Master of Urban and Regional Planning / Environment and Sustainability
The M.U.R.P./M.S.Dual Degree is a formally structured dual degree in the program of Urban and Regional Planning and the School of Environment and Sustainability. Qualified students pursue concurrent work in natural resources and environmental management and urban and regional planning, leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) in EAS degree from SEAS and the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) degree from Taubman College. Students would be able to complete all requirements for both degrees within six semesters of full-time study.
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 regular M.S. program in SEAS is a two-year, 42-credit-hour program, while the M.U.R.P. program is a two-year, 48-credit-hour program. The dual degree program is a 75-credit-hour program designed for completion normally in 3 years (i.e., six full-time semesters of study, averaging 12.5 credit hours per semester).
For the dual degree, students take the required 42 credit hours in SEAS and 48 credit hours in URP with 15 credits double counted. This adheres to Rackham double counting requirements. In completing this coursework, students must accumulate a minimum of 30 URP credit hours and 25 SEAS credit hours. Finally, students must complete all of the core required courses in Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) or “field of study” (SEAS) required courses for each of the two programs.
Core or focus area/field of study required courses may include courses that double count for the two programs, depending on the particulars of a given student’s program of study, as long as the total credit hour requirements are met. In M.U.R.P., dual degree students usually choose a focus area in land use and environmental planning, physical planning and design, or housing, community and economic development, although they are not limited to those focus areas. Similarly, dual degree students in SEAS have typically chosen the sustainable systems or environmental policy and planning fields of study, although they are not limited to those fields of study.
Coordinated Requirements
Applicants must gain separate and independent admission to both the School for Environment and Sustainability and the Urban and Regional Planning Program, both overseen by the Rackham Graduate School. Applicants should contact the Admissions Office of each school for application and admission information. A prospective student can apply to the combined program by applying to both programs simultaneously as a new applicant, or a student already admitted to one program can apply to the second program for the dual degree while work in the first program is in progress. A graduate of one of the two programs may apply for the dual-degree program status in the other program for up to 5 years after completing the initial degree.
Both degree programs require an integrative, applied experience beyond traditional classroom instruction: In SEAS this is the opus requirement (typically a M.S. thesis or group Project) while in URP this is a capstone studio. Allowing students to complete one, or the other, of these capstone requirements is a key part of the dual degree that makes its completion in three years feasible. The Masters Project requirement for SEAS (EAS 700/701) may satisfy the integrative field experience requirement for URP (URP 603, 601, or 602), if the student has satisfied the first-year core program requirements for U.R.P. (URP 500, 502 or 503, 506, 507 and 509) before undertaking the Masters Project and if the project addresses a planning-related topic. Conversely, the integrative field experience requirement for URP may satisfy the opus requirement for SEAS if the student has satisfied the core program requirements for SEAS (EAS 509, and 510) before undertaking the integrative field experience project and if the integrative field experience project addresses an environmentally related topic.
For the purposes of this dual degree program, the following pairs of courses are recognized as interchangeable, satisfying program requirements for both programs: URP 509 (Public Economics) and EAS 570 (Microeconomics for Nat Res Applications); and URP 520 (Introduction to GIS) and EAS 531 (Principles of GIS).
Admission Requirements
The first two years of study will be divided equally among SEAS and M.U.R.P.; students are normally expected to spend one year, full-time in each school. These two years are followed by a third year of mixed enrollment. Students should work closely with faculty advisors and Registrars in each school to determine precise graduation requirements for each degree. In the Urban and Regional Planning Program each dual degree student will receive a requirements checklist laying out the degree requirements. Because the program is small, students’ advisors will be knowledgeable about the dual degree curriculum and will provide guidance. In SEAS, students should consult with the Director of Academic Services and/or the School Registrar regarding fulfillment of requirements for the M.S.
Contact
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Urban and Regional Planning Admissions
2000 Bonisteel Blvd. Room 2330/2332
Phone: (734) 647-2187
Email: taubmancollegeadmissions@umich.edu
School for Environment and Sustainability
Graduate Admissions
440 Church Street
1520 Dana Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041
Phone: (734)764-6453
Website: SEAS-MURP
Email: seas.admissions@umich.edu
