Program Overview

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Introduction to the University of Iowa's School of Planning and Public Affairs

The University of Iowa's School of Planning and Public Affairs offers a comprehensive master's degree program in planning, designed to equip students with a solid foundation in social, economic, and public policy analysis for effective and inclusive planning.

Program Overview

The two-year master's degree in planning is built around an integrated core curriculum, providing students with a strong foundation in analytics, report writing, infographics, oral presentation, and team management. The program requires a total of 45 semester hours of coursework, including core courses, concentration courses, and a capstone project.

Required Curriculum

The required curriculum includes:

• 10 core courses (24 semester hours)
• 3 concentration courses (minimum) (9 semester hours)
• 2 URP electives or additional concentration courses (6 semester hours)
• Capstone - Sustainable Communities Lab I and II (6 semester hours)

Other Requirements

In addition to the required curriculum, students must also meet the following requirements:

• Complete all core, capstone, and concentration area courses with a grade of B- or better
• Attain an overall graduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better
• Pass a final comprehensive exam (or a thesis examination, which will substitute for the program's final exam)

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum focuses on institutions and social, economic, environmental, political, administrative, and legal systems that frame planning, policy analysis, and public decision-making. Core courses include:

• URP:6200 - Analytic Methods for Policy (3 semester hours)
• URP:6201 - Data Science for Urban Analytics (3 semester hours)
• URP:6202 - Land Use Planning: Law and Practice (3 semester hours)
• URP:6203 - The Making of Cities: History and Theories of Planning (3 semester hours)
• URP:6205 - Economics for Policy Analysis (3 semester hours)
• URP:6208 - Program Seminar (1 semester hour)
• URP:6225 - Applied GIS for Planning and Policy Making (1 or 3 semester hours)
• URP:6233 - Public Finance and Budgeting (3 semester hours)
• URP:6258 - Systems and Scenario Thinking (3 semester hours)

Area of Concentration

Students can choose from various areas of concentration, which are outlined in the Urban Planning Student Manual.

Capstone

The capstone project involves a major planning research project, where students apply their knowledge and skills to a planning problem or issue in an Iowa community. The capstone is completed in tandem with the University's Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC).

Typical Schedule for Full-Time Students

The typical schedule for full-time students is as follows:

• First semester:
  • URP:6200 - Analytic Methods for Policy (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6202 - Land Use Planning: Law and Practice (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6203 - The Making of Cities: History and Theories of Planning (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6205 - Economics for Policy Analysis (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6208 - Program Seminar (1 semester hour)
• Second semester:
  • URP:6201 - Data Science for Urban Analytics (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6225 - Applied GIS for Planning and Policy Making (1 or 3 semester hours)
  • URP:6233 - Public Finance and Budgeting (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6243 - Land Development Process (1 or 3 semester hours)
  • Concentration or elective courses (3-6 semester hours)
• Third semester:
  • URP:6209 - Sustainable Communities Lab I (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6258 - Systems and Scenario Thinking (3 semester hours)
  • URP:6235 - Internship (1-3 semester hours)
  • Concentration or elective courses (3-6 semester hours)
• Fourth semester:
  • URP:6210 - Sustainable Communities Lab II (3 semester hours)
  • Concentration or elective courses (6-9 semester hours)