Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP)
Introduction
The Master's Program in Community and Regional Planning (CRP) provides the theoretical foundations, specific skills and practical experience to succeed in professional planning and related policy careers. The program consists of 48 credit hours of coursework that includes preparation of a Masters Professional Report or Thesis.
Each student is expected to complete 24 hours of courses in the core curriculum and 18 hours in electives in specific planning areas or areas of special interest. Students complete the remaining six hours in Advanced Study. Advanced Study includes either an Internship (3 hours) and Professional Report (3 hours) sequence, or a Masters Thesis consisting of a supervised research course (3 hours) and a writing course (3 hours). Students can choose to cluster electives in one of the five specialization areas offered in CRP, or organize their elective hours across specializations according to their specific interests.
Core Curriculum
(effective September 1, 2011, as adopted by the CRP Graduate Studies Committee)
The core curriculum is designed to provide the foundation and skills for professional planning practice and an understanding of the institutions and social, economic, and physical environments that constitute the context of contemporary planning. The core curriculum provides a breadth of knowledge supporting areas of planning, including planning methods, theory, law, and finance.
| Fall - Year 1 | Hours | Spring - Year 1 | Hours |
|
Core 1: CRP 980X Planning Theory and History |
3 |
Core 3: CRP 386 Sustainable Land Use Planning |
3 |
|
Core 2: CRP 381 Planning Law |
3 |
Elective OR Method 2: CRP 386-6 Introduction to Viz-Com and GIS |
3 |
|
Method 1: CRP 386-2 Applied Methods, OR Prerequisite CRP 386-1 Quantitative Methods * |
3 |
Method 3: CRP 381 Participatory Planning ** |
3 |
|
Elective OR Method 2: CRP 386-5 Introduction to GIS and Viz-Com |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
12 |
| Fall - Year 2 | Spring - Year 2 | ||
|
CRP 696 Planning Studio *** |
6 |
CRP 398R Professional Report, OR CRP 698B Thesis B |
3 |
|
Method 4: CRP 381 Public Economics and Finance |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
|
Elective OR CRP 397 Internship, OR CRP 396 (PR) / CRP698A (Thesis A) Research Design **** |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
Elective |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
12 |
Option 1 - No Specialization – Requirements: Methods 1,2,3 and 4 all required (12 hours) + CRP Core Courses 1, 2 and 3 (9 hours) + Planning Studio (6 hours) + Electives (18 hours) + PR or Thesis B (3 hours ) = 48 Credit Hours
Option 2 - With Specialization – Requirements: Method 1 and 4 and choice of Method 2 or 3 (9 credits) + CRP Core Courses 1, 2 and 3 (9 hours) + Planning Studio (6 hours) + Electives (21 hours) + PR or Thesis B (3 hours ) = 48 Credit Hours
Notes:
* Applied Methods (AM) is a new core course. If students do not pre-qualify for AM based on an exam, the Quantitative Methods (QM) is a prerequisite course to AM.
** To fulfill this method requirement, students can take CRP 381: Participatory Planning or substitute CRP 383: Dispute Resolution, which typically taught in the summer term. Students can also take courses in multi-party negotiation or conflict resolution in other departments or programs with approval of the CRP student advisor.
*** The CRP program will offer one or more Integrative Design Studios in the second year. An Urban Design, Preservation Design or Landscape Architecture Studio could be taken in lieu of the CRP studio if coupled with a PR or Thesis on a related topic.
**** Research Design is suggested, but not required if a Professional Report (PR) is selected as the advanced study project option. Attendance in Research Design is required as the Thesis A option for those students selecting a thesis as their advanced study option.
CRP Electives
Electives are normally selected with approval of the Graduate Adviser and students can organize their electives in one of two ways.
First, elective courses can be selected to form a concentration involving 4 or more courses in a designated CRP specialization area (see below). Students who successfully complete four courses in a specialization area and complete a Professional Report or Masters Thesis on a subject related to the specialization receive a Certificate of Specialization upon graduation.
Second, elective courses can be taken in a number of specialization areas reflecting the student's particular interests. Students who choose not to specialize in a specific area receive a MSCRP degree upon graduation but no Certificate of Specialization.
Electives may also be taken in other graduate programs across the University with approval of the Graduate Adviser. The following is a list of recent elective course offerings, though not all courses are offered every year. Elective courses can follow a traditional lecture and discussion format, or may be conducted as research seminars, independent studies, studios, or workshops. Each course number is shared by more than one course; and courses are divided into the general categories of Management and Implementation, Seminars in Environmental and Regional Planning, Structure and Function of Communities and Regions, Applied Planning Techniques, Public Service Systems Planning, Special Topics in CRP, and Independent Research in CRP.
For a complete list of current electives, see CRP Courses.
- Affordable Housing (CRP 388)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (CRP 383)
- Applied GIS (CRP 386)
- Applied Techniques in Environmental Analysis (CRP 383)
- Brownfield Seminar (CRP 383) Community Development (CRP 385C)
- Deep Democracy (CRP 388)
- Designing Digital Communities (CRP 390)
- Environmental Impact (CRP)
- Environmental Readings (CRP 383)
- Growth Management (CRP 390)
- Historic Preservation Practice (CRP 389C)
- History of Landscape Architecture (CRP 388)
- Housing Demand and Production (CRP 388)
- Housing in Latin America (CRP 388)
- Independent Research in Community and Regional Planning (CRP 396)
- International Sustainable Social Development (CRP 381)
- International Transportation Issues (CRP 384)
- Land Development (CRP 389C)
- Metropolitan Transportation Studies with TransCAD GIS (CRP384)
- Natural Resource and Environmental Planning (CRP 388K)
- Neighborhood Transportation Planning (CRP 384)
- PhD Colloquium (CRP 391D)
- Planning and Visual Communication (CRP 386 - Design for Planners II)
- Preservation and Economic Development (CRP 389C)
- Preservation Law (CRP)
- Principles of Physical Planning (CRP 369K)
- Public/Private Land Development Process (CRP 389C)
- Qualitative Research Methods (CRP 386)
- Regional Planning (CRP 386)
- Research Design (CRP 391D)
- Sustainable Urban Economic Development Planning (CRP 383)
- The Built Environment and Public Health (CRP383, SW387R)
- Topics in Sustainable Development (CRP 383)
- Transit-Oriented Development (CRP 381)
- Transportation, Environment and Health (CRP 384)
- Urban Environmental Analysis (CRP 383)
- Urban Land Institute Workshop (LAR 388R)
- Urban Politics Seminar (CRP 388)
- Urban Politics Seminar (CRP f388)
- Urban Poverty and Community Development Seminar (CRP 388)
- Urban Public Places (CRP 386 - Design for Planners I)
- Urban Transportation (CRP 384)
- Water Resource Planning (CRP 383)
- Water Resources (CRP 387C)
CRP Advanced Study
The CRP Masters program culminates in six semester credit hours of Advanced Study. Students may choose to demonstrate professional competence with either an approved Masters Thesis or with a Professional Report and completion of a planning internship. Advanced study leading to either the thesis or professional report is conducted under the supervision of a faculty committee selected by the student and the Graduate Adviser.
Choice of the Masters Thesis option does not preclude participation in an internship. However, students choosing the Professional Report option must include the internship in their program of work.
Masters Thesis (CRP 698A/B)
Individual research and writing, three semester credit hours for each of two semesters. Thesis research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty committee consisting of two or three members.
Planning Internship (CRP 397)
Includes placement and work in a public, nonprofit or private institution in a planning related field or activity. Students work for 300 hours in their internship coupled with presentation of a summary report of their internship experience. The Planning Internship course should be taken in the semester when the student will have completed their internship hours.
Masters Professional Report (CRP 398R)
A student may elect to complete a professional report in lieu of a thesis, provided that an internship is also completed. The report and the research leading to it accounts for the equivalent of three semester hours of credit.
MSCRP Admissions
Admission to the CRP programs is highly competitive and applications are evaluated on the basis of common criteria detailed below. No single criterion will qualify or disqualify prospective applicants. Students enter the CRP Masters and Ph.D. program in the fall semester.
Factors considered for admissions to the Master's program:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited collegiate institution with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (B) in all upper-division junior and senior level undergraduate work together with any graduate work previously completed;
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results from a test taken less than five years before the admissions application deadline;
- A score on The Foreign Language (TOEFL) test of 550 or higher on the paper-based test or 213 or higher on the computer-based test for applicants whose first language is not English;
- A statement of purpose consisting of a 1000 to 1500-word essay demonstrating a clear interest in, and basic understanding of, the planning field;
- Letters of recommendation from supervisors in academic or work settings emphasizing intellectual, communicative, and leadership abilities, maturity, and ability to work well with others;
- Life and work experiences complementary to urban and regional planning activities.
Although a personal interview is not required for admission, applicants wishing to visit the Austin area and the University are encouraged to contact the student adviser to arrange for an interview and tour of the CRP facilities.
Application Procedures
Applicants for the MSCRP program should follow the SOA graduate admissions instructions.
In addition to the materials with your application, the CRP program also requires:
- Statement of purpose [pdf]. Consisting of a 1000-1500-word essay demonstrating a clear interest in and basic understanding of the planning field
- Any documentation of life or work experience including a resume or vita, writing sample or example of a work product
MSCRP GRADUATE ADVISER
Ming Zhang
Graduate Adviser for Community & Regional Planning
Associate Professor
CRP-advisor@austin.utexas.edu
+1 512 471 0139 | phone
+1 512 471 0716 | fax
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Architecture
1 University Station B7500
Austin, TX 78712
