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Program Information: Master of Urban Planning (MUP)

THE PROFESSION OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING 

Planning is a problem-solving profession that is concerned with the forces that influence the quality of life from the neighborhood to the region, to the state, and to the nation. It is a systematic, creative approach to addressing and resolving social, physical, and economic problems. To solve these problems, planners identify problems and opportunities, devise alternative policies and plans, analyze and implement these options and evaluate implemented plans. 
 

Common characteristics of planners are: a capacity to analyze difficult problems and create imaginative ways of resolving them; a commitment to positive social, economic, and environmental change; a broad perspective that allows for problem analysis from a variety of points of view; and a desire to work with others, often in a political setting. 

Planners utilize their knowledge and skills in an increasing variety of employment positions. In government, planners are found not only in city halls, county courthouses, state capitols, and numerous federal agencies, but also in the operations of regional authorities and service districts, (i.e., metropolitan sewer or transportation districts). More and more, planners are also moving into various private sector jobs: financial institutions, real estate development companies, commercial corporations, and public interest groups. Both business and government recognize the value of the planner's systematic, comprehensive and long-term approach to finding solutions to today's urban condition.

An Overview 
The Urban Planning Program at UWM is a professional, skills-oriented, master's program designed to train students to perform a variety of planning-related jobs in the public and private sectors. 

The Department of Urban Planning at UWM was founded in 1974 and was placed in Wisconsin's largest city to address city and regional issues. The initial departmental faculty created a program with a commitment to applied problem solving. A strong set of core courses that mesh theory with practice was supplemented by a broad range of elective courses organized into emphasis areas. In the delivery of the program curriculum, continuous use was made of the living laboratory, Milwaukee and its environs. Today, that same teaching approach prevails. 

The department offers one degree, a professional master's degree in urban planning (M.U.P.), as well as an undergraduate certificate in urban planning studies. In response to a changing vision of the skills necessary in today's more complex environment, the program has evolved to offer joint degrees with architecture, engineering, and public administration and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). From a dozen students in the first class, the department has grown to a program of approximately 60 graduate students and eight faculty members. Its alumni work in 26 states and 17 countries. 

Policy planning is the primary area of emphasis in the program. Policy planning is a process of analyzing problems, designing alternative solutions, evaluating the alternatives and their consequences, making formal recommendations, and formulating strategies for their implementation. The intent of this process--followed in both government and business--is to place policy issues in a planning perspective so that today's solutions do not become tomorrow's problems.

In addition to the study of planning theories and methods, students in the program acquire fundamental knowledge in substantive areas related to cities and regions--e.g. economics, finance, housing, land use, the environment, energy, and transportation. The program also stresses the development of communication and presentation skills which are essential for influencing decision-making. 

The department is staffed by faculty members who combine academic and professional qualifications with a commitment to active involvement in current issues. They teach by example, using case studies and projects involving actual situations in many courses. This approach injects reality into the educational environment, allows students to see the relevance of the material in the curriculum, and shows students how their courses relate to professional practice. 

Accreditation 
The two-year program of study leading to the Master of Urban Planning degree is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) of the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. 

THE SETTING

Graduate Study on the Third Coast

The Campus and the City
Academic Resources of the University and City 
Resources in the School's Building 

THE CONTEXT FOR GRADUATE STUDY

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate program in Urban Planning has a number of characteristics which make it attractive for graduate work. 

The Scale of the Program 
Established in June 1974, the program is now well developed. As a graduate-level only program, the student-faculty ratio is excellent, and emphasis is placed on small seminars and individual instruction, counseling, and guidance. Other characteristics that make the program attractive include: 

The Interdisciplinary Nature of the Program 
All faculty with degrees in urban planning also have training in one or more other disciplines, such as economics, political science, public administration, etc. The faculty also includes individuals with their primary qualification in other fields such as architecture, engineering and law (see faculty section). Team teaching and research are employed in parts of the program, and the approach taken in most substantive areas, such as housing, transportation, or land use controls, is multidisciplinary. 

Opportunities for Joint Degrees
Three coordinated degree programs are available that allow students to earn a masters degree in Urban Planning plus a masters degree in one of the following disciplines: Architecture, Public Administration, and Engineering. The studies leading to both masters degrees can be completed in 2-1/2 to 3 years of study. These joint degree programs provide students with a depth and breadth of learning that places them in a very advantageous position in the job market. 

GIS Certificate 
The Certificate program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been established by the University in response to a growing demand by graduate students for courses that will prepare them for a career in GIS. The Certificate program is open to any student who is registered in a graduate degree program at the University. Requirements include completion of 21 credits with a GPA of B or better in required and elective courses offered in Architecture, Urban Planning, Business, Geography, Civil Engineering, and Political Science. The Certificate is awarded by the Department of Urban Planning simultaneously with the awarding of the student's masters degree.

Strengths in Other UWM Departments
The Program's interdisciplinary nature is greatly enhanced by other departments on the UWM campus. Designed as the "urban" campus within the University of Wisconsin system, UWM has built a reputation for urban-oriented teaching and research which have attracted many new faculty. Urban planning students find solid urban research and learning in many UWM departments including anthropology, architecture, civil engineering, economics, geography, geology, social welfare, sociology, and urban studies. Up to twenty-one of a student's forty-eight credits in the MUP program can be selected in one or more of these departments.

Emphasis Options 
The emphasis options within the program are concentrations of course work and perhaps independent study and/or thesis in a substantive area. Including courses both within and outside the planning department, they allow students to combine previous work with advanced or specialized offerings or, for students with limited experience in an option area, to become acquainted with the subject range. Students not enrolled in any one of the options are presumed to be in a general option. Each option has its own design and is described on the following two pages. More detailed information can be obtained from Emphasis Area advisors.