Admission procedures and standards

Application procedures:

Applicants must apply using the University’s standard online Graduate Degree Application for Master’s programs. In the application portal, select “City and Regional Planning” as the “Course of Study.”

Applicants will be prompted to upload the following material:

A personal statement (500 words) describing related background, career objectives and interest in studying planning at the University of Memphis
Current resume
Undergraduate transcript(s)
GRE scores are optional

Applicants who wish to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship are required to provide 2 letters of reference from former professors and/or employers. Follow this link for more information about applying for Graduate Assistantships.

International applicants should review the Graduate School’s additional application requirements regarding English proficiency [here under "language proficiency requirements"]. International applicants are generally required to have their transcripts evlauated by a credentialing agency [see information here under "3. credential evaluations". Applicants whose highest degree is from a program conducted in English and whose transcripts are on a 4.0 scale will NOT need to submit a transcript evaluation.

Deadlines:

The University's deadline for Fall admission is July 1. In order to receive full consideration for Graduate Assistantships, application must be received by March 1.

Note: Graduate Assistantships are not typically available for students beginning their studies in the Spring semester.

The University's deadline for Spring admission is December 1.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Minimum requirements for consideration:

Applicant must possess a bachelor’s degree. Transcripts are required for review.
Applicant must have earned an acceptable grade point average, typically a minimum of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0. The department may make exceptions for students whose overall GPA does not adequately reflect their ability to succeed.
Applicant must demonstrate an appropriate motivation for studying City and Regional Planning and articulate appropriate career and/or community aspirations through a personal statement.

Meeting the minimum department standards does not entitle an applicant to admission. Meeting such standards only insures consideration of the application.

Additional questions can be emailed to cityplanning@memphis.edu.

Applying for a Graduate Assistantship or Fellowship:

Follow this link for more information about applying for Graduate Assistantships.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Please carefully read all of the information on this page (above and below), before emailing with questions.

Do I need to identify an advisor or faculty supervisor before applying?

What is the program cost?

Information about tuition and fees can be found here. Full-time students in the program generally enroll in 12 credits per semester.

Is the GRE required?

No, GRE scores are optional.

Can international students apply for Graduate Assistantships?

Yes. See the information here.

Are incoming students eligible for Graduate Assistantships?

Yes.

How do I request a waiver of the application fee?

Unfortunately, we cannot grant fee waivers.

Is the Master of City and Regional Planning program STEM-designated?

The program is not currently STEM-designated, but we are pursuing a change to STEM designation.