Overview

About Urban and Regional Planning at The University of Iowa

The M.S. in urban and regional planning is a two-year degree program fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. It is built on the premise that planners must be educated in methods of policy analysis and that there is a common body of knowledge, represented in the core curriculum, that provides a solid foundation for all specializations in the field.

A wide range of educational backgrounds provide good preparation for graduate study in urban and regional planning. Students with undergraduate majors such as environmental policy and planning, architecture, anthropology, public policy, geographic information science, business administration, economics, engineering, communication studies, finance, geography, education, marketing, political science, sociology, history, journalism, and English currently study in the school. With an increasingly diverse student body and a low student-faculty ratio, the School of Planning and Public Affairs is committed to creating an environment that is inclusive and welcoming of all students. Approximately 20 full-time students and some part-time students are enrolled, and about 20 percent are international students.

Careers

Today's planners find themselves in demand for such diverse jobs as sustainability coordinator and planner, environmental analyst/planner, land use planner, transportation planner, community development planner, zoning coordinator, water resources planner, community organizer, economic development planner, recycling coordinator, planning director, neighborhood planner, state legislative analyst, planning consultant, and nonprofit project manager or director.

Recent graduates have taken positions with city, metropolitan, and regional planning agencies; state and federal government; nonprofit organizations; and private consulting firms. They work in all geographic regions of the United States and in countries around the world.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Analytic Methods

Land Use Planning: Law and Practice

History and Theories of Planning

Economics for Policy Analysis

Program Seminar in Planning Practice

Modeling Dynamic Systems

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-19 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-15 00:00:00 , National
- Apply before 2026-04-15 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-01-16 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00 , National
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

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Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Iowa City, United States

Disciplines

Architecture Landscape Architecture Urban Planning View 308 other Masters in Architecture in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

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 U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or an equivalent degree from another country as determined by the Office of Admissions.

A minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00, or the foreign equivalent as determined by the Office of Admissions.

You must first submit the online application to the Graduate College and pay the $60 application fee by credit card ($100 for international applicants).

A statement of purpose, including: your purpose in applying for graduate study and your particular area of interest; plans for your professional career; and any additional information that may aid in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study

Application for Graduate Awards

Three letters of recommendation

The GRE score is encouraged, but not required.

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

32776 USD / year

≈ 32776 USD / year
Out-of-State

32776 USD / year

≈ 32776 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

13829 USD / year

≈ 13829 USD / year

Living costs

Iowa City

United States

1187 - 1841 USD / month

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

Financing

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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.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Urban and Regional 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

About Urban and Regional Planning at The University of Iowa

Careers

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

Iowa City

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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