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Studies & Degrees in Urban Studies and Planning

Urban studies and planning is the study of how cities and regions work and how their growth can be guided. Urban studies looks at the city as a social, economic and physical system: housing, mobility, inequality, public space and the environment. Planning turns that knowledge into decisions about land use, transport, housing and public facilities. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes urban and regional planners as the people who develop comprehensive plans and programmes for the use of land and physical facilities in cities, counties, metropolitan areas and other jurisdictions.

Students learn planning theory and history, land use law, urban economics, transport and environmental planning, housing policy and community participation. They also learn tools: statistics, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS), and studio or workshop projects in which they analyse a real planning problem. According to the BLS, accredited programmes typically include coursework in planning theory, land use law and GIS for planning.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. Some universities offer a first degree in the field. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning. The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in Australia offers a four-year Bachelor of Urban Design and Town Planning (Honours). At the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in Germany, urban planning (Urbanistik) is taught at bachelor's and master's level.
  • Master's degrees. In many countries the master's degree is the main professional qualification. The BLS states that planners in the United States typically need a master's degree in urban and regional planning or a related field. Master's programmes usually do not require a particular first degree, although a background in architecture, social science or business helps. Examples are the Master of Urban Planning and the Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Management at Illinois, and the Master European Urban Studies (M.Sc.) and Master Integrated Urban Development and Design (M.Sc.) at Weimar.
  • Spain. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) offers the Máster universitario en Ciudad y Urbanismo, an official master's degree of 60 ECTS credits taught fully online in Spanish and Catalan.
  • Doctorate. Research careers continue with a PhD, such as the PhD in Regional Planning at Illinois.

Accreditation matters in this field. In North America the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits university programmes leading to bachelor's and master's degrees in planning. In Australia the Planning Institute of Australia accredits degrees such as the one at UniSC, whose graduates may become members of the institute after two years of professional practice. Students who intend to work as planners should check which body accredits the programme and whether it is recognised in the country where they want to work.

Where to study it

The SpainExchange directory lists 107 schools for this subject. The United States has the most, with 43, followed by Spain with 14, Australia with five, and China, Argentina and Germany with four each. Canada and the United Kingdom have three each, and Chile, the Netherlands, Italy and France two each.

Among the schools listed in the United States are The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan, San Diego State University, the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Pittsburgh. In Spain the list includes the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, the Universidad de Navarra and the Escola de l'IGOP of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, which focuses on social and urban policies.

The language of instruction follows the country in most cases: English in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, and Spanish or Catalan in Spain. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar also has degree programmes taught in English. Ask each school about the language of its programme and the level it requires.

Careers

Planners work for local and regional governments, planning and engineering consultancies, developers, housing bodies, transport agencies and non-governmental organisations. UniSC lists career options such as community development, social planner, strategic planning and policy, transport planner and urban designer.

For the United States, the BLS projects that employment of urban and regional planners will grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 3,200 openings each year. It adds that employers may prefer or require planners to be certified. These figures describe the US labour market only. In other countries the profession is organised differently, and in some of them planning work is tied to degrees in architecture, engineering or geography.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between urban studies and urban planning?

Urban studies analyses how cities work, using social science methods. Urban planning is the professional practice of preparing plans for land use, transport, housing and public facilities. Many degrees combine both.

Do I need a master's degree to work as an urban planner?

It depends on the country. In the United States, according to the BLS, planners typically need a master's degree from an accredited planning programme. In Australia a four-year accredited bachelor's degree, such as the one at UniSC, is a recognised route.

Can I study urban planning online?

Yes, in some cases. The Máster universitario en Ciudad y Urbanismo of the UOC is taught fully online, in Spanish and Catalan, and has 60 ECTS credits.

Which first degree do I need for a master's in planning?

Usually no specific one. The BLS notes that programmes do not normally require a particular undergraduate degree, but a background in architecture, social science, business or a related field is useful.