1. Overview

Master's students must complete a minimum of 72 units (or 18 regular courses at 4 units per course). Urban Planning at UCLA is a full-time program and students are expected to take a minimum of 12 units (3 courses) in each of six terms in order to complete the program in two years. Students are generally not permitted to take less than 12 units (full time) in a term. The course of study includes:

a. The Urban Planning Core consists of six required core courses (24 units) that must be completed during the first year of study (except by petition):

• UP 207 Applied Microeconomics for Urban Planning (waiver by examination)
• UP 211 Law and the Quality of Urban Life*
• UP 220A Quantitative Analysis in Urban Planning (waiver by examination)
• UP 220B Quantitative Analysis in Urban Planning
• UP 222A Introduction to Planning History and Theory,
  and
• one urbanization course (specific to the student's Area of Concentration) from among UP C233 Political Economy of Urbanization, UP M254 Transportation, Land Use, and Urban Form, UP 281 Introduction to the History of the Built Environment in the U.S., or UP 242 Poverty and Inequality

*Students may substitute the following Law classes for UP 211 without a petition:

UP M202A and UP 202B /Law M286: Land Use Regulation

UP M264A and UP 264B /Law M290: Environmental Law

UP M203A and UP 203B /Law M526: Urban Housing

By petition, other Law School classes may be substituted for UP 211.

b. The Areas of Concentation consist of five courses (20 units) usually consisting of  two foundation courses and three electives.   Students must complete the requirements for at least one area of concentration, but are encouraged to complete the requirements for additional areas of concentration during their course of study.

c. Professional Fieldwork consisting of at least 300 hours of professional work in planning practice (waiver by petition; see Fieldwork section). Students may receive 4 units credit for fieldwork by completing UP 496 with their advisor (or another faculty member).

d. The Urban Planning Capstone may be satisfied in one of four ways:

• Applied Planning Research Project (termed "comprehensive examination" by the university) consisting of  UP 205A and B (4 units, fall, 4 units winter).
• Group Comprehensive Project (also termed "comprehensive examination" by the university), consisting of UP 217A/and UP 217B (4 units each, generally winter and spring).
• Two-week Examination (also termed "comprehensive examination" by the university).  Taken over tend consecutive business days when classes are not in regular session (i.e. not on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of weeks 1 through 10 of the fall, winter, or spring academic quarters. (no units or course credit). This option is designed as a "fall back" for students whose extenuating circumstances did not or will not allow them to graduate on time and can be pursued only with written permission from the Department Chair.
• Thesis (termed "thesis plan" by the university) consisting of UP 208C (4 units, fall) and UP 598 (4 units, winter).

2. Participation in Graduation Ceremonies

Only students who have completed all of the requirements for the master's degree in Urban Planning may participate in the commencement ceremonies. Specifically, students with outstanding "incomplete" grades in courses or who have not completed their capstone projects with not be permitted to "walk" in graduation ceremonies.

3. Transfer Credits

a. Other UC Campuses

Students may petition to apply planning-related courses completed with a grade of B or better while in graduate standing at other UC campuses, provided that these courses have not previously been used to satisfy the requirements for another degree. Such courses may fulfill up to one half of the total course requirement, one half of the graduate course requirement, and one third of the academic residence requirement.

b. University Extension

Students may petition to apply Urban Planning courses completed through concurrent enrollment in UNEX courses (UCLA Extension).  These courses must have been completed before entering the Urban Planning graduate program.

c. Non-UC Campuses

Students may petition to apply up to eight quarter units of planning-related course-work completed with a grade of B or better while in graduate standing at other colleges or universities, provided that these courses have not been applied previously to another degree. Such courses may only be applied to the total course requirement.

4. Independent Study (500 series) courses

Students may apply a maximum of 4 units of UP 597 or 598 (Preparation for Applied Research Project or Preparation for Thesis) and a maximum of 8 units of UP 596 (Independent Study) courses toward the MURP degree. Students must obtain permission from faculty supervisors in order to enroll in these courses.

5. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading

Students may enroll for S/U grading in one graduate or upper division course each term outside Urban Planning with the consent of the instructor. Such courses may apply toward Urban Planning degree requirements, subject to departmental approval. This limit does not apply to courses that offer S/U grading only.

S/U graded courses in Urban Planning may not be applied toward the MURP degree, with the exception of those mandatory S/U graded courses.

6. Time to Degree

Students who have completed the normal two-year residence requirements (which are not the same as the University residence requirements) but who have yet to complete all of the requirements for graduation may petition to remain in the program for one additional year in order to complete all remaining requirements. Such petitions require approval by the Department Chair and are only occasionally granted in truly extenuating circumstances.

7. Mathematics Prerequisites

Before enrolling in the program students must demonstrate competency in mathematics. This requirement can be minimally met with (1) a grade of B or better in a college algebra course or (2) a quantitative GRE score of 600 or better. Students who have been accepted to the Master's program who lack either (1) or (2) must satisfactorily complete either (A) a college algebra course with a grade of B or better at community college or university prior to the start of the fall quarter or (B) a quantitative methods preparatory short course offered through the UCLA School of Public Affairs prior to the beginning of the Fall quarter.

The first part of the quantitative methods preparatory short course is for students who have not satisfied either (1), (2), or (A) in the paragraph above. The second part of the short course is recommended for all entering masters students to help them prepare for the UP 207 and UP 220A placement examinations. Students who pass the placement exams given on the first day of the workshop may skip the remainder of the workshop. The placement exams are also offered during orientation week of the fall quarter. Any student who does not pass either the UP 207 or UP 220A placement exam will be required to take further preparatory work in math or economics during their first year in the masters program prior to completing UP 207 and UP 220A during their second year.