The Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) degree is awarded after the successful completion of 48 semester hours.  The MCRP degree establishes credentials for certified planning practice and is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). 

Degree Requirements

The 48-hour program of study is divided into three parts as follows:

Core Curriculum (30 hours):

These courses are required of all students in the program and provide knowledge and skills essential to the discipline.  With previous training or experience, credit by examination can be given for a portion of the required courses.

Focused Electives (15 hours):

A bundle of electives provide the student with a sequence of special interest courses chosen from throughout the University.  The 15 hours of electives allow the student to extend basic knowledge gained in the core curriculum and can include such subjects as economic development planning, urban design, land use and transportation planning, planning information systems, housing and community development planning, planning law,  environmental planning, etc. Electives are chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor.

Capstone Project (3 hours):

The capstone is the student’s final requirement for the MCRP degree. The project requires the student to synthesize and apply knowledge about city and regional planning and concludes with a document written in the style of a professional planning report or thesis. After preparing the Capstone Project report, an oral defense of the project and a comprehensive examination must be successfully completed.

Sequence of Courses

The sequence of courses is designed so that a student may be admitted to the program during either the fall or spring semester.  A full-time student enrolls in 12 hours of course work during each semester.  A majority of the core courses are offered during the first year to provide a basis for second year electives. During the second year two core courses -- Comprehensive Planning Studio (7006) and Special Projects Studio (7007) -- are set up as workshops for the application of basic principles learned during the first year. The typical sequence of courses for a full-time student who starts the program in the fall semester is outlined below:

Fall - 1st Year

Introduction to Planning (7000)
Methodology and Techniques in Planning (7012)
Site Planning (7008)
Land Use Planning (7202)

Planning Innovations Technology Lab*

Spring - 1st Year

Land Use Controls (7004)
Financing Community Development (7011)
Quantitative Methods (6521)
City Planning Principles and Theory (7002)

Fall - 2nd Year

Comprehensive Planning Studio (7006)
Elective
Elective
Elective

Spring - 2nd Year

Special Projects Studio (7007)
Elective
Elective
Capstone Project

*Planning Innovations Technology Lab

Participation in the Planning Innovations Technology (PIT) lab is a common requirement for all first-year fall core courses. PIT lab sessions are designed to incorporate the development of technology-based skills sets into the curriculum. These 3-hour sessions are held on Friday afternoons. Full-time students participate in common weekly PIT lab sessions during the fall of the first-year. Part time students are required to participate in selected PIT lab sessions.

Electives

The Planning Program at The University of Memphis offers a wide range of elective courses:

In addition to planning electives, other departments have courses regularly recommended for planning students. Some of these include Anthropology, Civil Engineering, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Health Administration, Political Science, Public Administration, Real Estate, and Sociology.