Master of City Planning

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of California Berkeley

Program Overview

The Master of City Planning (MCP) at UC Berkeley is a two-year professional, nationally accredited STEM program designed for students seeking to address complex urban, metropolitan, and regional challenges through planning, research, policy, and design. Students build analytical, research, and communication skills while developing expertise in areas such as environmental planning, housing and community development, transportation, and urban design, with a strong emphasis on equity, sustainability, and the human impacts of planning decisions.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: The first year establishes the core knowledge and methods needed for professional city planning. Students study CYPLAN 200 – Planning Histories and Practice: Frameworks, Opportunities and Dilemmas, CYPLAN 201A/B – Planning Methods Gateway I & II, and core subjects covering planning law and urban economics, developing an understanding of planning history, analytical methods, governance, legal frameworks, and the economic forces shaping cities.

Year 2: The second year allows students to deepen their expertise through a concentration, advanced planning coursework, and applied studio learning. Students complete a studio course such as CYPLAN 208 – Plan Preparation Studio, CYPLAN 218 – Transportation Planning Studio, CYPLAN 238 – Development-Design Studio, or CYPLAN C243 – Shaping the Public Realm, before completing a client report, professional report, or master's thesis as the capstone.

Focus areas : Environmental Planning and Healthy Cities, Housing Community and Economic Development, Transportation Policy and Planning, Urban Design.

Learning outcomes : Analytical, research, communication, planning, methodological, and problem-solving skills, with an understanding of planning history and theory, urban and regional systems, and the social, economic, environmental, and human impacts of planning decisions.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MCP is a nationally accredited STEM professional degree, designed to prepare students for professional planning practice across urban, metropolitan, and regional settings.

Reputation (employability rankings) :

Official reputation: UC Berkeley describes the MCP as a top-tier graduate program and highlights its location within the Bay Area, a dynamic environment for urban planning, research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The department also emphasizes access to faculty expertise spanning city planning, public policy, anthropology, geography, physics, and architecture.

Career preparation: The program's combination of concentration-based specialization, client-oriented studio work, and a professional report, client report, or thesis provides direct preparation for planning practice and research-oriented careers.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of City Planning at UC Berkeley combines planning theory with hands-on, client-focused work so students can apply analytical, methodological, and communication skills to real planning challenges. A central component is the required studio course, a group-based learning environment that integrates substantive and methodological knowledge around an external client, while the program also allows students to deepen practical skills in GIS, data science, design, and qualitative and participatory methods. Students have access to CED’s computing facilities, planning-related geospatial resources, studios, and research opportunities that support applied planning work.

Key experiential learning opportunities include:

Client-based studio: Students complete a required studio in a group-based learning environment that integrates planning knowledge and methods while working for an external client. Studio options include CYPLAN 208 – Plan Preparation Studio, CYPLAN 218 – Transportation Planning Studio, CYPLAN 238 – Development-Design Studio, CYPLAN 248 – Advanced Studio: Urban Design/Environmental Planning, and CYPLAN 268 – Community Development Studio/Workshop: Y-Plan.
GIS and geospatial tools: Students can develop advanced methodological skills in GIS and data science as part of the MCP curriculum. CED provides support for ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro, while UC Berkeley's geospatial resources also provide access to ArcGIS Pro.
Computer facilities: MCP students have access to CED computer systems, supporting planning-related computing, printing, plotting, and digital work. The CED computer facilities include industry-standard Adobe and Autodesk software, while the computer labs also support Rhino + V-Ray cloud rendering.
Digital fabrication: Although the MCP is a planning degree rather than a fabrication-focused program, CED students have access to the Digital Fabrication Lab, equipped with laser cutters, 3D printers, a ShopSabre CNC, and a Zünd cutting system, providing opportunities to translate design concepts into physical prototypes. MCP students are specifically listed as having access to the DFL without an additional semester access charge.
Fabrication Shop: CED’s 3,600-square-foot Fabrication Shop includes woodworking and metalworking equipment, including machinery for cutting and milling lumber and equipment for cutting, bending, and welding metal. Students use the facility to create models and experiment with materials and methods.
Research opportunities: CED hosts faculty-led research labs addressing environmental and design issues, creating opportunities for students to engage with research and new discoveries across disciplines. The Geospatial 3M Lab, directed within Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, is among the research facilities available within CED’s broader research environment.
Design studios: Bauer Wurster Hall contains six floors of open design studios, and students enrolled in studio courses receive dedicated workspace. The studios are equipped with computers, laser printers, wide-format inkjet plotters, and flatbed scanners to support project development and presentation.
Planning methods and applied research: The MCP allows students to use electives to deepen methodological capabilities in GIS, data science, design, and qualitative and participatory methods, enabling students to tailor their practical training to their planning concentration and career interests.
Capstone project: Students finish the program with a client report, professional report, or master's thesis, giving them an opportunity to consolidate their planning, analytical, research, and communication skills into a substantial independent project.
CED Library and research resources: The College of Environmental Design provides a dedicated CED Library within Bauer Wurster Hall, while CED’s wider facilities include the Environmental Design Archives, supporting research into the history and practice of the built environment.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of City Planning (MCP) at UC Berkeley prepares graduates for planning careers across government, consulting, nonprofit, research, and community organizations, with opportunities to specialize in areas such as transportation, housing, environmental planning, and urban design. The program also includes a summer internship and a client-based studio/capstone experience, helping students build professional relationships and apply planning skills to real urban challenges.

Typical career roles: City Planner, Transportation Planner, Urban/Community Development Planner, Planning Consultant

Career support and opportunities:

Internships: MCP students commonly complete a three-month summer internship after the first year with a government agency, nonprofit, private firm, or other planning organization; official examples include the San Francisco Planning Department, San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, BRIDGE Housing, and Greenbelt Alliance.
Career development: Students benefit from UC Berkeley and College of Environmental Design professional networks, faculty connections, alumni engagement, and opportunities to build relationships with organizations through internships and client-based projects.
Employment sectors: Graduates enter local, regional, state and federal public agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, consulting firms, research institutions and universities, as well as other planning-related organizations.
Graduate job examples: Official Berkeley alumni examples include Project Manager at City of Oakland, Senior Associate at PolicyLink, Senior Planner at San Francisco Planning Department, Transportation Planner at Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Associate at BAE Urban Economics, and Project Developer at Mercy Housing.
Real-world impact: MCP students have worked on projects with direct public-sector impact; for example, Berkeley MCP students developed recommendations for Oxford Street in Berkeley, and their work contributed to a street-safety redesign subsequently approved by Berkeley City Council.
Employment statistics: UC Berkeley provides a MCP Student Achievement Survey and public admissions/enrollment information, but the official MCP sources reviewed do not state a current program-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure.
Industry connections: The program's client-based studio connects student teams with external clients, while internships provide direct experience with government agencies, nonprofits and planning firms. Berkeley's Bay Area setting also places students within a major regional planning ecosystem.
Accreditation value: The MCP is a nationally accredited STEM degree program, providing a professionally recognized qualification for planning practice across urban, metropolitan and regional settings.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates progress into roles addressing sustainable transportation and land use, housing, economic development, urban health and social policy, environmental sustainability, global urbanization and poverty, and urban design for livable places.

Further Academic Progression: After the MCP, students can continue into UC Berkeley's PhD in City & Regional Planning for advanced research and academic careers. Berkeley also offers concurrent pathways combining the MCP with programs such as the Master of Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Transportation Engineering, and Juris Doctor, allowing students to build interdisciplinary expertise.