Master of City and Regional Planning

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Clemson University

Program Overview

The Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) at Clemson University is a two-year, 48-credit professional planning degree that combines planning theory with applied skills in sustainable land development, analytical methods, implementation, and real-world planning practice. It suits students from diverse undergraduate and professional backgrounds who want to work on community growth, land use, environmental, economic, transportation, and policy challenges through an interdisciplinary approach.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: The first year builds core planning knowledge and practical analytical skills through CRP 8040 & 8041 Intro to GIS for Planning, CRP 8080 Land Use & Comp Planning, and CRP 8410 Seminar in Environmental Planning. Students then develop professional and policy skills through CRP 8010 Planning Process and Legal Foundations, CRP 8070 Professional Studio, and CRP 8060 Urban and Regional Economics for Planners, alongside approved electives.

Year 2: The second year advances research, professional practice, and planning theory through CRP 8580 Mixed Methods for Planning, CRP 8940 Professional Planning Seminar, and CRP 8050 Planning Theory & History. Students complete CRP 8600 Thesis / Terminal Project and CRP 8090 Planning Terminal Project, supported by electives, and present and defend their terminal project or thesis through an oral examination.

Focus areas: Sustainable land development, land-use planning, environmental planning, urban and regional planning, GIS, planning theory, planning law, economics, analytical methods, community development, transportation, and planning implementation.

Learning outcomes: Planning knowledge, analytical and research skills, planning implementation techniques, professional planning skills, global-context knowledge, guiding professional values, and practical skills and tools for planning practice.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredited; the MCRP has been nationally accredited since 1988 and has been re-accredited for more than 35 years.

Reputation (employability): Clemson reports 100% of MCRP graduates from the 2024 graduating class obtained professional planning, planning-related, or other positions within 12 months of graduation; the university also reports that 100% of the second-year class worked in paid Public Service Assistantships during the most recent reported year.

Professional network: MCRP students are members of the American Planning Association (APA) and its South Carolina chapter, providing opportunities to network with planning professionals and attend state and national planning conferences.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Clemson University’s Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) gain practical planning skills through professional studios, GIS-based analysis, internships, and a required terminal project or thesis. The program’s small-class environment allows students to work closely with planning faculty and apply classroom knowledge to professional planning problems, while Clemson’s location provides access to real communities and regional planning contexts.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Professional studio: CRP 807 Professional Studio gives students hands-on experience addressing planning problems through professional-level studio work.
GIS and spatial analysis: GIS tools and geospatial analysis are integrated through courses such as Introduction to GIS, Spatial Modeling Using GIS, and GIS & Remote Sensing Applications for Trend Analysis.
Applied GIS projects: Geographic information systems are used for practical planning analysis; Clemson faculty specifically develop assignments that teach tangible GIS analysis skills applicable to urban planning and environmental protection.
Planning internships: Paid professional internships provide direct experience with planning organizations. Clemson reports that 100% of the second-year class worked in paid internships/PSAs in the reported year, with employers including the City of Clemson, City of Greenville, County of Anderson, County of Greenville, Greenville Community Redevelopment Agency, Upstate Forever, Toole Design Group, Plansurbia Design, and AECOM.
Public Service Assistantships: Professional employment can involve 15 hours per week for 15 weeks per semester, providing substantial practical experience alongside graduate study.
Terminal project or thesis: Original professional research is required for graduation, allowing students to apply their coursework and internship experience to a planning topic and develop advanced skills such as GIS analysis.
Planning and policy analysis: Land-use, transportation, urban design, infrastructure, environmental planning, housing, economic development, and sustainable development are supported through specialized planning courses and applied projects.
Planning student organization: Planning Student Organization at Clemson (PSOC) gives City and Regional Planning students opportunities to learn from peers and network with alumni.
Professional planning environment: Small classes and faculty interaction enable students to develop relationships with faculty, classmates, and members of the planning profession, supporting professional development throughout the MCRP.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MCRP at Clemson prepares graduates for professional planning careers across public, private, and nonprofit organizations, with alumni working in areas such as local and regional planning, GIS, housing and community development, transportation, environmental planning, economic development, and urban design. Clemson reports that 100% of 2024 MCRP graduates obtained professional planning, planning-related, or other positions within 12 months, while its recent second-year class also had 100% participation in paid internships/public service assistantships.

Typical career roles: City Planner, Regional Planner, GIS Planner, Urban Development Consultant

Career progression and opportunities include:

Paid professional experience: 100% of the second-year class recently worked in paid internships/public service assistantships, with employers including the City of Clemson, City of Greenville, Anderson County, Greenville County, Greenville Community Redevelopment Agency, Upstate Forever, Toole Design Group, Plansurbia Design, and AECOM.
Career networking: Clemson's Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture Career Expo connects students with employers from architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, and city and regional planning; the 2026 event listed 110 participating firms and opportunities for internships and full-time employment.
Career services: ClemsonJobLink connects students with employers nationwide, while the Center for Career and Professional Development provides career counseling, employer connections, job postings, and labor-market information.
Employment outcome: 100% employed within 12 months — this is the MCRP program's reported percentage of the graduating class of 2024 obtaining professional planning, planning-related, or other positions.
Salary outcome: Clemson's MCRP alumni survey reports a $42,500 median salary for recent graduates.
Professional certification: 87% AICP exam pass rate for students from the graduating class of 2021 who took the AICP exam within three years. Clemson also reports that 64% of surveyed alumni obtained and maintained AICP certification.
Accreditation value: The MCRP has been fully accredited since 1973 and is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), providing a professionally recognized planning education pathway.
Alumni network: Clemson's MCRP alumni work as agency directors, department heads, staff planners, developers, banking professionals, market research and site-location analysts, land-development and urban-design consultants, and public-private partnership consultants. The program specifically identifies its alumni network as a source of employment opportunities for internships and permanent positions.
Graduation outcomes: Clemson reports a 100% graduation rate within four years for the entering class of 2021 and 100% retention for students who began in fall 2024 and continued into fall 2025.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced study and research in planning, urbanism, design, real estate, architecture, landscape architecture, or related built-environment disciplines at Clemson or another university. Clemson's College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities also offers a Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment, providing a potential doctoral pathway for students interested in advanced research and academic careers.