Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)

The MURP is a two-year professional degree program designed for those interested in working as professional planners. The core  curriculum focuses on the history and theory of planning as a field, plan implementation, analytical methods (including Geographic Information Systems [GIS]), and the dynamics of metropolitan development. 

MURP students have the opportunity to develop a customized course plan that prepares them for careers within the planning profession. The faculty have developed a series of advising pathways to help current and prospective MURP students learn about career pathways within planning, the skills and knowledge that are important for those pathways, and the courses that help students prepare for those careers.

For the last two quarters of the program, students work in groups on community-based, client-focused workshop projects. This two-term (winter and spring) sequence provides students with the opportunity to form teams to work on projects for community clients, and to produce a professional product by the end of the spring term. Check out examples of past workshop projects.

Experiential learning is an integral component of the program. The program requires 400 hours of internship experience. Internships in the Portland region are plentiful and varied, and include opportunities such as working with Metro's state-of-the-art transportation planning model, with a non-profit community development corporation to revitalize neighborhoods, or with a bi-state agency to implement the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area Act.

Two dual degree programs are complementary with the MURP program: Public Health and Civil and Environment Engineering (with a transportation focus). With very careful planning, students may be able to complete both degrees in three years.