Master of City Planning Program By Boston University |Top Universities

Master of City Planning

Main Subject Area

Urban PlanningMain Subject Area

Program overview

Main Subject

Urban Planning

Study Level

Masters

The Master of City Planning (MCP) at Boston University's Metropolitan College helps address these questions and, more importantly, prepares students for a wide variety of professional roles in planning for urban and regional development. City planners specialize in an array of complex sub-topics that include: land-use regulation; community and local economic development; infrastructure planning and budgeting; transportation planning; sustainable development; and urban design. The planning field is intensely political, dealing with core issues of resource distribution and the co-habitation of diverse communities. In this context, city planners are also called upon to be savvy mediators or advocates for an array of social, economic, and cultural issues. In addition, an acute sense of the public policy process is a hallmark trait of most city planners. The professional city planner frequently functions as a member of a multidisciplinary team and may be involved in such tasks as the analysis of policy alternatives, formulation of public investment programs, forecasting and monitoring urban and regional systems performance, development of joint programs among various public and private sector institutions, and plan design and implementation. The Metropolitan College MCP emphasizes a theoretical and methodological core common to the numerous roles and specializations within the urban and regional planning field, as well as coursework specialized for several career options. The core of required courses provides training in analytical and evaluative skills, application of those skills to urban and regional public policy problems, and preparation of proposals for action. The program accommodates students on both a part- and a full-time basis. The 64 credits required for the degree may be earned within two years of full-time study and must be earned within a maximum of seven years. Students are encouraged to participate in selected fieldwork internships for course credit. Students who complete the master's degree in City Planning will be able to demonstrate: Mastery of knowledge in the history and theory of urban and regional development, the structure and functions of cities and urban systems, local and national policy making processes, and the role of planning. Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research skills and their application to theory-building, data-gathering and analysis, and policy making processes. Mastery of communication and mediation skills for public (community) and policy settings. Awareness of the political, social, and ethical issues inherent in policy work and the planning practice, as related to minority or disadvantaged urban communities.

Program overview

Main Subject

Urban Planning

Study Level

Masters

The Master of City Planning (MCP) at Boston University's Metropolitan College helps address these questions and, more importantly, prepares students for a wide variety of professional roles in planning for urban and regional development. City planners specialize in an array of complex sub-topics that include: land-use regulation; community and local economic development; infrastructure planning and budgeting; transportation planning; sustainable development; and urban design. The planning field is intensely political, dealing with core issues of resource distribution and the co-habitation of diverse communities. In this context, city planners are also called upon to be savvy mediators or advocates for an array of social, economic, and cultural issues. In addition, an acute sense of the public policy process is a hallmark trait of most city planners. The professional city planner frequently functions as a member of a multidisciplinary team and may be involved in such tasks as the analysis of policy alternatives, formulation of public investment programs, forecasting and monitoring urban and regional systems performance, development of joint programs among various public and private sector institutions, and plan design and implementation. The Metropolitan College MCP emphasizes a theoretical and methodological core common to the numerous roles and specializations within the urban and regional planning field, as well as coursework specialized for several career options. The core of required courses provides training in analytical and evaluative skills, application of those skills to urban and regional public policy problems, and preparation of proposals for action. The program accommodates students on both a part- and a full-time basis. The 64 credits required for the degree may be earned within two years of full-time study and must be earned within a maximum of seven years. Students are encouraged to participate in selected fieldwork internships for course credit. Students who complete the master's degree in City Planning will be able to demonstrate: Mastery of knowledge in the history and theory of urban and regional development, the structure and functions of cities and urban systems, local and national policy making processes, and the role of planning. Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research skills and their application to theory-building, data-gathering and analysis, and policy making processes. Mastery of communication and mediation skills for public (community) and policy settings. Awareness of the political, social, and ethical issues inherent in policy work and the planning practice, as related to minority or disadvantaged urban communities.

Admission requirements

Undergraduate

7+

Tuition fee and scholarships

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

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A list of available scholarships around the world

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More programs from the university

One of the largest private universities in the country, Boston University educates approximately 16,000 undergraduate students each year. Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach in 250 programs of study at 17 schools and colleges.

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked BU 37th in the nation and 39th among global universities. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size is 27.
BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. It’s not unusual to find undergraduates in the cutting-edge labs and work spaces of prominent researchers tackling life-changing challenges.

Recognized around the world, the University fields applications for admission from students representing over 150 countries. By the same token, thousands of Terriers get their passports stamped every year for study, research, and internships on all seven continents. Once they graduate, BU students are among the most employable in the country and the world—5th and 6th, respectively, according to Times Higher Education.
BU is implementing a University-wide general education curriculum called the BU Hub, which ensures every graduate will possess the essential knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to think deeply, generate new ideas, and put them into action, particularly within the context of a hyper-fast, globally connected world.

On campus, daily life is a swirl of languages, faces, and religions, with 450+ student clubs, countless shows and lectures, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a slew of pubs and restaurants, and 22 varsity athletic teams, including the thrills and spills of Terrier hockey.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

BA in Archaeology

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BA in History

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BA in Latin

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BA in Music

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B.A. in Biology

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BA in Psychology

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BS in Biology

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BA in English

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BA in Religion

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BA in Sociology

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BS in Economics

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The largest university in Boston and the fourth-largest private educational institution in the country, Boston University counts some 15,000 graduate students among its student body.

Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach at 17 schools and colleges and when not at the front of the classroom, they can be found at BU’s 125+ research centers and institutes and 2,326 laboratories spread across three city campuses. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows.
BU is a major, global research institution and a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of 62 of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. Home also to a medical school and teaching hospital, in FY2017 BU landed more than $400M in federal research dollars. In the commercial sector, some 200 companies are developing and selling products based on BU discoveries.

U.S. News & World Report for 2019 ranked numerous BU graduate programs among the country’s top 50: Sargent College’s occupational therapy program (#1), School of Public Health’s program (#10), Business (#42), Education (#34), Law (#22), Engineering (#34), Biomedical Engineering (#12), Medical Research (#29), Medical Primary Care (#26), Social Work (#10), as well as graduate programs in Computer Science, Math, Physics, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

JD/MA in English

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JD/MA in History

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MA in Archaeology

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MA in Composition

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MA in History

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MA in Philosophy

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MA in Pathology

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Ph.D. in English

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PhD in History

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PhD in Philosophy

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Postgrad programs