MURP curriculum

Curriculum

The MURP curriculum is structured into three components: Core Courses (27 credits), Electives (15 credits), and Synthesis (6 credits). Students without prior work in planning should complete Planning Internship (URP 6945) as an elective.

Core Courses

Core Courses include Guiding Values of planning; General Planning Knowledge; and Skills and Tools for Planning Practice. These topics are mandated by the Planning Accreditation Board.

Guiding Values of planning include Equity, Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion; Sustainability, Resilience, and Climate Justice; and Professional Ethics and Responsibility

General Planning Knowledge includes Planning History and Theory; Planning Law and Institutions; and theories and practices of Urban and Regional Development theories and practices. 

Skills and Tools for Planning Practice include the Planning Process and Engagement; Analytical Skills and Tools; and Professional and Communication Skills.

Electives

Electives are offered on various topics, including transportation planning, environmental planning, geographic information systems, housing and community development, and urban design. Also, the Planning Abroad course (URP 5958), which is offered each Spring semester, allows students to study planning in another country. Students may also take relevant courses offered by other departments (a list of courses that are approved automatically is given below). Although the program does not provide formal specializations, students can plan their electives to develop expertise in an area of their choice.

Synthesis Courses

Synthesis Courses involve taking either Planning Workshop (URP 6920) and Planning Project (URP 6979) or Master's Thesis (URP 6971, 3 credits in each of two successive semesters for a total of 6 credits). In Planning Workshop, students work collaboratively on a real-world planning problem for a client. For Planning Project, students work on an independent project of their choosing and work through all stages of the formal planning process. The Master's Thesis option is intended mainly for students planning to continue in a doctoral program.

Graduate Certificate Programs

Some students work on a graduate certificate at the same time as earning their MURP degree. A graduate certificate is an excellent way to demonstrate more profound knowledge in a specific area related to planning.

Course Offerings

Required Core Courses (27 credits):
URP 6101 History and Theory of Planning
URP 6200 Planning Methods
URP 6840 Urban Spatial Structure
URP 6270 Introduction to GIS in Planning
URP 6873 Site Planning
URP 6115 Urban Governance
URP 6211 Statistics for Urban Planning
URP 6406 Sustainable Cities
URP 6131 Legal Aspects of Planning

 

Elective Courses

Course Number Title
URP 5958 Planning Abroad
URP 6237 Regional and Scenario Planning
URP 6272 Managing GIS Projects
URP 6277 GIS Applications in Planning
URP 6425 Environmental Analysis in Planning
URP 6429 Environmental Policy and Programs
URP 6540 Tourism and Economic Development
URP 6545 Urban Revitalization Strategies
URP 6549 Economic Development Planning
URP 6711 Introduction to Transportation Planning
URP 6716 Land Use and Transportation Planning
URP 6719 Shared and Automated Transport: The Future of Urban Mobility
URP 6732 Capital Facilities Planning
URP 6742 Seminar in Housing
URP 6841 Urban Development and Design
URP 6881 Urban Design
URP 6886 Urban Design Workshop
URP 6905 Directed Independent Study
URP 6930 Special Topics


The following courses offered by the Department of Geosciences and the School of Public Administration are automatically approved as electives for MURP students:

Course Number Title
GEA 6277 Human-Environmental Interactions
GEO 6337 Culture, Conservation, and Land Use
GIS 5038C Remote Sensing of the Environment
GIS 5100C Applications in Geographic Information Systems
GIS 5103C Programming in Geographic Information Systems
GIS 6306 Spatial Data Analysis
GLY 6737 Coastal Environments
GLY 6746 Global Environmental Change
GLY 6888 Coastal Hazards
PAD 6063 Managerial Leadership in State and Local Government
PAD 6333 Strategic Planning in the Public Sector
PAD 6436 Administrative Ethics
PAD 6807 Local Government Administration

 

FAU Catalog

The full details of MURP Program requirements can be found in the official FAU Catalog. 

Please visit the FAU Registrar website to view courses available over the next year. 


For any questions regarding the Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree program, please contact Dr. Louis Merlin (Program Coordinator) at lmerlin@fau.edu.