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URP Undergraduate-to-Graduate (U2G)
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Undergraduate-to-Graduate (U2G) degree options are available allowing students to earn a graduate degree in urban planning (URP) and an undergraduate degree in less time than would be required to obtain the two degrees independently. This is because courses for one degree are considered as elective credit for the other degree program.
This is a universal U2G. It is open to students in all undergraduate majors at the University of Iowa.
Previously formalized U2G options with urban planning are available for those in Civil and Environmental Engineering (BSE) and Environmental Policy and Planning (BS or BA).
Admission and Eligibility
Students should apply before the end of their junior year.
To be eligible for the urban planning U2G program, students must have the following record:
- Completion of 80 semester hours (s.h.) of undergraduate work
- Transfer students need to have completed 30 s.h. at the University of Iowa
- Cumulative GPA of 3.25 or greater at the time of admission application
- Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater at the time the student transitions to graduate student only status
Information about all of the programs is available from Abbi Castle, Admissions Coordinator.
Requirements
While the requirements of each U2G degree option vary, all have several key features in common. In each case a student must:
- Complete an approved area of concentration in planning. Work in the other academic unite does not, in and of itself, necessarily constitute a valid area of concentration.
- Take at least 42 s.h. of planning courses that have been previously approved to count towards the master’s degree.
- Unless otherwise specified, Sustainable Communities Lab I and II are required of students in combined degree programs.
- Pass planning’s final comprehensive exam
Advising
While an undergraduate, U2G students will have a URP advisor in addition to those assigned as an undergraduate. The undergraduate advisor is able to approve students for registration, however it is important to also consult with the URP advisor in order to assure the student is meeting the requirements for both programs and is able to graduate in a compressed timeline. Additionally, the URP advisor’s approval is needed to grant the special permission required to register for URP courses while an undergraduate. After completing the undergraduate degree(s), U2G students will be advised by the URP advisor only.
Courses
Under the planning U2G program, students are able to take up to 18 s.h. of credit in the MS in Urban and Regional Planning program that will also count toward the undergraduate degree. Students may select from the following courses (descriptions available in the General Catalog).
URP:6200 | Analytic Methods I | 3 s.h. |
URP:6201 | Analytic Methods II | 3 s.h. |
URP:6202 | Land Use Planning: Law and Practice | 4 s.h. |
URP:6203 | The Making of Cities: History and Theories of Planning | 3 s.h. |
URP:6205 | Economics for Policy Analysis | 3 s.h. |
URP:6208 | Program Seminar | 1 s.h. |
URP:6233 | Public Finance and Budgeting | 3 s.h. |
Sample plan
Tuition
U2G students are assessed undergraduate level tuition and fees during their first year of the U2G program (students' 4th or senior year), and until the bachelor's degree is conferred. Students are encouraged to consult the Graduate College to determine the tuition amount.