Community and Regional Planning

The 48 credit hour Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) graduate degree is a program of choice for students who come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, but are connected in their desire to impact our environment, society and communities in positive ways through sustainable practices and planning efforts.

Planning is a dynamic profession that helps communities create sustainable, attractive, healthful, efficient, and supportive places for present and future generations to inhabit and enjoy. Planners serve in a variety of roles that positively impact the physical, environmental, social, and economic vitality of the communities in which they are working. Among the functional areas in which planners focus their professional skills are land use, economic development, transportation, housing, human services, and various aspects of the physical and natural environment. Today’s professional planners are adaptive, engaged, and collaborative—using knowledge and skills that are developed in UNL’s Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) program.

UNL’s MCRP program is the only planning degree program in Nebraska. Nationally accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board, the program has a respected tradition of educating and graduating students who can facilitate positive change in the communities in which they are working. Students in the MCRP program reflect the diversity of the field of planning, entering the program at various points in their academic and personal lives with diverse academic backgrounds and professional experiences. The MCRP program includes required core courses, as well as sufficient elective credit hours to enable students to develop specialized skills and interests within the field of planning.

The required 48 graduate credit hours for graduation are divided into three main curriculum areas: core coursework, electives and completion tracks.

Students complete 24 graduate credit hours of core coursework which includes:

• CRPL 800 "Introduction to Planning"
• CPRL 802 "Planning Theory"
• CRPL 804 "Legal Aspects of Planning"
• CRPL 810 "Qualitative Techniques"
• CRPL 830 "Planning with GIS"
• CRPL 840 "Planning Methods and Analysis"
• CRPL 900 "Professional Planning Practice"
• CRPL 990 "Planning Studio"

Each of the required core courses are 3 graduate credit hours each, comprising a total block of 24 graduate-level credit hours. 

Students complete 18 to 24 graduate credits of electives.
Students complete one of three completion tracks that effect the number of elective hours needed for graduation.  The three completion tracks are:

1. Master's Thesis in area of concentration/specialization/interest and oral examination

   CRPL 899: Master's Thesis (6 graduate credit hours); 18 graduate credit hours of elective courses

2. Professional Project in area of concentration/specialization/interest and oral examination

   CRPL 898: Professional Project (6 graduate credit hours); 18 graduate credit hours of elective courses

3. Comprehensive Written and Oral Exam covering required core courses 

   Comprehensive Exam (0 graduate credit hours); 24 graduate credit hours of elective courses

• If you have a bachelor's degree in any one of a broad spectrum of majors - the arts, social sciences, physical sciences, natural resources, geography, engineering, humanities, business, agriculture, among others - from an accredited university, you are encouraged to apply for admission to the Master of Community and Regional Planning degree program. 
• Transcripts and/or mark sheets showing the grades earned in each course.
• A diploma or certificate of graduation. (Not required if the transcript includes the name of the degree and the date it was conferred.)
• The Diploma Supplement, if the degree is Bologna-compliant.
• Online Application for Graduate Admission
• $50 Application Fee (paid with credit card or check)
• One copy of all college/university official transcripts
• Statement of Interest
• Resume
• Three references will be asked to submit letters of recommendation electronically
• GRE score (recommended, not required)
• TOEFL or IELTS score. Exemptions for the English proficiency requirement are granted for non-native speakers who have received a bachelor's or more advanced degree either from a U.S. institution or from a university outside the U.S. at which English is the official language of instruction.

Scholarships

• Assistantships
• Fellowships
• University Tuition Assistance Grants (UTAG)