City and Regional Planning

Students learn to design, evaluate, and implement policies and programs that affect the social, economic, and physical development of urban and regional areas, including those in the Developing World.
The educational program fosters theoretical and conceptual knowledge relevant to urban and regional studies, and the acquisition of professional skills, including those in critical thinking, oral presentation, writing, statistical analysis and Geographical Information Systems.
The M.R.P. program normally requires four residence units, sixty credits, a set of core courses, and the completion of a satisfactory thesis, professional report, or research paper. At the discretion of the faculty, up to one residence unit and 15 credits may be granted, by petition after matriculation, for graduate work done elsewhere, including Cornell-supervised professional field experience. 

To complete the M.R.P. degree, a student must:

1. Complete 60 credits; at least 30 of these credits must be obtained within the Department of City and Regional Planning, including credits earned in fulfilling and completing the thesis, professional report, or research paper, and the M.R.P. core requirements.
2. Be in attendance for four full-time semesters of study.
3. Have an Exit Project Advisor on file by the end of the first year.
4. Have an Exit Project Minor Advisor on file by the end of the third semester.
5. Complete the independent writing requirement by submitting an acceptable thesis, professional report, or research paper (two bound copies submitted to the graduate field coordinator).

M.R.P.–Core Course Curriculum

Following are the lists of courses required to complete a typical two-year M.R.P. degree. M.R.P. students should consult with a department advisor for a complete list of courses that can be applied toward requirements three through seven below.

1. Required Courses for M.R.P.:

• CRP 5130 - Introduction to Planning Practice and History

   (4 credits)

• CRP 5250 - Introductory Methods of Planning Analysis

   (4 credits)

• CRP 5190 - History and Theory of Urban Spatial Development

   (3 credits)

2. Demonstrated competence in economics, or successful completion of an economics course at Cornell

• Recommended course: 

  CRP 5120 - Public and Spatial Economics for Planners

   (3 credits)
• A complete list of approved economics courses:
  • CRP 5040 - Urban Economics 
  • AEM 6510 - [Environmental and Resource Economics] 
  • ECON 3010 - [Accelerated Microeconomics] 
  • ECON 3030 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory 
  • PAM 2000 - Intermediate Microeconomics 
  • PAM 2040 - Economics of the Public Sector 

3.  Demonstrated competence in statistics, or successful completion of a statistics course at Cornell  

• Recommended course:

  CRP 5450 - Inferential Statistics for Planning and Public Policy

   (3 credits)
• A complete list of approved statistics courses, including courses outside of CRP:
  • ECON 3120 - Applied Econometrics 
  • ECON 3125 - [Statistics and Applied Econometrics] 
  • ECON 3140 - Econometrics 
  • AEM 4110 - Introduction to Econometrics 
  • ILRST 5100 - Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences I 
  • ILRST 5110 - Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences II 
  • ILRST 6100 - Statistical Methods I 
  • BTRY 6010 - Statistical Methods I 
  • PAM 3100 - Multiple Regression Analysis  
•  

4.  Successful completion of an advanced methods course

• Approved CRP courses include:
  • CRP 5080 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 
  • CRP 5460 - Introduction to Community and Environment Dispute Resolution 
  • CRP 5820 - Principles of Site Planning and Urban Design 
  • CRP 6090 - Special Topics in Urban and Regional Theory 
  • CRP 6201 - Qualitative Methods 
  • CRP 6210 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods for the Analysis of Public Policy 
  • CRP 6270 Regional Economic Impact Analysis  
  • CRP 6290 - Advanced Topics in GIS 
  • CRP 6320 - Methods of Regional Science and Planning I 
  • CRP 6330 - Methods of Regional Science and Planning II 
  • CRP 8010 - Advanced Seminar in Urban and Regional Theory II 
• A complete list of approved advanced methods courses, including courses outside of CRP:
  • PLSCS 6200 - Spatial Modeling and Analysis 
  • CEE 5900 - Project Management 
  • DSOC 6190 - Quantitative Research Methods 
  • ECON 3140 - Econometrics 
  • ECON 4120 - [Time Series Econometrics] 
  • LA 7010 - Urban Design and Planning 

5. Successful completion of a law or international institutions course

• Recommended course, domestic studies:  

  CRP 5590 - Legal Aspects of Land Use Planning

• Recommended course, international studies:  

  CRP 6720 - International Institutions

• A complete list of approved law or international institutions courses:
  • CRP 5440 - Resource Management and Environmental Law 
  • CRP 6630 - [Historic Preservation Law] 
  • HADM 6870 Real Estate Law 
  • ILRLR 5010 - Labor and Employment Law 
  • LAW 6601 - [Land Use] 
  • LAW 6791 - Public International Law 
  • LAW 7837 - [International Human Rights Clinic] 

6. Successful completion of a workshop

Every year, the department offers workshops in land use, community and economic development, international planning, historic preservation planning, real estate, and urban design. Offerings will vary. Selected workshops/studios outside the department have been accepted for credit.

Department offerings:

• CRP 5071 - City and Regional Planning Workshop 
• CRP 5072 - Land Use, Environmental Planning, and Urban Design Workshop
• CRP 5073 - Historic Preservation Planning Workshop
• CRP 5074 - Economic and Community Development Workshop
• CRP 5075 - Real Estate Project Workshop
• CRP 5076 - International Planning and Development Workshop
• CRP 5172 - NYC Workshop: Land Use, Environmental Planning, and Design  
• CRP 5610 - Historic Preservation Planning Workshop: Surveys 
• CRP 5650 - Fieldwork or Workshop in History and Preservation 

7. Successful completion of an exit project (credits vary based on option)

Options include:

• A research paper (4 credits)
• A professional report (4-10 credits)
• A thesis (6-10 credits)

Two bound copies must be submitted to the graduate field coordinator before the thesis degree deadline. See the graduate field coordinator in 106 West Sibley Hall for full instructions regarding formatting and binding guidelines.

• Diplom Bakalavra; or, for institutes that do not award Diplom Bakalavra,a Diplom accompanied by transcript of courses taken and a letter from the university confirming that the applicant completed 3 years of study
• Transcripts 
• TOEFL. A minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) is required.
• IELTS 7.0 
• 2 Recommendations
• GRE general test

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

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