UPP ranks 14th nationally
UPP was ranked 14th nationally in the Planetizen guide to urban planning programs, and third in the Midwest. Planetizen publishes the only rankings of urban planning programs in the country. Detailed information about the MUPP and PhD programs is also available for viewing on the Association for Collegiate Schools of Planning Guide free of charge.
UPPSA on the APA website...
The UPP Student Association's PARK(ing) Day exhibit is featured on the APA website's new section for student organizations, click here.
Where are recent grads working?
We often get questions about where recent grads have found employment. Here is an incomplete list, in no particular order:
The Reinvestment Fund (Philadelphia, PA)
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Northwestern Indiana
Regional Planning Commission (Portage, IN)
AECOM (Chicago, IL)
Business District Improvement Group (Chicago, IL)
Chicago Housing Authority (Chicago, IL)
CNT Energy (Chicago, IL)
Community Research Institute (Grand Rapids, MI)
...click here for more on recent grads' places of employment.
If you're interested in where our students have recently interned, click here.
Alumni Testimonial
The testimonial below was recently sent to several members of the UPP faculty and staff....the graduate has agreed to have it shared publicly. Check this page to see how her education at UIC got her to her current position.
Alumni Spotlight
Read about MUPP alum Seema Agnani in theNew York Daily News for work with her group Chhaya Community Development Corporation. To read more click here.
Student Profiles and Work
MUPP students create exceptional works every semester in courses, internships, and for their Masters Projects and theses. Click here to learn more about our students, what brought them to planning (and UIC's MUPP program), and where they see themselves going, as well as examples of their work.
Demand for Planners Projected to Increase
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster than average employment growth (an increase of 14 to 19 percent)for urban and regional planners. Most new jobs will be in affluent, rapidly expanding communities. Job prospects will be best for those with a master's degree; bachelor's degree holders with additional skills in GIS or mapping may find entry level positions, but advancement opportunities are limited.
The BLS data only tells part of the story. As the list of organizations where recent alums have found work shows, many MUPP graduates are working in jobs not classified by the BLS as "planners" but that they acquired because of the robust skill set developed in the MUPP program.
Chicago ranks 15th of top 50 student cities in the world
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Top Universities places Chicago 15th out of the fifty best cities for students in the world, and as the top ranked US city in the top fifty. The rankings were based on a complex set of measures taken from public information, surveys and other data. Check out the rankings here.
Important information for applicants
We are changing to a system of electronic submission of applications. Application materials submitted electronically and received before the deadline will not be acknowledged; the date and time of submission is contained in the email and it will be noted in your application file that the deadline was met. Directions for completing your application are on this page
Updates for PhD applicants
PhD Application Deadline Has Changed
Please check the Application Deadlines page for details.
...more on recent grads employment...
DePaul University Institute for Housing Studies (Chicago, IL)
Federal Reserve Bank (Chicago, IL)
Field Museum (Chicago, IL)
Habitat for Humanity (East Bay/Silicon Valley, CA)
Heitman (Chicago, IL)
Integra Realty Resources (Chicago, IL)
Manchester Senior Communities (Orlando, FL)
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago
Rebuilding Together * Metro Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Redfin (Chicago, IL)
S. B. Friedman & Co. (Chicago, IL)
TBG Foundations (Chicago area)
Tribune Company (Chicago, IL)
University of Illinois, Labor Education Program
Village of Hanover Park, IL
World Business Chicago (Chicago, IL)
National Community Investment Fund (Chicago, IL)
Chicago Community Loan Fund (Chicago, IL)
Illinois Facilities Fund (Chicago, IL)
Office of the Inspector General, City of Chicago
Latin United Community Housing Association (Chicago, IL)
Bickerdike (Chicago, IL)
Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago
To view UPP's Mission and Goals, click here
