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Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) Admissions

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process, contact us at keenej@pdx.edu or by phone at (503) 725-4045.

If you are interested in learning more about the MURP program, please contact the Student Services Coordinator, Tracy Braden at tbraden@pdx.edu.

Planetizen Top Ranked Planning School

Admission to the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program is restricted to the fall term of each academic year. The application deadline is January 15.

Admitted applicants to the MURP program will be invited to attend an open house event at the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning during the Spring term.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission as a regular degree student, the applicant must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all undergraduate courses or must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all graduate credits earned at accredited institutions. Applications will not be considered unless they are complete. International students must submit TOEFL scores of 550 or better (taken within two years) if native language is not English.

Transfer Policy 

We do not admit transfer students into the MURP program outside of the normal admissions process. If you have completed courses in another graduate planning program, you must apply by the January 15 deadline for regular fall admission. If admitted, you may be able to transfer some of your credits from the other program. The maximum number of credits that could be transferred is 24 of the 72 credits (quarter system). Approval of transfer credits occurs after admission.

Application Forms

Please note that the application period for the 2012 cohort is now closed.  We are unable to accept applications outside of the regular admissions period.  The application for the 2013 cohort will be available in fall of 2012.

All of the applications below can be completed in Adobe Acrobat or Reader. After you've completed your application, print it and mail it to us. You cannot submit the application electronically.

Application Process

Portland State University admissions policy requires that you compile and send two separate application packets, one to the University's Admissions office and another to the School of Urban Studies and Planning.

The University Admissions packet must include:

  • Portland State University's "Application for Graduate Admission";
  • A $50 non-refundable application fee (do not send cash);
  • One official transcipt, in a sealed envelope, from each post-secondary education institution you've attended;
  • For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 550 or better, taken within the past two years.

Send this packet to the Office of Admissions:

To send via USPS:

Office of Admissions
Portland State University
PO Box 751-ADM
Portland, OR 97207-0751

or, if mailing by UPS or FedEx, please use physical address:

Office of Admissions
105 Neuberger Hall
724 SW Harrison St.
Portland, OR 97207

The Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning admissions packet must include:

  • The "Application for Admission: Master of Urban and Regional Planning" (available fall 2012)
  • One official transcipt, in a sealed envelope, from each post-secondary education institution you've attended. Transcripts should be included in the TSUSP admissions packet.  Please do not have your previous institutions mail the transcripts directly to TSUSP.
  • The letter of intent. Explained in greater detail in the downloadable application packet.
  • Three letters of recommendation (accompanied by completed recommendation letter form) from individuals familiar with your academic or professional background. Letters of recommendation must be included in your TSUSP admissions packet.  Please do not have your references send their letters of recommendation directly to TSUSP.
  • A resume
  • For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 550 or better, taken within the past two years.

The following material is recommended, and may be sent separately:

  • GRE scores. Recommended for MURP applicants. When submitting GRE scores, these are the codes to use: 4610 PSU, 4402 MURP. Please note that you should make arrangements to take the GRE well in advance of the application deadline. You may ask to have the scores sent directly to us.

If sending by USPS, please use our mailing address:

Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751-USP
Portland, OR 97207-0751

If sending by UPS or FedEx, please use our physical address:

College of Urban and Public Affairs
Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning
506 SW Mill Street, Suite 350
Portland, OR 97201

Financial Resources

Prospective MURP students are provided with a number of funding opportunities.

Portland State University’s Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning (TSUSP) is pleased to
announce the availability of three Portland Planning Diversity Awards for incoming MURP
students enrolling Fall 2012. The purpose of these awards is to attract outstanding students from
diverse backgrounds and experiences, including racial and ethnic backgrounds that are traditionally
underrepresented in graduate urban planning programs. Each award entails a two-year funding
commitment from TSUSP, including tuition waiver (up to 12 credits per term) and stipend from a
0.15 FTE (approx. 6 hour/week) graduate assistantship working with TSUSP faculty and/or staff
during the academic year.

2012 Application for Portland Planning Diversity Awards

The Office of Graduate Studies provides students with additional funding resources.

The College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) offers a number of scholarships.  The deadline for applications (to be submitted through the PSU scholarship online application system) is April 2nd, 2012.

International Admissions

International undergraduate, master level, or doctoral applicants interested in pursuing degree programs through the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning will need to be accepted by both the Toulan School and by Portland State University.

For applicants to our graduate programs, international applicants must also submit the following:

  • A TOEFL score of 550 or better (taken within one year) if native language is not English.
  • Affidavit of Support
  • Declaration of Finances

Please visit International Student Admissions at PSU for application deadlines, forms and further instructions about applying to the University.

Deferral Policy

Through the admissions process, the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning aims to create a MURP cohort that will work effectively and in a balanced manner with one another. For that reason, we do not allow applicants to defer their admission. If you are admitted and really feel as though you cannot attend in the term of admittance, we encourage you to reapply at another time.

Re-applying to the Program

If you have previously applied to the MURP program and either withdrew your application or were denied admission, you may request that previously submitted application materials be re-used for the current term of admission.  Please communicate to staff which pieces you would like to include from your previous application (such as transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation) and which new pieces you are submitting for review.  You should include this list with your current application packet.  You are required to submit a new University application and a new departmental application with the updated term of admission.  We highly recommend that you also submit a new resume. If you were previously denied admission, you should submit a new letter of intent that reflects the actions you have taken to strengthen your application since your previous submission.