Department of City and Regional Planning (GRAD)
Carolina Planning is one of the most established and well-respected planning programs in the country, with an alumni network that spans the globe. Its faculty members, world-class scholars leading cutting-edge research, are redefining the field of planning.
City and regional planning is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to improve the quality of life for people in human settlements. Planners are involved, for example, in forecasting alternative futures of a city or region, guiding the type and location of new development, analyzing transportation systems, encouraging economic development, protecting the environment, mediating diverse interests, and revitalizing urban neighborhoods. They are involved in designing solutions to pressing societal problems such as urban sprawl, unemployment, homelessness, environmental pollution, and urban decay.
City and regional planners work for a variety of public, nonprofit, and private organizations. In the public sector, local, state, and federal governments all employ city and regional planners. In the nonprofit sector, planners work for national, state, and local advocacy groups promoting sustainable development. In the private sector, planners work for development companies and consulting firms.
Two graduate programs are offered in city and regional planning:
The Professional Master's Degree Program
The program leading to the degree of master of city and regional planning prepares the candidate for professional planning practice. The curriculum covers social and institutional problems and provides students with training in planning, public policy research, and management skills.
The Doctoral Program
The doctoral program in planning provides training in research methods, planning theory, and areas of specialization that enable graduates to contribute to the development of substantive theory, knowledge, and scholarship in planning; to formulate and evaluate innovative public policy; and to administer research programs in domestic and international contexts. The program is small but highly selective and individualized. It is ideal for mature students from a variety of backgrounds.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
Within Carolina Planning
Transportation Research @ UNC (TRUNC)
TRUNC organizes regular seminars, lectures and discussions to support the intellectual community in transportation planning within DCRP.
Community Engagement Laboratory (CEL)
CEL uses a community engaged scholarship lens to carry on the tradition of UNC’s former Center of Urban and Regional Studies, whose mission over nearly 70 years served “to promote and support within UNC-Chapel Hill, high-quality basic and applied research on urban, regional and rural planning and policy issues.” Led by Profs. Danielle Spurlock, Ashley Hernandez, Matthew Palm, and Tab Combs, the CEL partners with residents, community organizations, and local governments to respond to data requests and community driven research needs.
Planner's Forum
This graduate student organization acts as a liaison between MCRP students and DCRP faculty and also manages student organization resources.
Build UP
This undergraduate student organization creates and promotes a campus-wide interest in urban planning, and sustainable development.
Carolina Planning Journal
The Carolina Planning Journal is the oldest student-run planning journal in the United States. It provides a platform for students and researchers across the country to publish papers related to planning topics varying from year to year. Within the planning department, students can work directly with authors to edit and develop papers as well as publish book reviews on an annual basis. The journal’s blog, Carolina Angles, features writing from students and the wider planning community. Every year a planning student serves as the Editor-in-Chief and works closely alongside the Angles blog editor to plan for content creations, develop the annual call for papers, and run logistics for Journal publication
The Institute for Transportation Engineers, UNC Chapter
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is an international membership association of transportation professionals who work to improve mobility and safety for all transportation system users and help build smart and livable communities.
NC Women's Affordable Housing Network, UNC Chapter
The North Carolina Women’s Affordable Housing Network (NCWAHN) is an organization committed to the empowerment and development of women who work in affordable housing through partnership, professional development, and networking. It is their goal to create a state-wide organization that brings together and supports women from all sectors of the affordable housing industry to carry out our mission.
Outside Carolina Planning
Outside of the Department, our students and faculty collaborate closely with the following units on campus:
- The Development Finance Initiative
- The Institute for the Environment
- The Environmental Finance Center
- The Highway Safety Research Center
- The Carolina Population Center
- The Coastal Resilience Center
- NC Growth
- The Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Courses
Numbered 400-999:
Please visit the department's website for a current listing of graduate and undergraduate courses offered.
City and Regional Planning, Master's Program (M.C.R.P.)
The program leading to the degree of master of city and regional planning prepares the candidate for professional planning practice. The curriculum covers social and institutional problems and provides students with training in planning, public policy research, and management skills.
Satisfactory completion of the degree requires completion of a minimum of 51 credit hours, including an area of specialization and a master's project in that area. The normal course load is 12 to 15 credit hours per semester. Thirty-six of the required 51 credits must be taken in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
Coursework for the degree is divided into core requirements, area of specialization, and electives. Each student is assisted by a faculty advisor in designing an educational program. The advisor helps select courses appropriate for the student's educational interests and goals.
Course Requirements
All master's degree students are expected to meet certain general course requirements. These consist of courses covering planning theory, urban spatial theory, applied microeconomics, analytical methods, law, and a planning workshop. These basic course topics constitute a core of knowledge and skills necessary to completion of the master's degree program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PLAN 704 | Theory of Planning I | 3 |
| PLAN 710 | Microeconomics for Planning and Public Policy Analysis 1 | 3 |
| PLAN 714 | Urban Spatial Structure | 3 |
| PLAN 720 | Planning Methods | 3 |
| PLAN 724 | Introduction to Law for Planners 2 | 3 |
| PLAN 715 | Introduction to GIS for Urban Planners 1 | 1.5 |
| Electives | ||
| 16.5 total credit hours required | 16.5 | |
| Specialization | ||
| 12 total credit hours required per the student's selected specialization area. | 12 | |
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | ||
| PLAN 823 | Planning Workshop 3 | 3 |
| PLAN 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) 3 | 3 |
| Minimum Hours | 51 | |
- 1
Students may test out.
- 2
Or alternative Law course approved by advisor.
- 3
Must be taken in the last year of the program.
Specialization Areas
The department offers four specializations associated with professional planning practice.
- Economic development focuses on planning for functional and sustainable regional economies and issues of income and jobs for central city areas.
- Housing and community development is concerned with the supply of affordable housing, the revitalization of urban neighborhoods, project development, and central city redevelopment.
- Land use and environmental planning addresses growth management at the urban and regional scales, environmental management, and policy analysis with emphasis on water resources.
- Transportation planning provides concepts and tools relevant to transportation policy and planning and in-depth knowledge of the reciprocal relationship between transportation decisions and land development.
Specialization courses account for 12 credit hours. All MCRP students must complete at least one area of specialization.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Land Use and Environmental Planning Specialization | ||
| PLAN 740 | Land Use and Environmental Policy | 3 |
| PLAN 741 | Land Use and Environmental Planning | 3 |
| And any two courses from the following list: | 6 | |
| Energy, Transportation, and Land Use | ||
| Watershed Planning | ||
| Development and Environmental Management | ||
| Development Impact Assessment | ||
| Project and Site Planning | ||
| Planning for Natural Hazards and Climate Risk | ||
| Sustainable Energy Systems | ||
| Development Dispute Resolution | ||
| Energy Modeling for Environment and Public Health | ||
| Applied Environmental Finance: How to Pay for Environmental Services | ||
Or alternative courses approved by advisor | ||
| Economic Development Specialization | ||
| PLAN 671 | Development Planning Techniques | 3 |
| PLAN 677 |  Perspectives on Economic Development | 3 |
| And any two courses from the following list: | 6 | |
| Planning Equitable Economies | ||
| Planning for Jobs | ||
| Community Revitalization Applied | ||
| Real Estate Investment and Affordable Housing | ||
| Community Development & Revitalization Techniques | ||
| Development Finance | ||
| Public Investment Theory | ||
| Applied Environmental Finance: How to Pay for Environmental Services | ||
| Political Economy of Poverty and Inequality | ||
Or alternative courses approved by advisor | ||
| Transportation Specialization | ||
| PLAN 636 | Urban Transportation Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 738 | Transportation Policy and Planning | 3 |
| And any course from the following list: | 3 | |
| Understanding and Planning for Freight Flows | ||
| Public Transportation | ||
| Complete, Safe, Equitable Streets | ||
| Transportation Planning Models | ||
Or alternative course approved by advisor | ||
| And One of the Following: | 3 | |
| Land Use and Environmental Planning | ||
| Land Use and Environmental Policy | ||
| Energy, Transportation, and Land Use | ||
| Development Impact Assessment | ||
| Project and Site Planning | ||
| Public Investment Theory | ||
Or alternative course approved by advisor | ||
| Housing and Community Development Specialization | ||
| PLAN 760 | Real Estate Investment and Affordable Housing | 3 |
| PLAN 769 | Housing & Community Development Planning and Policy | 3 |
| And any two courses from the following list: | 6 | |
| Housing and Public Policy | ||
| Planning Equitable Economies | ||
| Development Dispute Resolution | ||
| Diversity and Inequality in Cities | ||
| Community Revitalization Applied | ||
| Planning Equitable Economies | ||
| Urban Neighborhood Revitalization | ||
| Community Development & Revitalization Techniques | ||
| Planning for Jobs | ||
Or alternative courses approved by advisor | ||
Milestones
The following list of milestones (non-course degree requirements) must be completed; view this list of standard milestone definitions for more information.
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Exam or Approved Substitute
- Residence Credit
- Thesis Substitute
- Exit Survey
Additional Information
MCRP Milestone Approved Substitutes
Master's Written Exam Substitute
The MCRP does not have a traditional comprehensive exam. Students in the MCRP instead meet this milestone by taking PLAN 823 Planning Workshop in their second or third (to account for dual degree students) year in the program.
Thesis Substitute
The MCRP does not have a traditional thesis. Students in the MCRP instead meet this requirement by completing a Master's Project (MP).
Master's Committee Substitute
The MCRP does not have a traditional examining committee. Students in the MCRP instead work one-on-one with a faculty MP advisor. Students receive additional input in the following ways:
At the start of the process:
- Students may enroll in an MP Proposal Development Course where they receive feedback and support from the course instructor in the development of their proposal.
- Students must submit their finished proposal to the department. Each proposal is reviewed by a faculty member with field-specific expertise. This faculty member then assigns the student’s faculty advisor for one-on-one advising.
At the end of the process:
- Students must develop a summary (executive summary, abstract, poster, etc.) to be shared with a faculty member in the department, different from their primary MP advisor, so they may benefit from additional perspectives.
- Students may develop a 3-minute presentation of their poster. Posters with presentations are shared with faculty and the professional community of planners in the state of NC. The best MP of the year is selected from this group.
The student's final MP is approved by the student's MP advisor.
General Electives
Additional courses are required beyond the general required courses and courses in the area of specialization. General electives may be used to
- Complement and support the area of specialization,
- Specialize in another area of professional planning,
- Develop skills in a discipline (e.g., economics, design, management) or another professional program represented on campus (e.g., public administration, health administration, environmental engineering, or business), or
- Develop general competence for professional practice through courses selected both within the department and from the regular offerings of the University.
Up to 15 credits may be taken outside the department.
Master's Project
The required master's project constitutes original work involving substantial independent research and analysis of a topic related to planning practice. The requirement may be met by a paper of standard format. The requirement can also be fulfilled with a product in some other form, such as a plan or audiovisual presentation. Ordinarily students submit an individually prepared paper. The student submits the paper topic and outline to the director of the student's focus area. The director approves the topic and assigns a faculty member to serve as major advisor for the project. The student may invite another faculty member to serve as a reader. Both must approve the final project. The project is completed during the final semester in residence and is filed by the department as part of the permanent record of the student's work.
Dual-Degree Programs
Bachelor (Any Major at UNC) + M.C.R.P.
Students can complete this dual degree with any major at UNC and can finish both the undergraduate and graduate degrees in as little as 5 years. Students begin taking graduate-level planning courses in their second or third year at UNC and meet with program staff for group advising in the spring of their third year at UNC.
To apply to the dual degree program, please contact:
Dr. Matthew Palm, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Sarah Ward, Student Services Manager
Master of Environmental Management at Duke + M.C.R.P.
The dual degree program in environmental management and urban planning is the first of its kind, uniting two top-ranked programs to offer students a unique and highly sought-after mix of skills and knowledge and prepare them for a wide range of exciting careers in the private and public sectors, including environmental policy and finance, renewable energy, and urban sustainability.
Students must apply and be admitted to both the M.C.R.P. program at UNC and the M.E.M. program at Duke independently. Students will earn both degrees in three years of study — one year at Duke, one year at UNC — and the third year will be a mix.
For more information:
Law (J.D.) + M.C.R.P.
Students may pursue the J.D. and M.C.R.P. degrees together. Taken concurrently, the two degrees may be obtained in four years rather than the five years ordinarily required. The program seeks to develop professionals capable of dealing with both the legal and planning aspects of urban and regional development and policy. Coursework is designed to prepare students for a variety of professional roles in which knowledge of planning methodology and process, coupled with the analytical skills and professional expertise of the lawyer, are essential. Graduates join private law firms, consulting firms, and public legal and planning staffs.
To enter this program, students must apply separately to the School of Law and to the Department of City and Regional Planning, and must be accepted independently by both. Students entering the program spend their entire first year in either the planning department or the law school, and students must make this choice at the time of admission. The second year is normally spent full time in the program not selected in the first year. After the first two years, the student has an additional 43 semester credits to complete in the law school and 12 semester credits to complete in planning.
For more information:
Business (M.B.A.) + M.C.R.P.
The Kenan–Flagler Business School and the Department of City and Regional Planning offer a dual-degree program leading to the M.B.A. and M.C.R.P. degrees, usually in three years. The program builds management and planning skills that enable graduates to pursue rewarding, flexible, and socially useful careers in the private, nonprofit, or public sectors. Graduates work in real estate and economic development consulting, financial institutions, and entrepreneurial firms. Increasingly, applicants to the business and planning program want to pursue career paths that combine planning and management and seek the flexibility to move between jobs in the public and private sectors.
To enter this program, students must apply separately to both the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Kenan–Flagler Business School, and must be accepted independently by both. Students entering the program spend their entire first year in either the planning department or the business school. The second year is spent full time in the other program. In the third year, students take courses in both business and planning. Sufficient electives can be taken in planning and business so that a curriculum can be tailored to each student's career objectives. Admission to the business school is based on demonstrated potential for responsible leadership, the quality of the student's academic transcripts, and the applicant's score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), administered by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, NJ.
For more information:
Public Administration (M.P.A.) + M.C.R.P.
This dual-degree program prepares professionals who want the flexibility of moving between planning and management positions in government. The Department of City and Regional Planning and the Public Administration program in the School of Government collaborate to enable students to receive both the M.C.R.P. and the M.P.A. degrees in three years and a summer that includes a professional field experience in public administration.
The intent of the combined program is to ensure that students have two complete and complementary, but distinct, areas of training. The M.P.A. requirements ensure adequate training in public management. The M.C.R.P. requirements ensure adequate training in core planning knowledge and skills, and in an area of planning specialization.
Students must obtain admission to both the M.P.A. and M.C.R.P. programs independently. With prior approval from faculty advisors in both programs, students may then count certain courses toward both degrees. The combined program requires a total of 75 semester credit hours. Students are advised to gain approval from faculty advisors for their specific program of courses during the first semester of residence to ensure that they can meet all requirements of both programs within three years.
For more information:
- https://mpa.unc.edu/process-timeline
- Cara Robinson, Director of Admissions, cararob@sog.unc.edu
Public Health (M.P.H.) + M.C.R.P.
The dual degree program between the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Gillings School of Global Public Health (SPH) allows students to connect the public health and urban planning fields through professional training that will encourage greater intersections in professional practice.
To enter these programs, students must apply separately to the Department of City and Regional Planning and the departments in the Gillings School of Global Public Health and must be accepted independently by both. Students entering the program spend their entire first year either in the SPH or the Department of City and Regional Planning. The second year is spent full time in the other program. In the third year, students take both public health and planning courses. Students should be able to complete both programs in three years (instead of four years). At the end of the program students are expected to complete master's projects or other capstone requirements for each department that demonstrate mastery of the two fields and an understanding of the interconnections between the fields.
For more information:
- https://sph.unc.edu/students/admissions/
- Karla Townley-Tilson, Director of the M.P.H. Program, kttilson@unc.edu
Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University + M.C.R.P.
The dual-degree program in landscape architecture and planning strengthens the design dimension of the planning curriculum, and creates a venue for working closely with the College of Design at North Carolina State University. The Department of Landscape Architecture offers two graduate program tracks leading to the master of landscape architecture (M.L.A.), both of which emphasize creative problem solving and a long-term commitment to responsible design. The curriculum provides the professional skills needed to deal with the human and natural forces that shape the land. The department is especially concerned with the protection, restoration, enhancement, and regeneration of the natural and cultural environments in urban, rural, and wilderness settings.
To enter this program, students apply to each department separately and must gain admission to both. The amount of time required for the M.L.A. will depend on whether the student is pursuing the First Professional Degree track (82 credits) or Advanced Studies track (42 credits). Usually students will be able to reduce the time needed to attain both the M.C.R.P. and the M.L.A. by about one year by taking coursework in each department that counts toward the other department's degree program.
For more information:
City and Regional Planning, Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
The doctoral program in planning provides training in research methods, planning theory, and areas of specialization that enable graduates to contribute to the development of substantive theory, knowledge, and scholarship in planning; to formulate and evaluate innovative public policy; and to administer research programs in domestic and international contexts.
The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 36 credits. Students must fulfill four semesters of residence. In practice, doctoral candidates who hold master's degrees in planning or a related field generally require four semesters of formal coursework in residence before beginning the dissertation. Other candidates may require five or more semesters, depending on their preparation.
Each student develops an individualized course of study to reflect a specific area of interest and career aspirations. Appropriate coursework is determined jointly by the student, program advisor, and the student's program committee. Programs are designed to meet the student's needs and build on prior academic training. Courses must be mutually reinforcing and coherent; must prepare the student for expertise in some body of knowledge, methodology, or problem area; and must provide the student with the appropriate research methods, research design, and knowledge base to do scholarly research. The comprehensive exams, taken at the end of coursework, require knowledge of planning theory, research design, research methods, and the student's specific areas of interest.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PLAN 805 | Theory of Planning II | 3 |
| PLAN 800 | Research Design | 3 |
| Electives | 24 | |
| Work with your advisor and program committee to choose any graduate-level courses that contribute to your research development. | ||
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | 6 | |
| Doctoral Research and Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Milestones
The following list of non-course degree requirements must be completed; view this list of standard milestone definitions for more information.
- Doctoral Committee
- Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Exam
- Doctoral Written Exam
- Prospectus Oral Exam
- Advanced to Candidacy
- Dissertation Defense
- Doctoral Dissertation Approved/Format Accepted
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Doctoral Intradepartmental Review (Program Conference)
- Doctoral Preparatory Review (Comprehensive Exam Memo)
Recommended Checklist
- Teaching experience: Most Ph.D. students serve as teaching assistants during their time in the program.
Professors
Todd BenDor, Land Use and Environmental Planning and Policy, Spatial Analysis
Nikhil Kaza, Land Use and Environmental Planning and Policy, Energy and Environment, Planning Theory
Noreen McDonald, Transportation Planning
Roberto G. Quercia, Housing Finance, Housing Policy
Yan Song, Geographic Information Systems, Urban Spatial Analysis, Land Use and Site Planning
Meenu Tewari, Microeconomics, International Planning
Dale Whittington (joint appointment with the Gillings School of Global Public Health), Environmental Planning, Public Investment Theory, International Planning
Associate Professors
Miyuki Hino, Land Use and Environmental Planning, Climate Change, Flooding, Coastal Resilience
Noah Kittner, Land Use and Environmental Planning, Sustainable Energy Systems (joint appointment with ENVR)
Danielle Spurlock, Land Use and Environmental Planning, Public Health, Social Justice, and Dispute Resolution
Andrew Whittemore, Land Use and Urban Design
Assistant Professors
Matt Bhagat-Conway, Transportation, Urban Analytics, Computational Methods
Kate Harwood, Economic Development, Housing, Real Estate, Climate Change
Ashley Hernandez, Housing and Community Development, Gentrification, Diversity and Inequality in Cities
Shakirah Hudani, Urbanization in the Global South (joint appointment with AAAD)
Matt Palm, Transportation Planning, Public Transit, Transportation Equity
Renee Tapp, Housing, Real Estate, Rental Markets
Alainna Thomas, Transportation Planning, Transportation Policy, International Transportation
Teaching Assistant Professors
Alanna Coombes, Communication and Planning, Transportation, Automated Vehicles
Meetra Najrabi, Personal Finance
Adjunct Professors
LeAnn Brown, Planning Law
Frank Muraca, Data Visualization
Justin Nolan, Cities and Urban Life
Sarah Nienow, Regional Economic Analysis
Tony Perez, Urban Design, Form-Based Code
Mitchell Silver, Planning Practice, Land Use Planning, Public Space, Community Development
Andrew Stewart, Historic Preservation
Roger Waldon, Land Use Planning, Planning Practice
Research Professors
Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi, Urban Analytics, Environmental Finance, Water Resources
Associated Faculty
Adam Lovelady, Planning Law
Tyler Mulligan, Development Finance
Judith W. Wegner, Land Use and Local Government Law
Michele Berger, Women's and Gender Studies
Maryann P. Feldman, Public Policy, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Growth
Jessie White, School of Government
David J. Hartzell, Real Estate Finance
Professors Emeriti
Richard N.L. Andrews
Raymond J. Burby
F. Stuart Chapin Jr.
David R. Godschalk
Edward J. Kaiser
Emil E. Malizia
William M. Rohe
Department of City and Regional Planning
