The Bloustein School, in cooperation with
the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Environmental and Biological
Sciences, offers a joint program that enables students to earn the bachelor of
arts or science (B.A. or B.S.) and master of city and regional planning
(M.C.R.P.) degrees in five years of full-time enrollment rather than the normal
six. This (3-1-1) five-year program gives exemplary students the opportunity to
complete their liberal arts education while preparing for a career in urban planning
and policy development.
During
the first three years of their undergraduate education, students will complete
most of their major and general studies requirements. They may apply for
admission to the joint program in February of their junior year. Admitted
students will be allowed to take up to 15 graduate credits in the urban
planning and policy development program over the course of their senior year of
undergraduate study. The graduate credits will be applied toward both degrees.
Upon completion of the B.A. or B.S. degree, students will automatically
matriculate into the graduate program with advanced standing.
In
the summer after graduation, students must participate in an internship
experience for credit at a public agency, nonprofit organization, or private
firm working on planning issues. Students receive 3 graduate credits for
the internship. During their fifth year, students will complete their graduate
studies and, upon fulfilling all requirements, receive the M.C.R.P. degree.
Advantages
of the Five-Year Program
The program is structured so that students can complete both the undergraduate major and professional graduate degree courses to earn both a bachelor's degree and an M.C.R.P. in five years. During
their senior year, students receive the benefit of undergraduate tuition rates
while taking graduate courses, thus reducing the cost of the two degrees.
Graduates of the urban planning and policy development program work in important and varied positions in the
fields of planning, development, economics, and sociology, including for city and town planning departments, in federal and state executive agencies, for nonprofit and advocacy organizations, and in many private consultant, engineering, and architecture firms. All sectors of the workforce are represented by planners.
Admission
The joint program is competitive and highly selective. Successful applicants for admission will have a GPA of 3.5 or more, exceptional GRE scores, a dedication to public service, and outstanding recommendations. Interested students who fulfill the above qualifications should contact the Office of Student and Academic Services at 848-932-4008 or email recruit@policy.rutgers.edu.
Application to the program must be completed by February 1
of the student's junior year. An application needs to contain transcripts, three letters
of recommendation, a statement of purpose, GRE scores, résumé, and a letter from the student's academic adviser at the undergraduate college authorizing the application. The statement of purpose should indicate that the student is applying to the joint B.A. or B.S./M.C.R.P. program. Admission is subjective and requires review by
several faculty members. Until this review takes place, an admissions decision
should not be concluded nor assumed.
Sample
Program of Study for the Joint B.A. or B.S./M.C.R.P. Program
Senior
Year
First Semester (9 graduate credits, 6 undergraduate credits)
34:970:501 History
and Theory of Planning (3)
34:970:515 Methods
of Planning Analysis I (3)
elective planning course (3)
two undergraduate courses* (6*)
Second
Semester (9 graduate credits, 6 undergraduate credits)
34:970:509 Urban
Economy and Spatial Patterns (3)
34:970:516 Methods
of Planning Analysis II (3)
elective planning course (3)
two undergraduate courses* (6*)
Summer
Following Senior Year
34:970:636 Internship in Urban Planning (3)
planning elective course (3)
Fifth
Year
First Semester (15 graduate credits)
34:970:510 Graduate
Planning Studio (3)
three elective planning courses (9)
Second
Semester (12 graduate credits)
34:970:511 Graduate
Planning Studio (3)
34:970:517 Survey of Planning
Law Principles (3)
two elective planning courses (6)
Concentrations
Students
will select electives from the graduate course concentrations in the urban planning program. The concentrations are:
Environmental
and Physical Planning.
Work in these areas investigates the nature, extent, and value of land use and
development planning and of controls over land, including what controls mean
for population growth or distribution, for the environmental quality of a
region, for protecting ecological systems, for developing community structure,
and for public and private development decisions.
Housing
and Real Estate.
A
broad understanding of housing and development planning, housing economics and
markets, land and building analysis, development, and marketing processes,
particularly in the United States, is gained through a sequence of courses in
development planning and practice; real estate research, finance, and
investment; and housing impact analysis.
International Development and Regional Planning.
National
and regional contexts delineate study in this concentration, whether comparing
issues and approaches in developed and less-developed countries or analyzing
the development and evolution of regional or urban settlement systems in
developed and developing countries.
Transportation
Policy and Planning.
The
transportation policy and planning concentration provides a broad overview of
the field as well as practical applications of planning methods in these areas.
Characteristics of current highway and mass transit systems are examined in
detail in the context of historical and recent trends.
Urban
and Community Development.
This
concentration examines the physical, political, economic, and administrative
elements of development, as well as the methods of assisting development
impacts. Development is analyzed within both urban and suburban contexts. The
primary emphasis is on the United States, although some information on Europe
and developing countries is included.
The
most current program information may be found at the Bloustein School website.
