Ball State University's master of urban and regional planning (M.U.R.P.) degree helps students build careers and emerge as leaders in an expanding profession that focuses on effective development in the public interest. Our rigorous program leads to professional certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Certification requires a prescribed combination of planning education, professional practice, and a nationally administered examination.

Prospective students can view an online audio-visual presentation of planning as a career choice and Ball State's M.U.R.P. program as a professional educational choice, or contact the Department of Urban Planning for a CD.

Individuals not committed to the professional degree may take a limited number of courses in our planning graduate curriculum for credit or enroll in off-campus minicourses on selected topics without credit.

Program Values
Ball State's M.U.R.P. program is dedicated to the following emphases:

• Physical planning: promoting good urban design and land use in the public interest
• Holistic approach: educating "generalist planners" through interdisciplinary learning and integrated knowledge
• Multicultural perspective: enhancing planning's effectiveness by addressing the needs of a global, diverse society
• Field-based practicum: applying knowledge to solve real problems through hands-on studios, travel and study-abroad experiences, a capstone thesis or project, and internships
• Learning community: prioritizing the faculty's commitment to teaching students, fostering collegiality and personal attention

Learn more about these program values and how they are integrated throughout the courses and projects in our graduate curriculum.

View examples of student projects online (coming soon), or find out more about the College of Architecture and Planning's design studios.

Indianapolis/Muncie Venues
Planning graduate students may select either the CAP Indianapolis Center or Ball State's main campus in Muncie as their primary place of study. They may alternate their venue by semester or year, or they can commute on alternate days of the week.

Program Options
Our master of urban and regional planning program has two tracks tailored to the needs of students with various backgrounds and experience:

1. Standard Track: First Professional Degree (48 Credits)
   This two-year program is for students who have a bachelor's or equivalent degree in a discipline other than planning. View a course-by-course sample curriculum for this track.
2. Accelerated Track: Second Professional Degree (36 Credits)
   For individuals with an accredited bachelor's degree in urban planning, a reduction of 12 credit hours is applied toward the degree, which may be completed within one calendar year. Qualified mid-career planners also may receive up to 12 credit hours upon review of their professional experience and through examination by course. View a course-by-course sample curriculum for this track.

Customized Curriculum
The M.U.R.P. curriculum is segmented into a core common to all areas of study, a core particular to a chosen area of concentrated study, and allied electives available in planning and 16 other fields. The core presents knowledge most essential to planning or its concentration areas. The common core includes planning courses in theory, methods, economics, ecology, policy, and practicum.

The curriculum follows an innovative modular structure of single- to three-credit courses constituted by five to 15 weeks of study.

Areas of Concentrated Study
Three areas of concentrated study reflect the program's substantial resources: comprehensive planning, physical planning, and community development and enterprise planning. Each area is affiliated with at least one research/public service institute at Ball State plus a primary venue in Muncie or Indianapolis. Students also may pursue a customized course of study. Learn more about these areas of concentration.

Thesis/Creative Project
Students in this program must complete a research thesis or creative project, typically in their selected area of concentrated study. The work may focus on a field-based project producing a professional report or on a topic of academic inquiry producing a research paper.

Internship
Students gain firsthand planning experience outside the classroom by completing a required internship with a planning or land development organization. The internship requires 200 hours, done during the summer between the first and second years. Internships are arranged with the assistance and approval of the department and are directed by a student portfolio review. Learn more about our internships.

Assistantships
A number of graduate assistantships are available annually to qualified students in the M.U.R.P. program. These assistantships are awarded competitively and include stipends and tuition waivers. However, students are still responsible for the dedicated fees.

Graduate assistants support research, teaching, and other departmental and college programs. You may indicate your interest in a graduate assistantship within your admission letter. Learn more about our graduate assistantships.

Special Activities
Noted professionals in the field share their expertise with students as guest lecturers, visiting scholars, and studio critics on campus and through interactive teleconferences and gallery exhibits. See upcoming events on our calendar of events.

Planning students also take trips to significant sites, attend conferences, and participate in field study programs across the country and abroad, developing a multicultural perspective. Find out more about our field study opportunities.  The Student Planning Association (SPA) also offers other exciting activities.  Learn more about CAP's student organizations.

Assessment
After being admitted to the M.U.R.P. program, students take a diagnostic examination that evaluates their planning interests, perceptions, knowledge, and skills. This exam is for self-assessment and for faculty advising. Toward the end of the degree, students take a comprehensive exit examination on knowledge and skills of greatest significance in their professional education. This exam assesses the student's competency and progress and the program's teaching effectiveness.

For More Information
David Schoen, Acting Chair
Department of Urban Planning
(765) 285-1963
murp@bsu.edu

For complete information on program requirements, please consult the Ball State University Graduate Catalog.