You must have a master’s degree in urban planning or a closely related field in order to obtain a job in urban planning. This is the educational barometer that potential employers will be looking for when they interview candidates for jobs. Make sure to choose a graduate degree in urban planning that has received the proper accreditation. Within this field, accreditation by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) is the highest benchmark for graduate urban planning programs. This ensures that the program has met standards that are developed and sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), the American Planning Association (APA), and APA’s American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
As you will see below, states that have no PAB-accredited graduate urban planning programs are Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Master’s- level programs that are accredited by the PAB within each state include:
Alabama
- Alabama A&M University – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Department of Community & Regional Planning, College of Agricultural, Life & Natural Sciences
Alaska
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Alaska.
Arizona
- Arizona State University – Master of Urban & Environmental Planning
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning
- The University of Arizona – Master of Science in Planning
Arkansas
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Arkansas.
California
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo – Master of City & Regional Planning
City & Regional Planning Department
- California Polytechnic State University, Pomona – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College of Environmental Design, Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning
- San Diego State University – Master of City Planning
- San Jose State University – Master of Urban Planning
College of Social Sciences, Dept of Urban & Regional Planning
- University of California, Berkeley – Master of City Planning
College of Environmental Design, Dept. of City & Regional Planning
- University of California, Irvine – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
School of Social Ecology, Dept. of Urban Planning & Public Policy
- University of California, Los Angeles – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Luskin School of Public Affairs, Dept. of Urban Planning
- University of Southern California – Master of Urban Planning
Sol Price School of Public Policy, Dept. of Urban Planning & Spatial Analysis
Colorado
- University of Colorado Denver- Master of Urban and Regional Planning
College of Architecture and Planning, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Connecticut
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Connecticut.
Delaware
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Delaware.
District of Columbia
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in the District of Columbia.
Florida
- Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College for Design & Social Inquiry, School of Urban & Regional Planning
- Florida State University, Tallahassee – Master of Science in Planning
College of Social Science & Public Policy, Dept. of Urban & Regional Planning
- University of Central Florida, Orlando – Master of Science in Urban & Regional Planning
College of Community Innovation and Education, School of Public Administration
- University of Florida, Gainesville – Master of Urban & Regional Planning (on-campus or online)
Georgia
- University of Georgia – Master of Environmental Planning & Design
College of Environment and Design, Environmental Planning & Design Program
- Georgia Institute of Technology- Master of City & Regional Planning
College of Design, School of City & Regional Planning
Hawaii
- University of Hawaii at Manoa – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College of Social Sciences, Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Idaho
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Idaho.
Illinois
- University of Illinois at Chicago- Master of Urban Planning & Policy
College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs, Department of Urban Planning & Policy
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Master of Urban Planning
College of Fine & Applied Arts, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Indiana
- Ball State University, Muncie- Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College of Architecture & Planning, Department of Urban Planning
Iowa
- Iowa State University—Master of Community & Regional Planning
College of Design, Dept. of Community & Regional Planning
- University of Iowa—Master of Science in Urban & Regional Planning
School of Urban & Regional Planning
Kansas
- Kansas State University- Master of Regional & Community Planning
- University of Kansas- Master of Urban Planning
School of Public Affairs & Administration, Urban Planning Program
Kentucky
- University of Louisville – Master of Urban Planning
College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Urban & Public Affairs
Louisiana
- University of New Orleans – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Department of Planning & Urban Studies
Maine
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Maine.
Maryland
- Morgan State University, Baltimore – Master of City & Regional Planning
Department of Graduate Built Environment Studies, School of Architecture & Planning
- University of Maryland at College Park – Master of Community Planning
School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, Urban Studies & Planning Program
Massachusetts
- Harvard University – Master in Urban Planning
Graduate School of Design, Department of Urban Planning and Design
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Master in City Planning
School of Architecture & Planning, Dept of Urban Studies & Planning
- Tufts University – Master of Arts in Environmental Policy & Planning; Master of Science in Environmental Policy & Planning
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Dept of Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst – Master of Regional Planning
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Dept of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning
Michigan
- Michigan State University – Master in Urban & Regional Planning
School of Planning, Design & Construction, Urban & Regional Planning Program
- University of Michigan – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Alfred Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning; Urban & Regional Planning Program
- Wayne State University – Master of Urban Planning
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Dept. of Urban Studies & Planning
Minnesota
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Urban & Regional Planning Program
Mississippi
- Jackson State University- Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning
College of Public Service, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Missouri
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Missouri.
Montana
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Montana.
Nebraska
- University of Nebraska Lincoln – Master of Community & Regional Planning
College of Architecture, Community & Regional Planning Program
Nevada
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Nevada.
New Hampshire
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in New Hampshire.
New Jersey
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey – Master of City and Regional Planning
New Mexico
- University of New Mexico – Master of Community & Regional Planning
School of Architecture & Planning, Community & Regional Planning Program
New York
- Columbia University, New York – Master of Science in Urban Planning
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
- Cornell University, Ithaca – Master of Regional Planning
College of Architecture, Art & Planning, Department of City & Regional Planning
- Hunter College, City University of New York – Master of Urban Planning
School of Arts & Sciences, Dept of Urban Planning and Policy
- New York University – Master of Urban Planning
Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Urban Planning Program
- Pratt Institute – Master of Science in City & Regional Planning
School of Architecture, Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment
- University of Albany, State University of New York – Master of Regional Planning in Urban & Regional Planning
College of Arts & Sciences, Dept of Geography and Planning
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York – Master of Urban Planning
School of Architecture & Planning, Dept of Urban and Regional Planning
North Carolina
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Master of City and Regional Planning
College of Arts & Sciences, Dept. of City & Regional Planning
North Dakota
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in North Dakota.
Ohio
- Cleveland State University – Master of Urban Planning & Development
Levin College of Urban Affairs, Urban Planning & Development Program
- The Ohio State University – Master of City & Regional Planning
College of Engineering, Knowlton School of Architecture, City & Regional Planning Program
- University of Cincinnati – Master of Community Planning
College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning, School of Planning
Oklahoma
- University of Oklahoma – Master of Regional & City Planning
College of Architecture, Division of Regional & City Planning
Oregon
- Portland State University, Portland- Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College of Urban & Public Affairs, Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning
- University of Oregon, Eugene – Master of Community & Regional Planning
School of Planning, Public Policy & Management, Graduate Program in Community & Regional Planning
Pennsylvania
- Temple University, Philadelphia – Master of Science in City and Regional Planning
Tyler School of Art & Architecture, Dept of Architecture & Environmental Design
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia – Master of City Planning
Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Dept of City & Regional Planning
Rhode Island
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Rhode Island.
South Carolina
- Clemson University – Master of City & Regional Planning
College of Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Dept of City Planning & Real Estate Development
South Dakota
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in South Dakota.
Tennessee
- University of Memphis – Master of City & Regional Planning
School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy, Department of City & Regional Planning
Texas
- Texas A&M University – Master of Urban Planning
College of Architecture, Dept. of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning
- Texas Southern University – Master of Urban Planning & Environmental Policy
- The University of Texas at Arlington – Master of City & Regional Planning
College of Architecture, Planning & Public Affairs, Dept. of Planning & Landscape Architecture
- The University of Texas at Austin – Master of Science in Community & Regional Planning
School of Architecture, Graduate Program in Community & Regional Planning
Utah
- University of Utah – Master of City & Metropolitan Planning
College of Architecture & Planning, Dept. of City & Metropolitan Planning
Vermont
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Vermont.
Virginia
- George Washington University – Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Urban Planning
College of Professional Studies, Sustainable Urban Planning Program
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville – Master of Urban & Environmental Planning
School of Architecture, Department of Urban & Environmental Planning
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
School of Public & International Affairs, Urban Affairs & Planning
Washington
- Eastern Washington University – Master of Urban & Regional Planning
College of Social Sciences, Department of Geography, Anthropology & Planning
- University of Washington – Master of Urban Planning
College of Built Environments, Department of Urban Design & Planning
West Virginia
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in West Virginia.
Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Madison – Master of Science in Urban & Regional Planning
College of Letters & Science, Department of Planning & Landscape Architecture
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee – Master of Urban Planning
School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Dept. of Urban Planning
Wyoming
- There are no PAB-accredited graduate-level urban planning programs in Wyoming.