Contact murpadm@pdx.edu if you have further questions.
Is Portland State University’s MURP program accredited?
The MURP program is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The most recent 7-year accreditation awarded in 2019-2020 through 2027.
The program is currently undergoing reaccreditation. This evaluative process ensures that our curriculum, faculty, and institutional support continue to meet the highest standards of professional planning education. You can find more information about the reaccreditation process here.
Is Portland State’s planning program ranked?
The MURP program is frequently recognized by Planetizen as a top school for earning a graduate degree in planning. In the 2023 Guide to Graduate Planning programs, the PSU MURP Program was ranked 16th in the country, according to a survey of planning educators! This is out of around 100 programs accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.
Do MURP students become AICP certified?
Many do, but not all. 100% of our graduates who attempted the AICP exam within 5 years of graduation passed the exam. More on program metrics and outcomes here.
What kinds of jobs do MURP graduates get?
Many planners work for cities, counties, regional agencies, and state agencies dealing with land development, environmental issues, health, education, housing, and transportation. A number of positions are available in the non-profit sector, where many organizations work on such issues as affordable housing, public health or environmental policy. In addition, graduates work for private development or consulting firms that are involved in the urban development process. Here are a few examples of jobs held by recent MURP graduates:
- Housing Developer, PCRI (Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative)
- Policy and Organizing Director, Community Alliance of Tenants
- Project Coordinator / Planner, Toole Design Group
- Assistant Planner, Puget Sound Regional Council
- Housing Policy Analyst, Portland Housing Bureau
What is the cost of the MURP program?
PSU is one of the most affordable universities on the West Coast. There is detailed information on tuition and fees here (the MURP is the base tuition rate). More on program costs here. More about costs for residents of Western states here. Keep in mind that our graduates tend to get planning-related employment within one year of graduating with their MURP degree, and their starting pay is 60k-70k.
What about scholarships, graduate assistantships and other financial assistance?
Many of our MURP students access loans and/or receive some kind of financial assistance, including from department and college scholarships. We typically award 2-3 Portland Planning Diversity Awards each year. Other School, College and the University scholarships are discussed here.
Approximately 50% of MURP students obtain Graduate Assistantships (GAs) over the course of the program, working with faculty members and research centers like the Transportation Research and Education Center or the Institute on Aging. Graduate Assistantships are not typically arranged prior to starting the program; generally, students must apply and compete for positions. New MURP students are added to an email list where GA positions are posted when they accept admission. Many students also obtain off-campus paid internships and other employment.
A good resource for understanding options for financing your degree can be found here: PSU Financial Aid Office: How to Pay.
How flexible is the program?
The MURP program requires 72 credits, including 29 elective credits. You choose your own pathway.
Can I go part-time?
Yes! You may complete the program on a part-time basis, which will likely take about 3 years. Students intending to go part-time should consult with the MURP Program Director in their first term to develop an appropriate plan of study. Part-time students should begin by taking USP 540 and USP 533 in Fall term of year 1, and USP 541 and USP 535 in Winter term of year 1. We schedule these classes during limited blocks of the week to reduce the scheduling load. While many classes are in the late afternoon and evening, we are not a night-only program.
Most MURP students complete the program on a full-time basis in six academic terms, not counting summer. To do this, students must average 12 credits per term, unless they take courses in the summer or have pre-admission credits.
Is the program individual or group project based?
The program has a mixture of both individual and group work.
What should international students know?
There is lots of information here from the PSU International Student Office.
What is the typical incoming MURP student class size?
Every fall 35-40 students enroll in the MURP program.
What courses should I take to help prepare me for the MURP program? Are there pre-req's?
There are no pre-reqs, but courses in planning public policy, environmental studies, urban studies, transportation, urban history, etc., are helpful. An understanding of basic statistics and economics is also useful, as is familiarity with the Microsoft Suite, especially Excel.
Planning is an interdisciplinary field and many people enter it from seemingly unrelated disciplines. If so, consider strengthening your application by taking graduate-level planning courses as a post-baccalaureate student and/or gaining planning experience by volunteering with a planning-related organization or serving on your local planning commission or neighborhood planning council. We also value lived and civic or community engagement experience.
I want to take classes at PSU to prepare me for the MURP; which do you recommend?
Good classes to consider are any of the required MURP classes that are open to non-matriculated students (which means you won't have to take them again once enrolled), such as:
USP 525 Design Analysis in Planning
USP 531 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Planners
USP 584 Negotiation in the Public Sector
You also may want to take elective classes, which can count towards your MURP degree once you are enrolled. Check out our overall TSUSP class list here (make sure to choose 500-level classes) and also look at the suggested electives in the MURP Pathways.
Can I "count" previous coursework?
Students may request to waive one or more required course(s) based on previous academic work or professional experience, or to substitute courses for those on the required list. See the current MURP handbook for the relevant policy and process.
What books/resources do you recommend in advance of starting the MURP program? or just generally for people interested in planning?
There are lots of great books, podcasts, social media, videos, and more, depending on your more specific interests. Check out Planetizen's top planning book lists- many of them are required in core MURP classes. Also see the Planners Network Disorientation Guide, which orients folks new to the field of urban and regional planning to ideas, concepts, and practices linked to progressive or radical planning traditions. On YouTube, City Beautiful, City Nerd (MURP Alum), Geography by Geoff (MURP alum) and Not Just Bikes are channels to try (all of them talk about Portland and Oregon!). As for podcasts, try Strong Towns, Urban Planning is Not Boring and more here. Oregon is famous for its land use planning program, highlighted in the streamable film "An Oregon Story." The American Planning Association and Planetizen are national planning-related organizations with tons of resources. The Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association offers these Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resources. Local in Portland, one news source is Bike Portland. If you're in the Portland metro region, we offer lots of public events on planning topics at the Toulan School!
How else can I prepare for a graduate education in planning?
We strongly encourage you to establish a good self care routine, including making sure you have a good physical, mental, social, and emotional support network in place, before starting grad school. In addition, interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills (including email management and calendaring) are all highly important in the planning profession. You will find the program more enjoyable if you come in with a strong start in those!