About PhD Program,
The Master’s Program is designed to successfully prepare students for professional planning practice. The curriculum covers social and institutional problems, settings and planning, and management skills. The program provides a core of planning theory and methods, in-depth coverage of methods, techniques and institutions in an area of specialization, and elective courses to broaden and/or deepen knowledge and skills.
Program performance for the department’s Masters of City and Regional Planning program.
If you have questions concerning your application or application procedures, contact us at dcrp-admissions@unc.edu.
Dr. Andrew Whittemore is Director of Master’s Program & Admissions the MCRP Program
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The master’s degree is typically completed in two years. Satisfactory completion of the MCRP degree requires students to pass a minimum of 51 graduate credit hours, including core courses, required courses in one area of specialization, a capstone workshop, and a master’s project. A minimum of 36 semester credit hours must be from PLAN courses (33 for dual-degree students). Our Policies and Procedures page details important information for all master’s students. The following provides a quick summary of the requirements to earn a Master’s Degree in City & Regional Planning.
Students also must complete a problem-solving, team-oriented, client-based course designed to give students experience in applying planning theory and methods to needs of real-world clients in economic development, housing and community development, real estate, environmental planning, land use, and transportation.
PhD Funding Coverage,
During the admissions process, the department identifies candidates for merit-based funding. Students receiving these fellowships will work directly with faculty as research or teaching assistants. These prestigious fellowships provide stipends and may also provide tuition and health insurance benefits. Much of this support comes from generous donors and includes:
- John A. Parker Fellowshipcreated by alumni and friends of the department in honor of its founder and first chairman, John A. Parker.
- Robert E. Stipe Fellowshipin Historic Preservation Supports a student with career interests in historic preservation and its application to land use planning, urban revitalization, or real estate development.
- Stu Chapin Fellowship honors F. Stuart Chapin Jr.’s teaching, research and writing, which established our department as one of the best planning programs in the country.
Outside the admissions process, prospective and current Carolina Planning students have successfully found support for their graduate education from many sources including:
- External Grants: These include US DOT’s Eisenhower Fellowship, Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships, and the Holzheimer Memorial Student Scholarship.
- Carolina Planning Excellence in Diversity Fellowships:Second-year Carolina Planning students may apply for this fellowship, which supports students that bring diversity—broadly defined—to the department. Selected students have the opportunity to work with a faculty member on a research project.
- Paid Internships:Because of Carolina Planning’s deep connections and long history of high caliber students, a number of governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations provide internships for planning students locally during the academic year and globally during the summer.
- Research Assistantships with Affiliated Centers:Carolina Planning supports a number of affiliated institutes and centers that often hire graduate students as research assistants. These include Highway Safety Research Center, Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Coastal Resilience Center, Institute for the Environment, Development Finance Initiative, and Center for Community Capital.
- Teaching Assistantships with Other Departments:These departments include Geography, Public Policy, Asian Studies, and other UNC programs that hire Carolina Planning students to serve as teaching assistants.
The department also supports students’ professional development and networking by providing:
- Conference Travel Funding– Students presenting research at a planning-related conference are eligible for up to $500 in support from the department and can also supply for Graduate School Support. Students focusing on transportation also receive partial support to attend the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington D.C. in January.
- Research & Professional Development Funding– Each spring, current students can apply for funds to pursue summer research travel and/or professional training off-campus (ex. travel to research site, short-course on big data analytics, etc.)
Application Requirement,
A complete application includes:
- A completed application for admission to The Graduate School
- A supplemental questionnaire
- Unofficial transcripts (official transcripts will be required if offered admission)
- Statement of Purpose
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Curriculum Vitae
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only)
- Financial certification (international applicants only)
- Note: No GRE scores are required or considered
Application Deadline,
Dec 10, 2024
Application Fee,
$95.00 application fee
