The University of Iowa's master of Urban & Regional Planning program has thrived for over 60 years, and our alumni have made important contributions to planning - in "traditional" government positions, in private sector development and consulting firms, and in the nonprofit sector.

• The faculty at Iowa is committed to providing an excellent teaching environment for students. Our faculty/student ratio is outstanding at five students per faculty member. Faculty are responsive to student needs - current students and alumni often tell us that faculty-student interaction in the Urban and Regional Planning program is more typical of a small liberal arts college than a major research institution: informal, relaxed and friendly. But unlike small colleges, we have the student and faculty resources of a large Tier-I research university.
• The master's degree in planning at the University of Iowa is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.
• Our graduates’ pass rate on the AICP exam is one of the highest rates in the nation.
• According to the Planetizen 2023 rankings of master’s programs in urban and regional planning, ours is:
  • #1 small planning program in the U.S. (fewer than 55 students)
  • 16th best planning program in the U.S.
  • 2nd in the Midwest
  • 5th most selective
  • 2nd among planning schools in small cities
  • 3rd among master’s programs without a PhD
  • 9th in programs within a public university

Mission Statement

The Urban and Regional Planning program’s vision is to promote just and inclusive human settlements in which economic development, environmental enhancement, and social justice jointly contribute to sustainability, resilience, and quality of life at all scales from local to global. Within this context, our mission is to educate professional planners who will be responsible future leaders and decision-makers into the 21st century.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is under constant review - courses are updated annually to reflect changes in the "real world" of urban planning practice. We have been amongst the leaders in incorporating new technologies in our curriculum. Feedback from current and graduating students, and regular surveys of alumni, show our success at providing both the practical, analytic skills planners need day-to-day, and the rich, in-depth education planners need to become leaders.

• There is a "core" set of classes that all students take. These classes cover the basic analytic, legal, economic and historical knowledge that all planners need.
• Students choose an area of concentration (economic development, housing and community development, land use and the environment, or transportation), and supplement these specialized classes with a range of elective options that enhance particular skills. The curriculum also emphasizes themes that are part of all areas of concentration: sustainability, GIS in planning, and social justice.
• A capstone studio course, Sustainable Communities Lab, organizes teams of students to work on a "real world" project for a local client - a city government, or a non-profit or state agency. Sustainable Communities Lab is the core component of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities which seeks to address sustainability issues in Midwestern communities. 

The Practice of Planning

The Iowa planning program encourages student involvement with the practice of planning in a variety of ways.

• During the student's first semester, the program seminar introduces students to the diversity of planning issues through a series of presentations by visiting professionals.
• We assist students in obtaining an internship with a planning agency during the summer between their first and second years in the program, and provide a small number of additional paid assistantships during the academic year in local planning agencies where we have established an ongoing relationship.
• The program regularly offers two to four courses on various aspects of planning practice, taught by adjunct faculty who are professional planners from the Iowa City area with many years of experience.