Accelerated Master of Urban Planning/BA in Environmental Studies
Only current KU undergraduate students are eligible to apply to the Accelerated Master of Urban Planning/B.A. in Environmental Studies program. If you are not a current undergraduate student at KU, please review the admission requirements the Master of Urban Planning.
The Accelerated Master of Urban Planning/B.A. in Environmental Studies is designed for students who have a passion for sustaining both our natural and built environments. It allows well-qualified students to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years, rather than the six years it would take to earn each degree separately. This program combines in-depth training in environmental studies and analysis with a professional degree in urban planning. Graduates are prepared for careers in environmental planning in the public, private and not-for profit sectors.
Only current KU undergraduate students are eligible to apply to the Accelerated Master of Urban Planning/B.A. in Environmental Studies. If you are not a current undergraduate student at KU, please review the admission requirements for the Master of Urban Planning. Please note, any Environmental Studies major getting a B.G.S. or B.S. can take advantage of the Accelerated Master of Urban Planning/any College of Liberal Arts & Sciences major program.
Careful course selection and steady progression through the undergraduate career is necessary to ensure all requirements for both degrees may be completed within the 5-year time frame. All prospective students should discuss their interest with the undergraduate advisor for Environmental Studies and the School of Public Affairs & Administration Graduate Program Coordinator as soon as possible. A meeting with the Graduate Program Coordinator should take place no later than the student’s junior year to discuss application and admission to the accelerated master's program.
Prospective students are eligible to apply to the graduate program in spring semester of their junior year. The following requirements must be met by this time:
- On track to complete all requirements for a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from KU by the spring semester of the senior year
When students are ready to apply, request online access to the Accelerated Master’s graduate study application from the School of Public Affairs and Administration Graduate Program Coordinator. Once access has been provided, applicants complete the application for graduate study online. The following information should be gathered in advance and uploaded with the application:
- Statement of interest that succinctly summarizes the students’ interests, education, their long term career goals, and how the accelerated degree program will help them achieve those goals;
- A copy of the student’s advising report
- The names and email addresses of three persons qualified to comment on the applicant’s academic abilities and probable success in graduate study. These individuals will be asked to provide a letter of recommendation. At least two should be faculty members who have had the student in class.
Upon review of the application for admission, the Urban Planning Program will notify the student of his or her eligibility to begin coursework in the program. Final acceptance to the Master of Urban Planning graduate program will be contingent upon the following:
- Successful completion of all requirements for the bachelor’s degree;
- Grades of B or above in all Urban Planning (UBPL) graduate-level coursework
Any student who does not meet this minimum grade requirement may continue in the program but must repeat any graduate course for which they did not earn a B or above. Students should still aim to complete all requirements by the end of year 5. Students may also elect to earn only the bachelor’s degree and re-apply to the graduate program at a later time.
This accelerated masters program uses a carefully planned combination of prerequisite coursework, graduate-level courses taken for both undergraduate and graduate credit in Year 4, and graduate credit courses taken in Year 5. The student must be approved to begin coursework toward the master’s prior to enrolling in any classes that are to count for both undergraduate and graduate credit.
Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Studies Introduction to Science and Culture | ||
| Majors must complete the 3 classes that make up the Environmental Studies Global Sequence. | 7 | |
| Global Environment I: The Discovery of Environmental Change | ||
or EVRN 144 | Global Environment I: Discovery of Environmental Change, Honors | |
| Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization | ||
or EVRN 145 | Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization, Honors | |
| Environmental Solutions | ||
| Statistics. Satisifed by one of the following: | 3 | |
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Methods of Analyzing Geographical Data | ||
| Introduction to Biostatistics | ||
| Environmental Humanities and Arts. Satisfied by one of the following: | 3 | |
| Global Environmental Literature | ||
| Sculpture Intercepting the Waste Stream | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Environmental History of North America | ||
| Art and Ecology: Inhabiting the Ecosphere | ||
| Radical Environmentalism in the United States | ||
| Resilient and Resistant Futures: Global Perspectives in Climate Change Literature | ||
| U.S. Environmental Thought in the 20th Century | ||
| Sculpture Intercepting the Waste Stream | ||
| Art and Ecology: Inhabiting the Ecosphere | ||
| Environmental Social Science and Policy. Satisfied by one of the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Policy Analysis | ||
| Environmental Geopolitics | ||
| Environment, Power, and Justice | ||
| Environmental Social Problems | ||
| Sociology of Global Food | ||
| Environmental Justice and Public Policy | ||
| Water Resource Sustainability | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Natural Hazards and Environmental Risks | ||
| Environmental Studies Core Knowledge and Skills | ||
| Majors must complete each of the following: | ||
| EVRN 336 | Ethics, Ideas and Nature | 3 |
| EVRN 460 | Field Ecology | 3 |
| Capstone satisfied by one of the following | ||
| EVRN 491 | Capstone Internship | 3 |
| EVRN 615 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| EVRN 624 & EVRN 625 | Independent Study and Honors Research in Environmental Studies | 6 |
| Environmental Studies Required Electives/Options | ||
| UBPL 425 | Environmental Planning Techniques | 3 |
| UBPL 720 | Sustainable Land Use Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 736 | Planning Law and Institutions | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| UBPL 410 | Housing Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 450 | Transportation Policy and Planning | 3 |
Students should seek guidance from their advisor and refer to the degree plan for the specific enrollment sequence.
Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 40 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 30 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Requirements for the Master’s Degree
The M.U.P degree consists of core courses, specialization courses, elective courses, courses and a Master's degree final exam. While completing the following degree requirements, students are expected to understand and follow Office Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing. During the Senior Year (Year 4), the student must take the following Urban Planning graduate coursework, in addition to the Major Requirements noted above:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UBPL 705 | Urban Economic Theory and Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 720 | Sustainable Land Use Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 736 | Planning Law and Institutions | 3 |
| UBPL 741 | Foundations of Compassionate Critical Thinking | 3 |
| UBPL 742 | Applied Data and Spatial Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 785 | History and Theory of Planning | 3 |
In Year 5, after the conferral of the undergraduate degree, the student will complete a total of 24 post-baccalaureate graduate credit hours, consisting of the following:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UBPL 763 | Politics and Public Management | 3 |
| UBPL 777 | Equity, Justice, and American Cities | 3 |
| UBPL 780 | Climate Change and Hazards Planning | 3 |
| UBPL Elective or Specialization Courses - Any UBPL class outside the student's specialization can be taken as an elective. Graduate level classes taken outside of Urban Planning require Director of Graduate Studies approval. | 9 | |
M.U.P. Electives:
Elective coursework can be selected from the department’s graduate course offerings focusing in the areas of housing, transportation, or sustainable land use. Additional detail of elective course and completion options can be found on the MUP Degree Requirements page. Students are encouraged to consult the UBPL Program Director when choosing elective courses.
M.U.P. Final Exam
Students in the accelerated masters must successfully pass a comprehensive exam. The examination provides a learning experience that encourages the student to synthesize the knowledge gained through course work and tests the student’s competence as a generalist/specialist planner. The examination consists of the student preparing a written response to a scenario or case study in which one is asked to synthesize knowledge gained in one's course work and apply it within a particular context. No academic credit is given for the examination. Two Urban Planning faculty members assess and grade the exam with Honors, Pass, or Retake. Up to two retake attempts are permitted. The department will determine an appropriate minimum interval between exam attempts.
Progression Requirements
Each student’s progress will be monitored at various points during the program:
- Upon pre-admission acceptance to the accelerated masters, the student will meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator to plan the final year of undergraduate courses, graduate UBPL courses to be taken for elective undergraduate credit, and to outline the schedule of courses.
- In the final spring semester of undergraduate study (Year 4), the student will meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator to review the student’s performance in UBPL courses. The student must earn a grade of “B” or better in these courses to be eligible for regular admission to the Master of Urban Planning degree.
- Following completion and award of the undergraduate degree (end of Spring Semester Year 4), the admitted student will again meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator to review the course plan for the fifth year of study and update progress as needed. The student’s performance in the graduate-level courses taken as an undergraduate will be evaluated. To continue in the program, students must earn a combined minimum GPA of 3.0 for these courses.
- For those students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 in the first semester of Year 5 an alternative plan of study to address the student’s deficiencies may be developed, at the department’s sole discretion. Students may also be dismissed from the program.
- If the baccalaureate degree is not completed at the end of Year 4, the student will not be permitted to enroll in courses for graduate credit toward the MUP degree until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.
Students should complete all requirements for the master’s degree within one year of receiving the bachelor’s degree. If unforeseen circumstances prevent the timely completion of the master’s degree, the student must consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator and Urban Planning Program Director to develop an alternative plan for completion.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ENGL 101 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ||
| MATH 101 (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE))030 | 3 | MATH 365, GEOG 316, or BIOL 370 (Major Req)1 | 3-4 | ||
| 1st Semester Language (BA 2nd language) | 5 | 2nd Semester Language (BA 2nd language) | 5 | ||
| EVRN 140 or 144 (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE), BA Lab Req., Major req.)040 | 3 | EVRN 142 or 145 (Major Req ) | 3 | ||
| EVRN 160 | 1 | Second area of Study /Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours | 3 | ||
| 15 | 17-18 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| UBPL 200 | 3 | EVRN Elective 300+ (Major req.)2 | 3 | ||
| Environmental Social Science and Policy (Major req.)2 | 3 | Environmental Humanities & Arts (Major Requirement)2 | 3 | ||
| 3rd Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 | Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | 4th Semester Language, or 1st semester of Another Language (BA Second Language) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| UBPL 410 or 450 | 3 | UBPL 300 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | UBPL 425 (major req) | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| Elective/Possible Minor Course | 3 | Elective/Possible Minor Course | 3 | ||
| Elective/Possible Minor Course | 3 | Elective/Possible Minor Course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| EVRN 460 (Major Req.) | 3 | EVRN 615 (Major Req.) | 3 | ||
| UBPL 720 | 3 | UBPL 705 | 3 | ||
| UBPL 741 | 3 | UBPL 736 | 3 | ||
| UBPL 785 | 3 | UBPL 742 | 3 | ||
| EVRN Undergrad Elective | 3 | EVRN Undergrad Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| UBPL 777 | 3 | UBPL 763 | 3 | UBPL 780 | 3 |
| UBPL Elective or Specialization Course | 3 | UBPL Elective or Specialization Course | 3 | ||
| UBPL Elective or Specialization Course | 3 | UBPL Elective or Specialization Course | 3 | ||
| UBPL Elective or Specialization Course | 3 | ||||
| 12 | 9 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 146-147 | |||||
- 1
If MATH 365 is not selected, one of the electives in the plan must be switched to a BA Quantitative requirement.
- 2
For courses that satisfy this requirement, see the Degree Requirements tab.