Urban Planning and Development, MUPD

Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

Additional information can be found at: https://www.csuohio.edu/urban/mupd/mupd

Dr. J.L. (Rosie) Tighe, Interim Graduate Program Director

Areas of Study

Economic Development *
Environmental Sustainability
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) *
Historic Preservation*
Housing and Neighborhood Development
Real Estate Development and Finance *

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

Accreditation

The Masters of Urban Planning and Development program is accredited by the Planning Accredition Board

Introduction

The Master of Urban Planning and Development (MUPD) program integrates planning, design, and development into one course of study. Urban planning and urban real estate development are featured components of the planning core curriculum. The course of study focuses on the theory, skills, and practical experience needed for the transformation and revitalization of cities and the regions in which they are located, particularly industrialized and post-industrial areas.

The Master of Urban Planning and Development program is committed to:

• Educate students to become thoughtful urban planning generalists with distinctive technical competence in an area of practice, who can positively affect the built urban environment and the well-being of individuals in restructuring urban regions, leading to sustainable, livable communities.
• Offer a broad educational experience to meet the needs of students and the planning profession.
• Provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge in a substantive planning field.
• Make the MUPD program accessible, through its curriculum delivery methods, to students in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
• Provide a high-quality faculty with adequate expertise, resources and numbers to meet teaching and advising needs of the program.
• Support a faculty engaged in empirical, applied, and reflective scholarship that addresses key issues and challenges in the planning profession.
• Maintain, enhance, and support a faculty engaged in quality teaching and public service.
• Achieve a diverse faculty reflective of the citizenry of Northeast Ohio, including its urban core areas, and the student body in the program.
• Recruit, retain, and place a high-caliber and diverse student body prepared for professional practice in planning.
• Provide quality student support services to facilitate student achievement and efficient administration of the program.
• Seek student participation in fair, inclusive, and autonomous program administration and assessment.
• Improve community knowledge of the value of planning as a profession and of the MUPD program and its resources.
• Facilitate and support a strong relationship and interaction with the professional planning community in the state and region.
• Train new planners in the latest techniques and theories and to upgrade the skills of practicing planners. The program is structured to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. Most required courses are offered in the evenings, with some courses offered during summer sessions and weekends.

RESEARCH UNITS

Students have the opportunity to work with the faculty and staff in the research, public-service, and training centers of the Levin College. See https://www.csuohio.edu/urban/research/research for information on the Levin College facilities.

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

Career Opportunities

The MUPD program provides advanced training for recent college graduates and incumbent professionals. This graduate-level training in urban planning offers students the opportunity to pursue and advance careers in city or regional planning, housing and neighborhood development, real estate finance and development, economic development, environmental sustainability, and geographic information systems (GIS). Employment opportunities for planners exist in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The Levin College- through the Department of Urban Studies, the Office of Student Services, and faculty- provides a variety of services related to career planning to help students and graduates find employment related to their program of study. Current job postings are maintained at http://www.csuohio.edu/career-services/virtual-career-tools.

Cleveland State’s Career Services Center assists students with resume writing, interview preparation, co-op/internships, networking and other job search areas. Twice a year, CSU hosts the largest Career Fair in Northern Ohio. In addition, for those interested in government and the public sector, Career Services hosts a Government Career Fair every spring creating an ideal opportunity for students to connect with potential government employers. (See the section on Special Programs  in this catalog).

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

For fullest consideration, GA applicants should submit the Levin College of Urban Affairs GA application and be admitted with degree-seeking status by March 1st. 

Student employment opportunities are available to eligible degree-seeking students. Internship information is available through the Levin College Office of Student Services and student employment information is available through the CSU Career Services Center.

Admission Information

Applicants to the Master of Urban Planning and Development Program must meet the minimum requirements established by the College of Graduate Studies and the MUPD program faculty:

1. A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0, on a degree posted transcript.
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, with an average Verbal and Quantitative score at the 50th percentile, and an Analytical Writing score of at least 4.0. Students with a graduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university are exempted from this requirement. Other standardized admission examinations may be substituted at the discretion of the Program Director.
3. Two letters of recommendation, using the Recommendation Form for Graduate Admission.
4. Non-native English speakers who do not have an earned bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution must demonstrate proof of English-language proficiency as indicated in under “Admission Requirements for International Students  and Permanent Residents” in this catalog.

You can apply for admission now: http://www.csuohio.edu/graduate-admissions/how-apply

Types of Admission

The academic status of a graduate degree-seeking applicant is determined after a review of admission credentials. Graduate Program Committees, in concurrence with the Office of Graduate Admissions, may recommend admission of applicants as regular or conditional graduate students. Please refer to the Admission to the College of Graduate Studies section of this catalog for information on admission categories.