Master of Urban and Regional Planning / Business Administration (M.U.R.P./M.B.A.)

Program Overview

The Urban and Regional Planning Program and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business offer a formally structured dual degree program that enables qualified students to pursue concurrent work in business administration and urban and regional planning, leading to the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) degrees. Students can complete all requirements for both degrees within six semesters of full-time study.

The dual degree program is for students who want to go into urban real estate development, management of urban operations, or urban economic revitalization in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

The dual degree program is designed to educate developers interested in making urban areas better places to live, managers fascinated with the prospect of making city agencies perform, and leaders engaged in bringing more economic activity to transform areas that need jobs and tax base the most. In the Business School students normally choose a focus area in real estate finance, corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, or organizational behavior and human resources. In the Urban and Regional Planning Program, students in the dual degree program often focus in housing and community development, transportation, economic development, or international development.

Course of Study

Students admitted to the combined program are required to complete the first year courses in one school during the first year and to complete the first year courses at the other school in the second year. Students may begin at either school. During the third year of the program, students are permitted to elect courses in either school and are generally not restricted in their choices beyond fulfilling the required course work.

Degree Requirements

The dual degree is an 84-credit-hour program that can be completed in three years. This combines the two-year, 48-credit-hour master of urban and regional planning with the two-year, 57-credit-hour master of business administration. Each student must take at least 45 credits of Business School courses and at least 30 credits of urban and regional planning courses with an additional 9 credits registered for in either program. Students must meet the requirements of both programs. Total credit hours needed 30 + 45 + 9 = 84. Both schools must agree to admission of a student to the dual degree.

Coordinated Requirements

Students are encouraged to take electives that address their specific interests in combining the two degrees. Here are some examples:

1. A student interested in urban real estate development may elect a set of urban real estate development or finance courses. These include:
   • An introductory course in real estate
   • A course on the planner as developer
   • Urban and regional development
   • Real estate finance
   • Real estate law

   A course focused on a real estate project, such as the capstone course in urban planning, may meet the requirement in Planning for an integrative, practice-oriented experience.

2. A student interested in management of urban operations may elect a series of courses in a topic of interest in urban management. These might include:
   • The series of Planning courses in transportation (for interest in public transit agencies), the series of Planning courses in housing, community, and economic development (for interest in public housing), and so forth.
   • Courses in public and nonprofit management in the Business School.
3. A student interested in urban revitalization through economic development may elect a series of courses that bring the public and private perspectives on economic development together. These could include:
4. The series of courses in economic development in planning (see the focus area in housing, community, and economic development planning).
5. Urban entrepreneurship in the Business School
6. Business plans and entrepreneurship in the Business School

Admission Requirements

Students must file separate applications to and be admitted by both schools. An application fee must accompany each application. Students will work with the acadmic advisors in both schools to determine which program is best to start with the first year. Students enrolled in either program can apply to the other during the first year of study, but not later.