UMass Boston

In addition to the criteria below, applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements.

• Personal statement - Express interest in promoting robust, equitable, and resilient neighborhoods, communities, and regions.

Public Information

The Planning Accreditation Board requires this information be posted for the University of Massachusetts Boston Master of Science in Urban Planning Program.

Student Achievement

More than ninety-five percent of the students who have enrolled in the program since its establishment in 2015 have successfully completed the Master of Science in Urban Planning Program. All but three of the students completing their professional degrees during the past three years have secured full-time positions in planning and/or planning related positions. More than ninety percent of the program’s sixty-five graduates are currently employed as planners within the Greater Boston Region.

2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

Student Retention Rate

Student Graduation Rate

Number of Degrees Awarded

AICP Pass Rate

Employment

Deadlines: June 15 for fall, December 1 for spring

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Estimate Your Program Cost: Get a feel for your expected program costs using the Graduate Program Cost Calculator.

Program Cost Information: For more detailed information on costs, please visit the Bursar's website or send an email to Bursar@umb.edu.

Core Courses (27 Credits):

• UPCD 600 - History and Theory of Urban Planning 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 615 - Urban Real Estate Markets and Development Process 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 620 - Analytic Methods for Urban Planning and Community Development 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 625 - Analytical Methods II for Planners: Qualitative Techniques 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 626 - Spatial Analysis for Urban Design 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 631 - Land Use Controls 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 632 - Law, Ethics, and Practice in Planning 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 635 - Master Planning: Principles and Practice 3 Credit(s)

Concentration Required Courses (9 Credits): Complete three courses from one of the concentrations below.

Community Resiliency Planning Concentration

• CRSCAD 601L - Social Vulnerability to Disasters 3 Credit(s)
• CRSCAD 602L - Climate Change, Food & Water Resources 3 Credit(s)
• CRSCAD 603L - Reconstruction After the Cameras Have Gone 3 Credit(s)

Environmental and Land Use Planning Concentration

• ENVSCI 674L - Climate and Energy: Law, Policy and Management 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 667 - Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 701 - Urban and Regional Environmental Planning 3 Credit(s)

Housing and Community Development Concentration

• UPCD 622 - Citizen Participation and the Right to the City 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 720 - Community Development for Urban Planners 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 725 - Contemporary Community Development 3 Credit(s)

Concentration Electives (6 Credits): Complete two additional courses approved by your advisor.

Capstone Course (6 Credits): Two semester series of classes that result in a professional group or individual product.

• UPCD 750 - Planning Studio I 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 751 - Planning Studio II 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 752 - Professional Planning Report I 3 Credit(s)
• UPCD 753 - Professional Planning Report II 3 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Complete 48 credits from 15 courses including nine core courses, three concentration required courses, two concentration electives, and two capstone courses.

Concentration: Select a concentration in environmental land use and planning, housing and community development planning, or community resiliency planning.

Capstone: Completion of UPCD 750 and UPCD 751

Statute of limitations: Five years.

Graduate Program Director Richard Hung
richard.hung [at ]umb.edu