Overview

The mission of the Urban Planning MUP program offered at the University of Southern California is to educate students to become leaders in the planning issues and comprehensive urban development processes of the 21st Century. We achieve that mission through a master of planning education that links theory and practice, emphasizing analytical and communication skills, critical thinking, creative design, community engagement, collaborative decision-making, and democratic governance in a globalizing world.

What makes the University of Southern California Price School Planning program so unique?

Students study in a dynamic, living laboratory — Los Angeles is the nexus for progressive thinking on urban planning, sustainability, and policy. Distinctive public spaces, public services, institutions, renewal projects, and topographies are imagined and reimagined for a richly diverse population. Price MPL students find unmatched opportunities to interact with planning leaders, mentors, and innovators. They conduct research alongside our prominent faculty, take classes focused on current challenges in the field, and build an extensive professional network across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Emphasis on Practice: We are committed to preparing students for practice. Through internships, domestic and international planning studios, community-based research and projects, our students have numerous opportunities to put to practice theories and ideas learned in the classroom.

Renowned Faculty: Price faculty members are distinguished scholars who share a deep and abiding commitment and teaching. Our adjunct faculty members are drawn from the vast pool of professional urban planning talent available in the region and beyond.

Multi-Sector Perspective: A hallmark of the MPL program is its multi-sector approach to planning. USC Price graduates recognize that planning must emphasize not only the public sector, but also involve the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and unique needs of individual communities in urban planning.

Concentrations that Develop Expertise: The Price MPL program links theory and practice by requiring theoretical core classes and immersive studio experiences.

Accreditation

The Price MPL program is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Planning Association.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Economic Development
Social and Community Planning
Preservation and Design of the Built Environment
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-01 00:00:00 , National
- Apply before 2026-05-01 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

48 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Los Angeles, United States

Disciplines

Urban Planning View 214 other Masters in Urban Planning in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GPA

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

a USC Graduate Application
$90 application fee
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
official copy of test scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
a current resume
three letters of recommendation
a statement of purpose of approximately 750-1,500 words

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Out-of-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year

Living costs

Los Angeles

United States

1520 - 2570 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

Interested in financing your studies? Find a student loan that works for you.

MPOWER Financing No cosigner. No collateral. No hidden fees.

Check your Eligibility

Get the funding you need to study in the U.S. or Canada - with a process that's fast, simple, and built for international students.

Flexible loans from US$2,001 to US$100,000
Fixed interest rates -- no inflation surprises
No upfront fees or prepayment penalties
Accepted at 500+ universities across the U.S. & Canada
100% online application -- instant conditional offer
Free visa & career support through our Path2Success program

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Urban Planning.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

What makes the University of Southern California Price School Planning program so unique?

Accreditation

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Los Angeles

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners