BSSD / MFA in Design for Responsible Innovation: 4+2 Program
The BSSD/MUP 4+1 program allows students completing the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design (BSSD) degree to complete the Master of Urban Planning (MUP) on an accelerated timeline. The 4+1 program is highly selective – the majority of successful applicants to the program have a 3.6 GPA or higher, and demonstrate extraordinary evidence of preparedness for the MUP program. BSSD students must plan early to complete prerequisites. Junior BSSD students may apply to participate in the program.
MUP Course Requirements Prior to Senior Year
To apply for the BSSD/MUP 4+1 program, BSSD students should take following UP courses prior to senior year:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UP 101 | Introduction to City Planning | 3 |
| UP 116 | Urban Informatics I (Gen Ed: Quant Reasoning I) | 3 |
| or Stat 100 | Statistics | (3) |
| UP 210 | Envrionmental Economics (Gen Ed: Social/Behavioral Science | 3 |
| or ECON 102 | Microeconomic PrinciplesDesign Beyond Boundaries | (3) |
| or ACE 100 | Introduction to Applied Microeconomics | (3) |
| UP 203 | Cities: Planning & Urban Life | 3 |
| or UP 204 | Chicago: Planning & Urban Life | (3) |
| UP 312 | Communication for Planners (Gen Ed: Advanced Composition) | 4 |
| UP 316 | Urban Informatics II (Gen Ed: Quant Reasoning II) | 3 |
| Pick one: | UP 405: Watershed Ecology & Planning, 406: Urban Ecology, 418: GIS for Planners, 420: Planning for Historic Preservation, 430: Urban Transportation Planning, 433: Public Transportation Planning, 434: Pedestrian & Bicycle Planning, 456: Sustainable Planning Workshop, 478: Community Engagement in Planning, 486: Planning with Climate Change, 494: Special Topics in Planning | 3-4 |
| One additional course at the 400 level in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning | 3-4 |
Admissions Process
Applications for the 4+1 Program are due from BSSD students by December 15th of their Junior year. Applicants will prepare a packet containing the following items:
- Cover Letter: Please prepare a cover letter that includes your name, UIN, and University of Illinois email address, and that clearly states that you are applying to the BSSD/MUP 4+1 program.
- Statement of Purpose: Please compose a statement of purpose of no more than 1,500 words that describes your background, motivation, and qualifications for pursuing a MUP degree at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The statement of purpose should focus not only on your qualifications, but also on your future educational and professional goals, and your substantive area of focus within the MUP program.
- Resume: Please attach a current resume of no more than 2 pages in length.
- Work Examples: Please attach with your application up to two examples of professional work products. These products may have been produced by you as part of a class assignment, internship, or other professional engagement. The selected work examples should be reflective of your preparedness to undertake graduate-level study in the senior year of your BSSD degree.
Applicants should submit their application packet as a single PDF document to Jennifer Kowalski at urbplan@illinois.edu by December 15th of their Junior year. Students will be notified by the Director of Graduate Studies by February 15th of their junior year if they have been accepted into the 4+1 program. Admission to the 4+1 program does not guarantee admission to the MUP program, although applicants are accepted into the 4+1 program based on the high likelihood that they would be admitted to the MUP program.
4+1 Plan of Study (BSSD/MUP)
The 4+1 program is split into two components – the senior year of the BSSD program, and the MUP program year.
A BSSD student admitted to the 4+1 program is expected to enroll in the first-year MUP core courses in their senior year, although they are not yet admitted to the MUP program. Typically, a 4+1 student will take FAA 430 BSSD Capstone Seminar (3 hours) and FAA 431 BSSD Capstone Studio (5 hours), as required by the BSSD program, plus the five first-year MUP core courses:
- UP 501: Planning History and Theory (Fall)
- UP 503: Physical Planning (Fall)
- UP 505: Urban and Regional Analysis (Fall)
- UP 504: Urban History and Theory (Spring)
- UP 511: Law and Planning (Spring)
The MUP core courses meet the BSSD requirements for UP electives and planning-related electives. In the fall and spring semesters of the senior year, the BSSD Program Coordinator will collect feedback on 4+1 student performance from their course instructors and will make a determination regarding adequate progress in the program.
At the end of the senior year, the 4+1 student is qualified to graduate with the BSSD degree, having met all the requirements of that program. In the senior year, 4+1 students wishing to complete the MUP degree will formally apply to the MUP program, by submitting a full application package including recommendations, statement of purpose, and transcripts. Students who follow this program will be eligible for a minor in Urban Studies and Planning regardless of their admission to the MUP program as a 4+1 student.
Once admitted to the MUP program, a 4+1 student must take 32 hours of graduate courses, 20 of which must be UP courses. These courses include the MUP capstone requirement (8 credit hours). Up to two MUP core courses may be included among the 32 hours. If more core courses are needed, then correspondingly more than 32 hours will be required for the MUP degree. The 32 hours of graduate courses is a minimum requirement for the MUP degree; it cannot be reduced by UP 590 internship or course waivers. More details about the MUP program can be found on Master of Urban Planning program page on the Planning website.