Urban Planning

Urban Planning

Location

Location

  • School of Urban Planning
  • Macdonald Harrington Building, Room 400
  • 815 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal QC H3A 0C2
  • Canada
  • Telephone: 514-398-4075
  • Fax: 514-398-8376
  • Email: admissions.planning [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: mcgill.ca/urbanplanning

About Urban Planning

About Urban Planning

Urban planning is the process by which a community shapes its environment to meet its needs and realize its aspirations. Urban planning is also the profession of those who facilitate this process. While the practice of planning is as old as the cities themselves, the Urban Planning profession is only about a century old. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, architects, landscape architects, engineers, government reformers, lawyers, public health specialists, and others joined forces to tackle the serious social and environmental problems of the industrial city. They created new techniques and institutions to improve living conditions and decision-making processes, with an eye to improving cities in terms of health, safety, efficiency, equity, beauty, identity, etc. Today, people who enter the profession come from diverse backgrounds as well, including the design professions, engineering and applied sciences, environmental and social studies, and other fields. Their challenge is to reinvent tools and procedures to meet new challenges in making cities socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. A key feature of planning education is learning to view issues in a multidisciplinary way, to manage processes of collaboration and of conflict, and to generate equitable and efficient solutions to complex problems of urban development.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.Sc. in Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) is centred on an independent research thesis. Original research on an urban issue of interest with implications for planning, policy or design will be conducted. The program focuses on critical skills in research, analysis, and interpretation that are applicable in both academia and practice.

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Urban Planning, Policy and Design is a thesis-based program. The three-term program of study provides students with a strong understanding of urban dynamics and assists them in developing and carrying out their research. Prospective students propose a topic for an independent research project supervised by a faculty member in the School. Students in the program develop, initiate, and complete the research project over 16 months. Supporting coursework is in planning history and theory, methods, research design, and topics relevant to the student’s research.

Further information on the M.Sc. is available at mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/programs.
Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis) (60 credits)

The Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) program is a two-year course of study that attracts students from Quebec, Canada, the U.S., and overseas. It is recognized by the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (OUQ) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). Graduates may become full members of the OUQ and other provincial planning associations by completing their respective internship and examination requirements.

The core program provides a general education in spatial planning in its functional, environmental, and social dimensions. Formal specializations are available in Transportation Planning and Urban Development & Urban Design. Further information concerning these concentrations is available at mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/programs. In all cases, electives, the summer internship, and the Supervised Research Project allow for individual concentration on a particular topic.

Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Transportation Planning (60 credits)

The Transportation Planning concentration enables students to specialize in this field as part of their course of study for the M.U.P. degree. A number of core courses and electives, the summer internship, and the Supervised Research Project must be devoted to the acquisition of skills (including in quantitative analysis) necessary to work as a transportation planner. Admission into the concentration is based on a competitive selection process at the end of the first year of study in the M.U.P. program.

Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Urban Development and Urban Design (60 credits)

The Urban Development and Urban Design concentration produces graduates who are skilled in analysis and design for development in existing (sub)urban landscapes and urbanizing contexts, whether in North America or elsewhere. A series of courses on urban design, real estate, the politics of development, and urban governance enhance the core curriculum of the professionally-accredited M.U.P. program. Additional courses address innovative approaches to urban development, contemporary urban form, community-based design, globalization and development, and the adaptive redesign of suburban contexts; in addition to enduring topics such as housing, public space, cultural landscapes, and environmental planning. Students seeking to specialize in Urban Development and Urban Design apply at the end of their first year of study; admission into the concentration is based on performance in the first year of study and demonstration of spatial literacy, numeric competency, communication skills, and understanding of complex development processes.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design

The Ph.D. in Urban Planning, Policy and Design prepares students for advanced research and teaching on the processes that govern the management, development, and evolution of towns and cities. During the first two years, under their supervisor's and advisory committee's guidance, students follow courses, refine their research topic, and explore their area of expertise, leading up to comprehensive and proposal exams. They then proceed to write and submit a thesis based on their own original research.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Urban Planning Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Urban Planning Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures and mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/how-apply for detailed application procedures.
Note: The M.U.P. program is not offered on a part-time basis.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department for the Master of Science (M.Sc.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design. Applicants are required to upload:

  • A current version of their curriculum vitae
  • A statement of research objectives, not exceeding two pages, including:
    • An explanation of your motivation for pursuing the M.Sc. degree in Urban Planning, Policy, and Design;
    • A clearly-articulated but concise discussion of your research interests, proposed topic, and methods, with citations; and
    • The identification of potential faculty supervisors for your research.
  • Two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from a current or past professor.
  • Proof of competency in oral and written English for applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone). By the application deadline for the program, appropriate exam results must be sent electronically directly from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) Office (Note: McGill's Institutional Code is 0935). The minimum requirement for the TOEFL is a score of 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT), with each component score not less than 23. The minimum score for the IELTS test is 7.0, with a score of at least 6.5 for each component.
  • Two examples of independent written work (e.g., course papers, articles, chapters, research reports) in English or in French.

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department for the Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P) program. Applicants are required to upload:

  • Personal Statement (one to two pages)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Proof of English proficiency. Minimum score the same as for the M.Sc. Urban Planning, Policy and Design program.

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design: Applicants are required to upload:

  • A current version of their curriculum vitae,
  • A preliminary research proposal, not exceeding three pages, including:
    • An outline of long-term career goals;
    • An explanation of how you consider that a Ph.D. in UPPD would help you achieve those goals; and
    • A detailed discussion of research interests and intended research plans and approaches
  • Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from a current or past professor.
  • Proof of English proficiency. Minimum score the same as for the M.Sc. Urban Planning, Policy and Design program.
  • Two examples of independent written work (e.g., course papers, articles, chapters, research reports) in English or in French.

Awards and Financial Assistance

The Admissions Committee decides the allocation of internal awards for incoming students after the application deadline, and they are allocated, in part, based on merit; no special application is needed to be considered for this funding. Canadian students can also enter the program with a major external fellowship from a government funding agency such as SSHRC or NSERC. Descriptions of the external awards can be found at mcgill.ca/gps/funding.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the School of Urban Planning and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and /or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Urban Planning Faculty

Urban Planning Faculty

Director
Richard Shearmur
Emeritus Professor
Jane Matthews-Glenn
Professor (Post-Retirement)
David Brown
Professors
Ahmed El-Geneidy; Richard Shearmur
Associate Professors
Madhav G. Badami; Lisa Bornstein; Nik Luka; David Wachsmuth
Assistant Professor
Anna Kramer
Adjunct Professors
Jayne Engle; Gorka Espiau; Nilson Espino; Marc-André LeChasseur
Associate Members
Kevin Manaugh; Sarah Moser
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 8, 2023) (disclaimer)

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.Sc. in Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) is centred on an independent research thesis. Original research on an urban issue of interest with implications for planning, policy or design will be conducted. The program focuses on critical skills in research, analysis and interpretation that are applicable in both academia and practice.

For more information, see Master of Science (M.Sc.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) (45 credits).

Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis) (60 credits)

The M.U.P. requires two years of study and research including a three-month summer internship in a professional setting. Upon completion of the program, graduates are expected to have acquired basic planning skills, a broad understanding of urban issues, and specialized knowledge in a field of their own choice. ...

For more information, see Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis) (60 credits).

Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Transportation Planning (60 credits)

The Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis); Transportation Planning option enables students to specialize in this field as part of their course of study for the Master of Urban Planning degree (M.U.P.). Studio courses, an internship, and a final project involve real-life applications and research.

For more information, see Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Transportation Planning (60 credits).

Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Urban Development and Urban Design (60 credits)

The concentration in Urban Development and Urban Design aims to produce graduates who are skilled in analysis and design for development in existing (sub)urban landscapes and urbanizing contexts, whether in North America or elsewhere. A series of courses on urban design, real estate, the politics of development, and urban governance enhance the core curriculum of...

For more information, see Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) Urban Planning (Non-Thesis): Urban Development and Urban Design (60 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design

The Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Planning, Policy and Design aims to prepare students for interdisciplinary research and teaching on the management of urban development as well as for leadership in the design and evaluation of urban policies and plans for cities in North America and the world. The program will focus on five identified areas of urban planning ...

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Urban Planning, Policy and Design.

Faculty of Engineering—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)
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