MCRP City and Regional Planning at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

The program leading to the degree of master of city and regional planning prepares the candidate for professional planning practice. The curriculum covers social and institutional problems and provides students with training in planning, public policy research, and management skills. Satisfactory completion of the degree requires completion of a minimum of 51 credit hours, including an area of specialization and a master's project in that area. The normal course load is 12 to 15 credit hours per semester. Thirty-six of the required 51 credits must be taken in the Department of City and Regional Planning.

Faculty: The Graduate School | Department: City and Regional Planning | Duration: Students will earn both degrees in three years of study — one year at Duke, one year at UNC — and the third year will be a mix. | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

Satisfactory completion of the degree requires completion of a minimum of 51 credit hours, including an area of specialization and a master's project in that area. The normal course load is 12 to 15 credit hours per semester. Core courses include PLAN 704 Theory of Planning I; PLAN 710 Microeconomics for Planning and Public Policy Analysis; PLAN 714 Urban Spatial Structure; PLAN 720 Planning Methods; PLAN 724 Introduction to Law for Planners; PLAN 823 Planning Workshop.

Career pathways

The program builds management and planning skills that enable graduates to pursue rewarding, flexible, and socially useful careers in the private, nonprofit, or public sectors. Increasingly, applicants to the business and planning program want to pursue career paths that combine planning and management and seek the flexibility to move between jobs in the public and private sectors.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: Admission to the business school is based on demonstrated potential for responsible leadership, the quality of the student's academic transcripts, and the applicant's score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), administered by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, NJ. Students must obtain admission to both the M.P.A. and M.C.R.P. programs independently. To enter this program, students apply to each department separately and must gain admission to both.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration. The GRE is not required for the Master of Applied Professional Studies.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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