Looking to get into urban and regional planning. My favorite choice is Cornell’s 5 year program which grants you a undergrad in Urban and regional science and a masters in regional planning. Read here:(https://aap.cornell.edu/academics/crp/undergraduate/mrp-option-for-bs-urs). Haverford has a similar one where you get similar degrees through Bryn Mawr (undergrad) and Penn (masters) (can’t apply directly to Bryn Mawr as I’m a guy but I could take classes there). I was wondering what other schools have similar programs for architecture or urban planning, as this seems like the most cost effective way to get a masters. Thanks!
@UrbanPlanningOH, The accelerated Master of Regional Planning program at Cornell’s School of Architecture, Art and Planning looks to me more like 5.5 to 6.0 years, but either way it’s a terrific opportunity if you’re sure that the field is for you. Cornell’s BS in Urban and Regional Studies is a significant accomplishment in itself.This is a relatively small program that draws on Cornell’s powerful architecture department, which could be a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it.
Most of the planners I know have Masters degrees. I’m not that familiar with how accreditation works for Urban Planning, but for undergraduate interdisciplinary programs, you might also look at MIT, U of Virginia, U of Cinncinati, WUSTL, Yale.
If you’re also considering architecture, there are several options. I only know of two schools that offer a 5.0 year undergraduate Master of Architecture (Kansas State and the University of Kansas). All you need to become a licensed architecture in most states is the Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) which is offered by about 45 universities in the US and is more or less the equivalent of the 5.0 year MArch.
With a BA or BS in architecture, architecture studies or anything else you would still need to get an MArch in order to become licensed. If you’re unsure of your career goals, the BA/BS+MArch is a good idea, even though it takes longer – 4.0 + 2.0 to 3.5 years – and costs more.