Program Overview

Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)

The Master of Community and Regional Planning trains students to transform knowledge into action and to plan in partnership, actualizing comprehensive planning theory to support the well-being of communities, improving built and natural environments, and planning for transformational change.

Program Structure, Content, and Requirements

• A 2-year program, whose required courses are pre-scheduled
• 42 credits in required courses, tailored to the evolving demands of the planning profession
• 18 credits of elective courses selected based on interests and professional aspirations
• A second-year 2-term studio course that integrates theories and methods covered throughout the curriculum into a single team-based project, with a real client or community group
• Internship experience and mentorship opportunities with local planning practitioners

Required Courses

• TOTAL CREDITS (not including elective requirements): 42
• ELECTIVE COURSES (no more than 6 credits may be at the undergraduate level, i.e., 300/400): 18
• TOTAL CREDITS: 60

Electives

Electives can be courses (within SCARP or in other departments) that relate to interests and can count towards MCRP program course requirements.

Concentrations and Areas of Focus

• SCARP's only official concentration option is Indigenous Community Planning (ICP).
• Students may choose to gain expertise and experience in a particular domain of planning.
• Informal Areas of Focus:
  • Comparative Development Planning
  • Environmental Planning
  • Social Planning and Policy for Inclusive Communities
  • Transportation Planning
  • Urban Design

Learning Outcomes

MCRP's Learning outcomes represent each skill and understanding students will become by graduation.

1. Knowledge of Planning Fundamentals

• 1.1 current and emergent planning-related problems and trends transpiring at local and global scales
• 1.2 planning as a collective and action-oriented framework designed to enhance life on earth
• 1.3 human-environment interactions, including an understanding of planning’s role in addressing the environmental, economic, and social impacts of human behavior
• 1.4 planning for one or more dimensions of human society, such as land use, transportation, housing, urban design, environmental and risk management, and/or economic development
• 1.5 the public interface of planning, including how knowledge, beliefs, emotions, and values interact to shape decisions and outcomes
• 1.6 historically significant events and concerns in planning, including their lessons and legacies for current and future planning practice
• 1.7 the distinguishing features of non-Western (including Indigenous) planning practice and traditions that are carried out under different cultures, worldviews, and governance systems

2. Skills to Support Professional Planning Practice and Collaborative Decision-Making

• 2.1 collect, analyze, interpret, and utilize planning-related information (such as numerical, text-based, and spatial data) from a variety of sources
• 2.2 prepare and communicate planning-related information in professional planning products (such as plans, proposals, policy papers, and public reports) through the use of written, verbal, and visual technologies and tools
• 2.3 anticipate potential societal change and identify the associated implications for planning preparedness and resilience
• 2.4 evaluate and apply planning instruments to address current and future planning-related problems in a range of public, private, and non-governmental settings
• 2.5 facilitate planning and decision-making processes, helping to engage with, mediate, and resolve conflicts among diverse stakeholder groups
• 2.6 perform a range of planning roles (such as leadership, technical support, and administration), including cooperation in team settings where skillsets, personalities, values, and opinions vary
• 2.7 initiate and sustain collaborative partnerships with various entities toward defining, scoping, and addressing planning-related needs in addition to successful project delivery

3. Attitudes for Ethical and Reflexive Professional Planning Practice

• 3.1 conduct professional planning practice as an ethical and reflexive planner
• 3.2 serve as leaders and agents of change for improving environmental, economic, and social outcomes of current and future generations
• 3.3 support underserved communities, with a particular concern for social justice
• 3.4 demonstrate respect for individual differences relating to gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions of personal identity
• 3.5 cultivate awareness of the wider world and develop a sense of their roles as professional planners within this broader context
• 3.6 possess self-awareness in relation to personal values and biases, and their potential impact on professional practice
• 3.7 pursue life-long learning from a position of curiosity about natural and human environments

Program Fees

• MCRP students are assessed a Program Fee for full-time studies according to the Specialized Master’s Degree Programs schedule as noted in the UBC Calendar (for Professional Masters fee).
• The Program Fees are calculated for full academic years (Winter and Summer Sessions; September through August).
• As the fees represent installments of the cost for the whole program and not for each semester, students are required to pay a total of 6 installments of the Program Fee (6 terms over 24 months) regardless of whether or not they complete their program earlier.

Applying

• Admission requirements are set by UBC's Faculty of Grad and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Applicants admitted to the program will commence full-time studies in September.
• The School of Community and Regional Planning does not admit students at any other time of year.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

• Should I choose MCRP or a SCARP Research Masters?
• Is it necessary to have a background in planning in order to apply to the MCRP?
• Does the MCRP have a part-time option?
• Does the MCRP have graduate courses that can be done by distance or online?
• How can I enhance my application?
• Can I receive feedback on my application if I am not admitted?
• What funding opportunities are available to applicants?
• Do I owe less money if I finish my program early?
• What are the minimum GPA requirements for admission?
• My application doesn’t meet the minimum standards for admission. Can I still apply or will my application be disqualified?
• Is the GRE recommended?
• My IELTS/TOEFL score does not meet SCARP’s minimum requirements. Can I still apply or will my application be disqualified?
• There has been a change to my CV/resume since the application deadline, can I submit an updated version?
• Can I change my reference?
• Can I arrange to submit more than 2 references for my application?
• When will I find out about the status of my application?
• Can I know my position on the waitlist?
• How do I accept my offer of admission?
• Where can I get my official acceptance letter?
• Will UBC mail an official acceptance letter to me?