development
URPA 5330 Community and Neighborhood Organization
URPA 5334 Management of Economic Development
URPA 5360 Urban Management/Planning Internship

Choose no more than two (thesis) or three (professional report) of the following:
SOCW 5317 Human Behavior and Diverse Populations
REAE 5311 Real Estate Analysis

Thesis (minimum of 6 credit hours):

Preparation Guidelines for Thesis or Professional Report

This option is recommended for those students who enjoy research and/or are interested in pursuing a career in research or private consulting, or who intend to obtain another advanced degree. Students identify a thesis committee chair no later than their penultimate semester and, in consultation with the chair, form a thesis committee consisting of at least three members of the SUPA Graduate Faculty. In consultation with their thesis committee, students develop a research question related to their emphasis area that can be examined via review of relevant scholarly literature, and supplemented by original empirical research. Conclusions, implications, and recommendations are drawn based upon the student’s research. Thesis students must defend their thesis in a final oral examination conducted by all members of the student’s thesis committee but which is also open to all members of the faculty. The thesis committee must have copies of the thesis at least two weeks prior to the thesis defense. All members of the student’s committee must be present at the defense. Thesis students must be enrolled in the appropriate section (under their committee chair) of CIRP 5698 Planning Thesis the semester in which the thesis is defended. Students receiving advice and assistance from their chair in preparation of the thesis must register in the appropriate section (under their committee chair) of CIRP 5398 Planning Thesis. Once the student is enrolled in the thesis course, continuous enrollment is required.

Professional Report (3 credit hours):

Preparation Guidelines for Thesis or Professional Report

This option is recommended for students who are going into professional practice and/or who desire experience beyond the Project Studio course working on a professional project. Students identify a professional report committee chair no later than their penultimate semester and, in consultation with the chair, form a professional report committee consisting of at least three members of the SUPA Graduate Faculty. In consultation with their professional report committee, students develop a project related to their emphasis area that can be examined via review of relevant benchmark/baseline studies, and reports from other cities or regions, and supplemented by original empirical or applied research by the student. Conclusions, implications, and recommendations are drawn based upon the student’s research. Professional report students must defend their report in a final oral examination conducted by all members of the student’s professional report committee but which is also open to all SUPA graduate faculty and students. Professional Report students must be enrolled in the appropriate section (under their committee chair) of CIRP 5397 Professional Report the semester in which the professional report is defended.

APPLYING FOR OPTIONAL INTERNSHIP CREDIT

Internships must be approved by the program. A student must submit an Internship Agreement Form describing the duties and hours with a signature from the sponsor before registration for internship credit. At the end of the internship, a student must complete and submit an Internship Report on their experiences and the sponsor must complete and submit an Internship Performance Evaluation verifying the internship requirements have been met. Both these forms must be submitted to the MCRP Director by the end of the semester in order to receive credit and a grade.


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