City and Regional Planning (Graduate Field)

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Field Description

City and regional planning (M.R.P., Ph.D.). Students learn to design, evaluate, and implement policies and programs that affect the social, economic, and physical development of urban and regional areas, including those in the Developing World.

The educational program fosters theoretical and conceptual knowledge relevant to urban and regional studies, and the acquisition of professional skills, including those in critical thinking, oral presentation, writing, statistical analysis and Geographical Information Systems.

The M.R.P. program normally requires four residence units, sixty credits, a set of core courses, and the completion of a satisfactory thesis, professional report, or research paper. At the discretion of the faculty, up to one residence unit and 15 credits may be granted, by petition after matriculation, for graduate work done elsewhere, including Cornell-supervised professional field experience. Doctoral degree candidates often begin in Cornell's Master of Regional Planning program; applications are also welcomed from outside the university.

Historic preservation planning (M.A.).
This program prepares students for work in the history and preservation of buildings in a variety of urban and rural contexts. Two years of course work normally are needed. Students are required to complete sixty credits, including a six-credit thesis. A basic core of three preservation courses and two semesters of course work in American architectural history is also required; if not satisfied by prior undergraduate work, it should be completed in the first year at Cornell. Students are strongly encouraged to seek summer employment in the field.

Data and Statistics

Field Manual