Master of Urban Planning and Policy (MUPP) Program

Program Overview

A minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit is required. The program is divided into seven components: core courses, specialization courses, methods courses, globalization courses, electives, internship, and a thesis or project. The overall distribution of credits is as follows:

Component Number of Courses Credit Hours
Core 5 20
Specialization 3 12
Methods Courses 2 8
Electives 2-5 8-20
Internship 1 4
Project or Thesis 1 (project) to 4 (thesis) 4-16
TOTAL 15 60

Core Courses

Unless a waiver is granted, the following courses are required:

Areas of Specialization

Five areas of specialization are offered to students of the MUPP program. At least one specialization must be completed, but there is room in the curriculum to pursue two specializations, if desired. In addition to the standard specializations, students have the opportunity to develop a user-defined specialization subject to faculty and advisor approval. Twelve (12) semester hours are required to complete each specialization, however each has varying course requirements. Required courses, by specialization, follow:

Globalization and International Planning

Globalization is an ongoing process, transforming the political economies of nations around the world. It is affecting the spatial and social dimensions of cities and regions and the nature of planning. Students learn about the contested tenets of globalization, proceed to comparatively investigate specific impacts of globalization on cities and regions, and acquire skills in policy formulation and integrated development programming as place-specific responses to changes induced by globalization. The specialization courses focus on the following regional blocks: North-America, European Union and the Mediterranean, Pacific Rim, and Latin America.

Required Courses:

Community Development

Learning to foster urban improvements in aging neighborhoods offers demanding challenges for students of community development. The coursework includes the careful review of current theories about local organizing, asset management, citizen participation, ethnic and racial relations, and government development policy. Students learn the arts of political communication, neighborhood planning, equity planning, and consensus building at the grass roots level.

Required Courses:

Economic Development

The modern city prospers when the local economy produces a diverse assortment of jobs. But the roller coaster of economic boom and bust often takes a heavy toll on local residents. Plants shut with little warning and the burdens of economic growth fall unevenly across the urban landscape. Cities and regions can take actions to improve the benefits of growth, reduce the costs, and anticipate and counter their uneven distribution. The economic development specialization first teaches students how to analyze the local economy and then use this analysis to formulate effective economic policies.

Required Courses:

Physical Planning

The built environment provides the physical container for the growth and development of urban settlements. The physical planning specialization takes students through a three-step curriculum. An introductory course introduces students to the language of physical planning at different scales. A methodology course follows, which provides a basic foundation in concepts of visual reasoning, integrating this understanding with quantitative and verbal reasoning skills. Finally, students participate in a capstone studio course. The studio requires students to prepare a physical development plan or project for a real world client. Especially important are electives in site planning, development finance, land use law, and land use planning.

Required Courses:

Urban Transportation

The urban transportation specialization prepares students for professional practice in public and private transportation agencies. Emphasis is placed on the role of transportation in urban areas; the definition of transportation problems in terms of accessibility to sites of employment, housing, social services and recreation; the design of analysis for studying the physical, financial, and institutional feasibility of service provision mechanisms; the process of selecting projects for implementation; and system operation management.

Required Courses:

Methods Requirement

For students entering Fall 2007 and later, the methods requirement is not applicable.

Students enrolled prior to Fall 2007 must complete the methods requirement. Students are required to take at least two methods-related courses above and beyond core courses. Methods-related courses in a specialization may count towards meeting this requirement.

Following is a list of courses that automatically count towards the methods requirement. Other courses, including independent study and special topics courses may count towards this requirement with the approval of your advisor. All the following courses are 4 credit hour courses.

The Professional Practice Seminar (Internship)

Students may not register for an internshi until they have completed 12 hours of credit towards their degree.

For students enrolled prior to Fall 2007, the requirements for the internship component of the MUPP degree are: The Professional Practice Seminar (UPP 591), which consists of a one-night-per-week seminar, plus 300 hours of internship. The 300 hours of internship may be waived for students who come to the program with professional planning experience and those currently employed in a planning capacity with a public or private agency. The 300 hours of internship are generally done concurrently with the seminar. It is possible to do the internship one semester prior to the seminar, with approval of the internship coordinator. Students may not do internships that count toward their degrees until they have completed 12 hours of course work.

A letter grade for the internship will not be filed until the seminar has been completed. Students who receive an internship waiver must still participate in UPP 591. The seminar is offered in the spring semester and summer session.

For students enrolling Fall 2007 and later, the Professional Practice Internship (UPP 590) consists of 300 hours of fieldwork. Students must have their internships approved by Prof. Kheir Al-Kodmany, UPP's Director of Graduate Studies. UPP 590 may be waved for students who come to the program with profesional planning experience or are already employed in a public or private agency doing planning.

Students who are considering waiving the requirement for UPP 590 should consult with their advisor or UPP program staff to discuss eligibility for a waiver and alternatives to UPP 590.

Over the years, students have been actively involved with governments at the city, county, state, and federal levels; with regional planning organizations; with community groups; and with private consulting firms, using their individual and collective skills in actual planning situations. Although most students do their internships in the Chicago region, students may also seek an internship placement in another U.S. location, or occasionally, a foreign country.

Masters Project/Thesis

The masters project or thesis is the final requirement of the MUPP program. The purpose of this requirement is to give the student experience in the conceptualization of a research or planning problem, the development of a methodology for addressing the problem, and the preparation of a document which carries out the analysis and communicates the results and conclusions reached.

The thesis and project differ with respect to content, credit hours, and advising requirements.

A project is usually an exercise in applied research directed toward an actual planning problem. The project may focus on the definition of the problem, the context of the problem, and the analysis of alternative solutions or issues in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The primary focus in the project is the substance and the context of the planning application. A project is often developed in the context of a student's professional job experience or internship. When this applies, it should be clear that the student has direct and personal responsibility for any work product submitted as a masters project. Any questions on this point should be discussed with the faculty advisor.

Masters projects carry 4 hours of credit. Students are required to write and secure approval of a masters project proposal prior to registering for masters project hours. The project proposal can be reviewed and approved by any UPP faculty member.

A thesis is a more traditional piece of academic research, which frequently involves the analysis of historical materials and use of secondary sources. An exploration of planning theory or research methods would also be appropriate in a thesis.

Students can earn from 8 to 16 hours of credit for thesis research. Thesis proposals must be reviewed and accepted by a faculty committee constituted according to requirements of the Graduate College.

Students who select the thesis must present their work to a formal thesis examination committee. The thesis committee must include three members of the UIC faculty. The chair of the committee must be a member of the UPP faculty. At least two of the committee members must be permanent members of the UIC Graduate Faculty. Most associate and full professors are members of the UIC Graduate Faculty.