City Planning

The Master of City Planning (MCP) at Boston University’s Metropolitan College prepares students for a wide variety of professional roles in planning for urban and regional development. City planners specialize in an array of complex sub-topics that include: land-use regulation; community and local economic development; infrastructure planning and budgeting; transportation planning; sustainable development; and urban design. The planning field is intensely political, dealing with core issues of resource distribution and the co-habitation of diverse communities. In this context, city planners are also called upon to be savvy mediators or advocates for an array of social, economic, and cultural issues. The program develops familiarity with the public policy process and prepares students to work within a multidisciplinary team involved in such tasks as the analysis of policy alternatives, formulation of public investment programs, forecasting and monitoring urban and regional systems performance, development of joint programs among various public and private sector institutions, and plan design and implementation.

The MCP course of study emphasizes a theoretical and methodological core common to the numerous roles and specializations within the urban and regional planning field, as well as coursework specialized for several career options. The core of required courses provides training in analytical and evaluative skills, application of those skills to urban and regional public policy problems, and preparation of proposals for action.

The program accommodates students on both a part- and a full-time basis. The 64 credits required for the degree may be earned within two years of full-time study and must be earned within a maximum of seven years. Students are encouraged to participate in selected fieldwork internships for course credit.

Students who complete the master’s degree in City Planning will be able to demonstrate:

• Mastery of knowledge in the history and theory of urban and regional development, the structure and functions of cities and urban systems, local and national policy making processes, and the role of planning.
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research skills and their application to theory-building, data-gathering and analysis, and policy making processes.
• Mastery of communication and mediation skills for public (community) and policy settings.
• Awareness of the political, social, and ethical issues inherent in policy work and the planning practice, as related to minority or disadvantaged urban communities.

Theoretical and Methodological Required Courses (six courses/24 credits)

• MET UA 515 History, Theory, and Planning Practice
• MET UA 701 Urban Problems and Policy Process
• MET UA 702 Urban Analytical Methods
• MET UA 703 Urban Research Methods
• MET UA 704 Urban Economic Issues and Analysis
• MET UA 805 Boston Urban Symposium or MET UA 761 Planning Thesis

Electives (ten courses/40 credits)

Elective courses are selected with the advice of the department coordinator or faculty advisor.

Sample of City Planning Elective Courses

• MET UA 503 Housing and Community Development
• MET UA 505 Urban Management
• MET UA 508 Real Estate Development
• MET UA 510 Special Topics*
• MET UA 580 Boston Experience: The Role of Architecture in Creating a Sense of Place
• MET UA 610 Urban Environmental Issues
• MET UA 613 Urban Design
• MET UA 617 Actionable Sustainability
• MET UA 629 Urbanization and the Environment
• MET UA 654 Geographic Information Systems for Planners
• MET UA 664 Planning and Development Process
• MET UA 715 Planning and Land-Use Law
• MET UA 801 Graduate Directed Study in Urban Affairs and Planning
• MET UA 804 Supervised Fieldwork

*Sample of Special Topics Courses

• Transit-Oriented Development in the 21st Century
• Urban Land-Use Policy and Planning
• Affordable Housing Financing
• History of Metropolitan Boston

Requirements

Candidates to the degree program are selected on the basis of academic transcripts, academic and personal references, and a statement of intent. The statement of intent should clearly outline the applicant’s interest and aspirations in the field. Applicants with an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) lower than 3.0 are encouraged to submit additional information to demonstrate their capacity to succeed in graduate school.

International students are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-Based Test (iBT). A minimum score of 100 is generally required for admission, though the minimum score may be lower for some admission cycles, depending on the average score of the applicant pool. Suggested scores in each section are as follows: Reading—25; Listening—25; Speaking—25; and Writing—25. International applicants are also urged to submit their Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, although these are not formally required.

There are no fixed application deadlines. The program allows for students to submit applications on a rolling basis, although all students are encouraged to submit a complete application no less than one month prior to the start of the semester in which they desire to commence studies. Admission decisions are announced promptly, pending receipt of all application materials.

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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Scholarships

• Global Education