Urban Planning, Design, and Development, JD/MUPDD

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The JD/MUPDD Program

The combined curriculum leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development is designed to permit the student to complete both degrees over four years instead of the five years that would normally be required to complete the two degrees separately.

Entry into the Dual Degree Program can occur in one of two ways. Applicants who are not currently enrolled in either the JD or the MUPDD degree program must apply for admission to both the College of Graduate Studies and the College of Law concurrently and follow the normal procedures of the respective colleges. Application for admission must be specifically for the Dual Degree Program. Students who enroll in this manner spend their first year taking courses exclusively in the JD program and their second year taking courses exclusively in the MUPDD program. In the third and fourth years, students take courses in both degree programs. Applicants who are currently enrolled in either the JD or the MUPDD program must apply for admission to the other degree program, prior to the completion of sixty credit hours in the JD program or twenty-eight credit hours in the MUPDD program. Students who enroll in this manner are advised as to how to schedule the remainder of their courses in the Dual Degree Program. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to take more than eight years to complete the combined program.

The Dual Degree Program requires four academic years. The Juris Doctor requirements are fulfilled by completion of eighty credit hours of work in the College of Law, including all required courses, and the transfer of ten credit hours from courses taken in the MUPDD program. The Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development requirements are fulfilled by completion of forty credit hours of courses in the College of Urban Affairs, including all required courses, and the transfer of the equivalent of eight credit hours from courses taken in the College of Law. In order to ensure that the degree requirements of both programs are fully maintained, while at the same time permitting the saving of a full academic year, students who pursue the joint degree are not permitted to take courses outside either the College of Law or the Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development program for credit toward either degree.

When a student graduates from both degrees together they are allowed to transfer ten credit hours toward their law degree. If they elect to receive the law degree first, only eight credits can be dual counted.

Submit College of Graduate Studies application materials to the Graduate Admissions Office. Contact the College of Law regarding law admission procedures.

Financial Assistance

The Levin College provides graduate assistantships, tuition grants, and scholarships on a competitive basis. Fullest consideration is given to applicants who have submitted all graduate assistanship application materials for their degree program by March 1. Additional information is available at: http://urban.csuohio.edu/students/financing.html

Degree Requirements

The Master of Urban Planning, Design, and Development program requires a minimum of forty-eight credit hours for degree completion. Students must meet all MUPDD curriculum requirements and must have a 3.0 or better grade-point average in order to graduate.

The planning core consists of eight courses (thirty-two credits); leaving four courses (sixteen credits). These four courses can be used as general electives or can be applied to an area of specialization. Six specialization fields are offered, each of which requires three or more courses to complete. An exit project or thesis is not a requirement, but may be chosen as an elective.

Core Courses

The required core courses (32 credit hours) for the MUPDD degree consists of the following:

Note(s):

*Prerequisite is UST 504 - Fundamentals Applied Reason or testing out of UST 504

Specializations and Electives

Students may complete an area of specialization (16 credit hours) to be chosen in consultation with their advisor. Areas of specialization are: Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability, Historic Preservation, Housing and Neighborhood Development, Real Estate Development and Finance, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Specializations consist of required courses and electives. Students should see their advisor for specific curriculum plans. Or, students may also choose the generalist track, selecting 16 credit hours from concentrations or electives.

Electives are designed to enhance current skills or fill gaps in substantive areas. Students are encouraged to take advantage of special topics courses taught by Levin College faculty.

† Indicates required courses in a specialization area.

Economic Development Specialization*:

Note(s):

*Students who wish to receive the corresponding Certificate in this specialization area should refer to the individual Certificate Program listings in this catalog for certificate requirements.

Environmental Sustainability Specialization:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization*:

UST 585 - GIS Principles**
UST 586 - GIS Methods
UST 587 - GIS Applications

Note(s):

*Students who wish to receive the corresponding Certificate in this specialization area should refer to the individual Certificate Program listings in this catalog for certificate requirements.
**Prerequisite is PDD 504 Fundamentals of Applied Reasoning
***Prerequisite is PDD 642 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Historic Preservation Specialization:

Housing and Neighborhood Development Specialization:

Note(s):

*Prerequisite is UST 603 - Public Finance & Economics and UST 610 - Dev Process/Market Analysis

Real Estate Development and Finance Specialization*:

Note(s):

*Students who wish to receive the corresponding Certificate in this specialization area should refer to the individual Certificate Program listings in this catalog for certificate requirements.

Additional Electives:

Internships

An internship is not required. However, students without planning or related work experience are encouraged to seek an internship placement. Paid and unpaid internships are arranged through the Levin College’s Office of Student Services. Interested students may receive elective credit for internship work.

Exit Project or Thesis

Neither an exit project nor a thesis is required. However, MUPDD students may choose to complete either as an elective 4 credit hour option. For an exit project, the student selects a faculty advisor from the MUPDD faculty. Students must complete the Exit Project Approval Form and obtain all signatures before registering for Exit Project credit (UST 698 ). For the thesis option, students select a thesis advisor from the MUPDD faculty. In conjunction with their advisor, the student selects a thesis committee, which consists of at least three individuals, all of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty. The committee’s function is to advise and assist the student in writing and research, and to formally approve the thesis once it has been successfully defended. (See the section on Thesis/Dissertation in this Catalog.)

Faculty Research and Publications

Members of the Urban Planning, Design, and Development faculty have wide-ranging research interests, including community development, conflict resolution, economic development, historic preservation, housing, land use, neighborhood development, environmental systems, and real estate. They have published in the leading journals in these fields.

MUPDD faculty are active members of professional organizations such as the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Institute of Architects, the Urban Land Institute, and the Ohio Planning Conference.

Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.

Research, Public Service, and Training

The Levin College provides applied research and outreach services to the community through a number of integrated centers and initiatives. The collective mission of these research centers is to serve as a source for the investigation of issues and challenges facing urban communities and to apply college resources to solutions. Students have opportunities to work with faculty and staff in the research and public service centers, programs, and related initiatives of the Levin College. These include major programs in economic and neighborhood development, public finance, land use and community planning, environmental policy and finance, community health policy, nonprofit administration and policy, public management, and capacity-building training. These activities support the academic programs of the Department of Urban Studies by providing opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in ongoing research, training, technical assistance, and database development projects. See the Educational Resources section of this Catalog for information on the Levin College facilities.

College Computing and Technology

Two general purpose computer labs are located in UR 39 and UR 40. Software available in the labs include applications for word processing, spreadsheet analysis, database, computer aided presentation, statistical analysis, Geographic Information Systems, ArcInfo, and Internet access. The labs provide access to laser printers for high-quality black-and-white output, a color laser printer for GIS maps, and a color scanner to capture graphics. Each lab is equipped with a permanently mounted LCD projector for instructional purposes. Levin College students are provided with disk space on the networked server for conveniently storing class work and for creating personal web pages. The Interactive Media Lab (IML) is available by appointment for production of DVDs, CD-ROMs, video/audio streams, and advanced graphics.