The BS/BA + MCMP is a "4+1" program through which eligible students complete both a Bachelor's in Urban Ecology and a Master's of City & Metropolitan Planning (MCMP) in five years. The BS/BA in Urban Ecology involves the study of the relationships between humans and nature in urban environments, emphasizing the interrelationships among social, environmental, and economic systems, while the Master of City & Metropolitan Planning focuses on the key competencies of technical literacy, ethical inquiry, inclusive community engagement, ecological thinking, and physical planning and design. The 4+1 program combines the strengths of both programs, preparing students to think ecologically in guiding the growth and development of cities and regions both locally and globally.

How to apply?

Students seeking to take advantage of the 4+1 program must first meet current University of Utah undergraduate admission standards, be accepted into the BS/BA Urban Ecology major and be in good standing within the major.

BS/BA Urban Ecology students who want to enter the 4+1 program must apply for admission during the spring semester of their junior year (i.e., after the completion of 75 undergraduate credit hours). To be admitted, applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.4 and demonstrated excellent performance in at least six of the BS/BA Urban Ecology required core courses.

Apply here

Major Requirements

Students admitted into the 4+1 program will work with an academic advisor to carefully plan out their program of study for the 4th and 5th years.

Students spend their senior year completing the requirements for the BS/BA Urban Ecology degree including three MCMP core courses (at the 5000-level) that count as BS/BA Urban Ecology electives. Students then move on in their fifth year to take an additional 30 graduate-level credit hours, satisfying the remaining MCMP core requirements, plus six credit hours of 6000-level electives.

Students completing these requirements receive two degrees: Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Ecology and the Master of City & Metropolitan Planning Degree, simultaneously.

General Education & Elective Requirements – 62 credit hours

Design Foundations Requirements – 9 credit hours

CMP 2010 – Design Ecologies (3 credits)

ARCH 2630 – Design Foundation Workshop (3 credits)

DES 2630 – Design Contexts (3 credits)

Urban Ecology Major Requirements – 33 credit hours

CMP 3100 – Planning Theory and Practice (3 credits)

CMP 3200 – Ecology of Human Settlements (3 credits)

CMP 3270 – Visual and Oral Communication (3 credits)

CMP 3400 – Economy of Cities (3 credits)

CMP 4010 – Field Studies in Urban Ecology I (3 credits)

CMP 4020 – Field Studies in Urban Ecology II (3 credits)

CMP 4260 – Land, Law & Culture (3 credits)

CMP 4280 – Ecological Planning Workshop (3 credits)

CMP 4450 – GIS for Urban Ecologists (3 credits)

CMP 4600 – The Just City (3 credits)

CMP 4954 – Urban Ecology in Action (3 credits)

Urban Ecology Electives – 9 credit hours

3000 level and above from the approved list of Urban Ecology Electives

MCMP Core Courses – 33 credit hours

CMP 5610 – Urban Ecology (3 credits)

CMP 5160 – Plan Making (3 credits)

CMP 5010 – Community & Regional Analysis (3 credits)

CMP 6100 – Urban & Planning Theory (3 credits)

CMP 6260 – Land Use Law (3 credits)

CMP 6322 – City & Metropolitan Economics (3 credits)

CMP 6430 – Community Engagement in Planning (3 credits)

CMP 6455 – Advanced GIS Applications (3 credits)

CMP 6280 – Graduate Workshop (3 credits)

CMP 6970 – Professional Project I (3 credits)

CMP 6971 – Professional Project II (3 credits)

MCMP Electives – 6 credit hours

6000-level CMP courses only

Total = 152 credit hours

Go to the 4+1 Forms & Documents Hub to download a Course Map