Admissions

Community Development (B.A./B.S.)
Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
Master of Urban Studies (MUS)
 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Doctor of Philosophy: Urban Studies (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Philosophy: Urban Studies: Regional Science (Ph.D.)
Tuition and Fees

 

Community Development (CD)

Application Procedure:

Complete the prerequisite course equivalents:

  • UNST 220 Understanding Communities (4 credits)
  • SOC 200: Introduction to Sociology
  • ECON 201: Principles of Economics (4 credits)
  • PS 200: Introduction to Politics

  • Download the Community Development application

  • Complete and submit the application with a 2 page letter of intent and unofficial transcripts to the Student Services Coordinator in Room URBN 372.

Candidates are selected based on written statements of intention. Fall enrollment is strongly recommended to allow students to take core classes in sequence and to build community within each cohort.
Questions about the Community Development program? Connect with current students and Alumni

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) and Master of Urban Studies (MUS)

Admission to the MURP program is restricted to the fall term of each academic year. The application deadline is January 15. Applications must be postmarked by the 15th if it falls on a weekend. Late applications are not considered. For the MUS program, students are considered for Fall term only. The deadline for MUS is February 1.

Admitted applicants to the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program will be invited to attend an open house event at the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning in Spring.


Questions about the MURP program? Connect with a current student and Alumni
Questions about the Urban Studies Program? Connect with current students and Alumn
more information about the MURP program
more information about the MUS program

Interested in Planning Careers?

Choosing A Career in Urban Planning

The Career Guide was prepared as a public service by the ACSP. . This brochure is also posted to www.acsp.org. Access the .pdf file via the link at the top of the home page called Careers in Planning


Guide to Undergraduate and Graduate Education in Planning

Also prepared as a public service by the ACSP, the Guide is available for purchase in print form ($40/book, contact kathy@acsp.org), or as a PDF file at www.acsp.org via the link at the top of the home page called Careers in Planning. Each participating member department was shipped two free print copies.


See PSU's Career Center's profile of the MURP degree.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and information about all things MURP at
http://planning.groups.pdx.edu

If you are interested in learning more about the MURP program, please contact Tracy Braden at tbraden@pdx.edu for information.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission as a regular degree student, the applicant must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all undergraduate courses or must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all graduate credits earned at accredited institutions (at least 12 credits). Applications will not be considered unless they are complete. International students must submit TOEFL scores of 550 or better (taken within two years) if native language is not English.

Transfer Policy

We do not admit transfer students into the MURP program outside of the normal admissions process. If you have completed courses in another graduate planning program, you must apply by the January 15 deadline for regular fall admission. If admitted, you may be able to transfer some of your credits from the other program. The maximum number of credits that could be transferred is 24 of the 72 credits (quarter system). Approval of transfer credits occurs after admission.

Application Process

Please note: All of the applications below can be completed online. The first two pages are instructions and form begins on the third page. On the third page use your mouse to click on the "Application for..." field and then use the "tab" key to move through the document. After you've completed your application, you can print it and mail it to us. You cannot yet submit the application electronically.

Master of Urban and Regional Planning forms
Master of Urban Studies Application forms

Portland State University admissions policy requires that you compile and send two separate applications packets, one to the University's Admissions office and another to the School of Urban Studies and Planning.

The University Admissions packet must include:

  • Portland State University's "Application for Graduate Admission";
  • A $50 non-refundable application fee (do not send cash);
  • One official transcipt, in a sealed envelope, from each post-secondary education institution you've attended;
  • For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 550 or better, taken within the past two years.

Send this packet to the following address:
Office of Admissions
Portland State University
PO Box 751-ADM
Portland, OR 97207-0751

The Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning admissions packet must include:

  • A copy of the front of "Portland State University's "Application for Graduate Admission";
  • The "Application for Admission: Master of Urban and Regional Planning" or "Application for Admission: Master of Urban Studies";
  • One official transcipt, in a sealed envelope, from each post-secondary education institution you've attended;
  • The letter of intent. Explained in greater detail in the downloadable application packet.
  • Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic or professional background.
  • A resume
  • GRE scores. Required for MUS applicants and recommended for MURP applicants.
  • For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 550 or better, taken within the past two years.

Send the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning application packet to the SUSP mailing address.

If you're approaching the application deadline and want to send your application materials with an express mail carrier (Federal Express, UPS, etc.), send your application materials to the SUSP mailing address.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, contact the School of Urban Studies and Planning by email at susp@pdx.edu or by phone at (503) 725.4045. Alternately, some of your answers may be found in the MURP or MUS web pages.

 


Pilot Diversity Mentor Program

The Planning Includes Equity (PIE) student group and the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning Program at PSU are committed to increasing the ethnic and cultural diversity of each admitted class and are excited that you are considering our program.

Current graduate students in the PIE student group have volunteered to provide assistance to prospective MURP students in their application process. PIE intends to support applicants who are underrepresented in the field of planning by:

Providing individual application advising
Proofreading final drafts of applicant's Statements of Intent
Answering questions about the curriculum and MURP degree program

If you are interested in taking part in any of listed services, please
follow the instructions below:

1. E-mail mvanzerr@gmail.com with the following information about yourself:
(Note: Please put Diversity Mentor Program in the Re: line of the email)
Name, E-mail address, Phone number, and City and State of Residence
Specialization Interest
Relevant Background Information, such as work experience, age, cultural/racial background, and/or gender
Preferences for a peer advisor (i.e. similar interests, similar geographic region, similar background)

2. If you have specific questions or concerns about the application process, the curriculum, or the MURP degree, please include it in the body of the email.

3. If you have a draft of your Statement of Intent that you would like to be reviewed for feedback, please attach it to your email as a Word document.

A current graduate student volunteer will contact you within a week of receiving your request. Please keep in mind that this service is being offered by students on a voluntary basis, and that you are also encouraged to seek additional assistance in your own personal or professional or networks. Though we want to extend our support to you in the application process, this is not a guarantee of admission.

Should you know any other prospective students of color who are thinking about applying to the MURP program at PSU, we encourage you share this resource with them and invite them to contact us.

Below are some helpful links for you to look over in your application process:
Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning http://www.pdx.edu/usp/

Current Students & Alumni Page: http://www.pdx.edu/usp/student-experience

Statement of Purpose Writing Assistance http://www.statementofpurpose.com/
General Writing Assistance http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Best of luck!

The 2007- 2008 members of the Planning Includes Equity (PIE) student group

 

Doctor of Philosophy: Urban Studies (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy: Urban Studies: Regional Science (Ph.D.)

For information, requirements, procedures and applications for the Urban Studies and Public Administration doctoral programs, click here. If you have any questsions about the admissions procedures to these programs, contact Rod Johnson by email at johnsonro@pdx.edu or by phone at (503) 725.4044.

Tuition and Fees

Portland State University is on the quarter system with three academic terms a year. Visit the Registration & Records website to find out current costs.

To qualify for Oregon residency, review residency information for your student type at the Admissions website. For more information, contact the PSU Student Financial Aid Office at (503) 725.3461.

Through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WGRP) of the Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), residents of Alaska, Arizona,Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible for resident tuition rates in the MURP, MUS, and PhD graduate degree programs in the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. For more information about WICHE and WGRP:

http://www.wiche.edu/sep/WRGP/


The PSU application for in-state tuition via WICHE/WGRP is available here:

www.gsr.pdx.edu/ogs_funding_wiche.html