Master of Urban Planning and Master of Arts in American Studies
This program combines the normal two-year Master of Urban Planning degree (48 credit hours) and the normal two-year Master of Arts degree in American Studies (30 credit hours) into a two and one-half year program (60 total credit hours). This program is designed for students interested in careers in policy planning and research involving the arts, social planning, cultural activities and facilities, and historic preservation.
M.U.P. Requirements (24 hours)
- M.U.P. Core Courses (21 hours)
- UBPL 705: Economic Analysis for Planners
- UBPL 736: Planning Institutions
- UBPL 741: Quantitative Methods I
- UBPL 742: Quantitative Methods II
- UBPL 763: Professional Practice
- UBPL 815: History and Theory of Planning
- UBPL 850: Urban and Regional Theory
- Elective in Urban Planning (3 hours)
A list of approved UBPL electives can be found on the Urban Planning website.
American Studies M.A. Requirements (24 hours)
- AMS Core Courses (12 hours)
- AMS 801: Introduction to American Studies
- AMS 802: Theorizing America
- AMS 803: Research Methods in American Studies
- AMS 804: Research Seminar
- Electives in American Studies (9 hours)
These courses will serve as the student's area of concentration preparing them for their thesis or publishable article. Electives must have an AMS course number and must be taken at the 700-level or above. - Thesis/Article Hours (3 hours)
Students completing the dual degree program are required to defend either a thesis or publishable article in their final semester. After completing the AMS required coursework, the student enrolls in AMS 899 until their thesis or publishable article is accepted by their committee. An oral defense of the thesis or article will serve as the M.A. examination.
Dual Requirements (12 hours)
- Specialization Courses in Urban Planning (12 hours)
The curriculum requires each student to declare a specialization in housing and development, sustainable land use planning, or transportation planning. In each specialization, the student must complete one course each in theory and policy, methods, and implementation. The student must also complete a supplemental course in the area of specialization. A list of approved specialization courses can be found on the Urban Planning website.
Program Costs
Most students complete the M.A./M.U.P. program in two and a half years or five semesters. Select "Graduate Students" in the first dropdown menu of Financial Aid & Scholarships' cost calculator to estimate your tuition and fee costs.
Fellowships & Scholarships
Students are also encouraged to actively apply for funding from external sources as a routine professional activity. The Hall Center for the Humanities and the Office of Graduate Studies maintain lists of internal and external funding opportunities.
Urban Planning offers separate funding opportunities for students in the M.U.P. porgram.
AMS Assistantships
Most departmental funding comes in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs). These are awarded with an emphasis on supporting doctoral students, but qualified M.A. applicants may be considered for positions during the admission process based on the strength of their application. A teaching assistantship provides tuition coverage and a stipend for the appointment term. Applicants are considered for GTA positions based on their application materials; an additional application is not required. All teaching appointments are contingent upon budget and enrollment levels.
When individual faculty members have sufficient research funds, they may also appoint students as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). In addition, graduate students fill managing and editorial positions at the journals produced by AMS faculty. Tuition support varies with all non-teaching assistantships, and appointments are at the discretion of the supervising faculty members.