City Planning (CP)
Degree Requirements
A total of 64 credits are required, distributed as follows:
Theoretical and Methodological Core24 required credits:
- MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning
- MET UA 701 Problems and Policy Process
- MET UA 702 Analytical Methods
- MET UA 703 Research Methods
- MET UA 704 Economic Issues and Analysis
- MET UA 761 Planning Thesis or MET UA 805 Boston Urban Symposium
Master of City Planning (MCP) students have the option to take either UA 761 Planning Thesis, or UA 805 Boston Symposium, as their final core requirement course. Students interested in pursuing policy research jobs, doctoral studies, or another professional graduate degree such as law should consider taking the Planning Thesis option. Students that pursue the Planning Thesis option—under Department of Applied Social Sciences faculty supervision—design, implement, and compose their own research project within the span of two concurrent semesters. The thesis not only hones research, analytical, and writing skills, but provides an opportunity to produce a unique product that demonstrates initiative, discipline, and creativity.
Electives
40 required credits.
Ten elective courses are required to complete the 64 credits needed to graduate with an MCP. Please refer to City Planning and Urban Affairs Electives for a list of elective courses offered by the Department of Applied Social Sciences.
MCP students can take up to three graduate-level courses outside of the Department of Applied Social Sciences to meet degree requirements. The outside graduate electives can be taken at any of the schools or colleges of Boston University with prior approval of the instructor and MCP graduate adviser. An outside elective can also be taken at one of the four participating schools of the Boston-area graduate school consortia: Tufts University, Boston College, Brandeis University, and Hebrew College. To pursue this last option, contact the graduate adviser.
Academic Standing
No grade lower than B- may be used toward degree requirements. If a student earns a grade lower than B- in a required core course, the course has to be repeated. Students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 in order to be in good academic standing and to graduate. Students with a grade point average of less than 3.0 are on academic probation and must be in a position to achieve a 3.0 within the 48 credit hours required for graduation.
