Fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) and ranked #23 nationally according in Planning Educators in the 2012 Planetizen guide, the Master of Urban Planning Program strives to play an important role in the University of Louisville's urban/metropolitan mission by creating the best possible learning environment for the student whose goal is to become a planning practitioner, by advancing the state of knowledge in the planning field through faculty research, and by bringing that knowledge to bear on the challenges facing the community.
The Department of Urban and Public Affairs offers a Master of Urban Planning (MUP) degree in cooperation with the Department of Geography and Geosciences. The MUP Program prepares students to work in a wide variety of fields, including land use and environmental planning, urban design, historic preservation, transportation planning, open space planning, housing planning, economic development planning, real estate development, and the development of geographic information systems. With the continuing expansion of Louisville and the nation's other metropolitan areas, urban planning is one of the leading professional fields in terms of demand and job satisfaction, according to surveys by Jobs Rated Almanac and the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance.
Students have the option to specialize in one of four concentration areas: land use and environmental planning; administration of planning organizations; housing and community development; and spatial analysis for planning. Students have the opportunity to benefit from working on real planning problems through the required internship and studio courses. Studio courses are taught at the Urban Design Studio, located in downtown Louisville and operated by the MUP Program.
The degree requires 42 credit hours (two years of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study), although up to six (6) credit hours of relevant graduate course work may be transferred into the program. Students may enroll on a part-time or full-time basis. Classes are held in the evenings and on weekends to meet the scheduling needs of persons holding full-time jobs.

