MCRP and MSPP in City and Regional Planning and Public Policy

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Georgia Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The MCRP and MSPP in City and Regional Planning and Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology combines professional planning education with advanced policy analysis, preparing students to address urban, environmental, and economic development challenges at national, state, and local levels. Students earn both the Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) and Master of Science in Public Policy (MSPP) through a minimum of 75 credit hours, integrating planning methods, policy analysis, quantitative research, specialization coursework, and applied research.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build foundations across planning and public policy through courses such as CP 6002: Introduction to Fields of Study in Planning, CP 6012: History and Theory of Planning, and PUBP 6001: Introduction to Public Policy. The curriculum also develops analytical and research capabilities through subjects such as PUBP 6012: Fundamentals of Policy Processes and PUBP 6112: Research Design in Policy Science.

Year 2: Students progress into applied planning and policy analysis through coursework such as CP 6024: Quantitative and Computer Methods in Planning, CP 6052: Applied Planning Studio, and PUBP 6118: Public Finance and Policy. They also select a complementary planning specialization and public policy concentration, with areas including Economic Development, Urban and Regional Policy, and Environmental Policy, Planning and Management.

Final Semester: The final stage brings the two disciplines together through advanced methods, specialization/concentration coursework, and research. Students complete CP 8990: Applied Research Paper for the MCRP and PUBP 6801: Research Paper for the MSPP, with both degrees awarded simultaneously after all requirements are completed.

Focus areas: Economic Development, Urban and Regional Policy, Environmental Policy, Planning and Management, city and regional planning, public policy analysis, quantitative methods, policy research, planning law, public finance, and applied planning.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to analyze complex urban and regional problems, conduct quantitative and policy research, evaluate policy alternatives, understand planning and policy processes, apply planning methods, and produce research that connects planning practice with public policy.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MCRP is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), the joint specialized accrediting body of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association, and Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The MSPP component adds specialized preparation in policy analysis and implementation.

Reputation (employability rankings): Georgia Tech's School of City and Regional Planning states that Planetizen ranked its MCRP program 10th nationally in 2019, while the School's current admissions page reports that Planetizen's most recent ranking placed the MCRP 6th nationally and 2nd among big-city programs.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MCRP + MSPP at Georgia Tech gives students substantial hands-on experience by combining planning practice with public-policy analysis. Students work in collaborative capstone studios on real planning problems, often with government agencies, community organizations, or other external clients, while Georgia Tech’s technology-focused approach gives them opportunities to apply GIS, visualization, quantitative methods, and data-driven planning tools. The dual degree also allows students to work across planning, public policy, urban analytics, architecture, civil engineering, and related disciplines.

Capstone Studio: MCRP students complete CP 6055: Applied Planning Studio or CP 6053: Applied Planning Studio (Urban Design), working in teams on real-world planning challenges.
Real-World Client Projects: Recent studios have worked with organizations including the Puerto Rico Planning Board, Municipality of Cataño, Center for a New Economy, City of Rome, Bartow County Economic Development, City of Atlanta, and Midtown Alliance, producing plans and recommendations for housing, transportation, resilience, zoning, public spaces, and economic development.
International Field Experience: The Tokyo Smart City Studio included a one-week intensive workshop in Tokyo, where Georgia Tech students collaborated with University of Tokyo and Keio University students and presented their work to government, corporate, academic, and professional stakeholders.
Group Projects: Studio work is strongly collaborative, with students spending substantial time working together outside formal instruction; projects have included multidisciplinary teams involving planning, architecture, civil and environmental engineering, public policy, and law students.
GIS & Spatial Analysis: Students can develop advanced geospatial skills through courses such as CP 6521: Advanced Geographic Information Systems, CP 6531: Introduction to Remote Sensing, and CP 6541: Environmental Analysis Using GIS.
Digital & Visualization Tools: The curriculum includes CP 6006: Visualization for Plan and CP 6024: Quantitative and Computer Methods, while Georgia Tech planning research has also developed interactive browser-based 3D environments and data-driven visualization tools for urban planning.
Research Centers & Labs: Students can engage with the School's Center for Urban Resilience and Analytics, Friendly Cities Lab, Sino-U.S. Eco-urban Lab, Planning and Property Lab, Planning Local Economic Development Lab, and Urban Climate Lab, alongside Georgia Tech's Economic Innovation Institute and Georgia Transportation Institute.
Research & Applied Work: MCRP students complete either a master’s thesis or applied research paper in addition to their studio, allowing them to investigate a substantial planning or policy issue through independent research.
Internships & Professional Connections: Georgia Tech's Atlanta location provides connections with international, federal, state, local, and private-sector planning and development organizations, supporting internship and employment opportunities.
Urban Living Laboratory: Atlanta itself serves as an important practical laboratory for the program, with studios addressing actual neighborhood, metropolitan, transportation, urban design, housing, and climate-related challenges.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MCRP + MSPP dual degree prepares graduates for planning and policy analysis work across national, state, and local government, as well as private and nonprofit organizations. The combination of planning and public policy training is particularly suited to careers addressing urban, environmental, and economic development policy through analytical and multidisciplinary approaches.

Typical career roles: Urban Planner, Regional Planner, Policy Analyst, Urban/Environmental Policy Consultant.

Career support and employment pathways:

Career advising: Georgia Tech’s Graduate Career Development team provides one-to-one career advising, workshops, employer events, and support for careers in industry, government, nonprofit, and other sectors.
CareerBuzz: Students can use Georgia Tech’s CareerBuzz platform for job opportunities, employer connections, and recruiting activities; SCaRP specifically directs employers to use CareerBuzz to recruit City and Regional Planning students.
Planning employment: Georgia Tech reports that 88% of MCRP graduates from the 2024 graduating class obtained professional planning, planning-related, or other positions within 12 months of graduation.
Salary information: Georgia Tech’s published MCRP employment statistics do not state a graduate salary figure, so a program-specific salary range or median is not stated by the university.
Cooperative work experience: The School offers a Cooperative Research Experience Program, allowing eligible graduate students to work with agencies or firms while enrolled; participants receive compensation and gain workplace experience.
Industry and public-sector connections: SCaRP states that students benefit from access to federal, state, local, and private-sector planning organizations, while professionals from these organizations engage with students through the School and its Student Planning Association.
Employer partnerships: Georgia Tech’s Career Center maintains corporate partnerships that provide employer engagement, recruiting opportunities, information sessions, career-fair access, and job postings through CareerBuzz.
Professional accreditation: The MCRP is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), jointly associated with the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Planning Association, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The School reports that 90% of MCRP graduates from the 2021 graduating class who took the AICP exam within three years passed it, providing a documented pathway toward professional planning credentials.
Graduate outcomes: Alumni work in policy, planning, and political settings, with the dual degree designed to combine the complementary perspectives of city and regional planning and public policy.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue toward a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning or Public Policy, with Georgia Tech specifically identifying potential doctoral study focused on Urban, Environmental, or Economic Development Policy.