Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program Guide
A core of required courses, most of which are taken in the first year, includes:
- Introduction to Planning
- Community Socioeconomic Analysis using GIS
- Research Methods for Government and Public Affairs
- Foundations for Development Planning
- Planning Theory and Processes
- Legal and Legislative Foundations of Planning
- Planning Studios I and II
The remainder of a student's courses are determined by the student's particular interests in planning.
Required Courses in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program
Note: The schedule below assumes full-time attendance, but part-time attendance — an option
chosen by 35 percent of our students — also is possible. Almost all of the courses in the Master
of Urban and Regional Planning program, as well as the graduate certificates, are offered in the
late afternoon and evenings.
Semester One: Fall
URSP 610 | Introduction to Planning
URSP 622 | Community Socioeconomic Analysis
URSP 662 | Foundations for Development Planning
Elective
Semester Two: Spring
URSP 623 | Research Methods for Government and Public Affairs
URSP 761 | Studio I
URSP 635 | Legal and Legislative Foundations
Elective
Semester Three: Fall
URSP 632 | Planning Theory and Processes
Elective
Elective
Elective
Semester Four: Spring
URSP 762 | Studio II or URSP 764 | Thesis
Elective
Elective
Detailed information concerning the Studio II and Thesis options:
Studio II Guidelines
Thesis Guidelines
Graduate Advising Sheet: Students should use this advising sheet to plan their courses of study.
Customize Your Degree
In selecting their elective courses, students may:
- Opt for exposure to a wide array of subject matter (the "generalist" approach)
- Select one of the areas of specialization designed by the department
- Develop an individualized program, focusing on one of more specialized topics (e.g., a student may wish to construct a "sustainable development concentration" that combines courses in economic development, environmental planning and physical planning).
VCU Course Descriptions: Master of Urban and Regional Planning courses
Areas of Specialization:
Community Revitalization Planning
ARTH 502 | Historical Preservation and Architectural History
URSP 517 | Historic Preservation in Planning
URSP 621 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
URSP 541 | Urban Public Policy Making Process
PADM 605 | Survey Research Methods
PADM 609 | Financial Management in Government
URSP 611 | Principles of Urban Design
FIRE 629 | Real Estate Investment Analysis
URSP 641 | Citizen Participation and Negotiation
URSP 643 | Housing Policy
URSP 647 | Adaptive Reuse of Buildings
PADM 650 | Principles of Nonprofit Management
PADM 656 | Fund Development for the Nonprofit Sector
URSP 666 | Urban Commercial Revitalization
URSP 691 | Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Planning
Environmental Planning
BIOL 510 | Conservation Biology
BIOL 514 | Stream Ecology
URSP 552 | Urban Transportation Systems
ENVS 591 | Environmental Risk Assessment
URSP 621 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
URSP 625 | Spatial Database Management and GIS Modelling
URSP 628 | Land Use Planning
URSP 641 | Citizen Participation and Negotiation
URSP 650 | Environmental Planning
URSP 652 | Environmental Analysis
URSP 672 | Rural Planning, Policy and Development
International Development Planning
POLI 591 | Politics of International Aid
PADM 604 | Comparative Public Institutions
URSP 681 | International Urban Policy and Planning
URSP 691 | European Urban Planning Seminar
URSP 691 | Foreign Cities Study Tour (study abroad)
URSP 797 | Directed Research in International Development
Metropolitan Planning
URSP 525 | Site Planning and Graphics
URSP 552 | Urban Transportation Systems
URSP 611 | Principles of Urban Design
URSP 621 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
URSP 628 | Land Use Planning
URSP 664 | Urban Economic Development Policy
FIRE 627 | Urban Land Development
URSP 625 | Spatial Database Management and Database Modelling
FIRE 629 | Real Estate Investment Analysis
URSP 643 | Housing Policy
URSP 650 | Environmental Planning
URSP 672 | Rural Planning, Policy and Development
