Master of Urban and Regional Planning / Landscape Architecture

The M.U.R.P./M.L.A. Dual Degree is a student-initiated dual degree in the programs of Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning. Students especially interested in physical planning at any scale-from site design to metropolitan planning-may decide to get both a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a Master of Landscape Architecture. The dual degree equips students to plan and design the built environment in a comprehensive manner. Students develop design skills at the same time that they understand the social, economic, and political context of the built environment. Having both degrees enables graduates to design at both large and small scales and to understand the relationship between the two. Graduates can address questions such as: How do small-scale design decisions relate to the larger social context? How can the regional or local jurisdiction’s political environment affect a design? Graduates address issues that draw on the knowledge in both degrees-livable communities, smart growth, conservation design, and watershed-scale planning.

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 M.L.A. / M.U.R.P. degree is a 77-credit-hour program that can be completed in 4 years. The M.U.R.P. requires 48 credits (with 30 of these in urban and regional planning courses); the 3YR M.L.A. requires 44 credits. Fifteen of these can be double-counted. Effective Fall 2024, M.L.A. students take approximately 10 credits of prerequisites early in their program; these do not count toward the 44 credit total for the M.L.A. degree; that is the degree and its prerequisites ordinarily comprise about 54 credits. A student in the dual degree must meet the requirements of both programs.

In the Urban and Regional Planning Program, students often choose a focus area in physical planning and urban design, land use and environmental planning, or housing, community, and economic development. In landscape architecture, students proceed through a structured sequence of studios and complementary support courses, while taking advantage of elective courses in the School for Environment and Sustainability.