Degrees Offered: Ph.D., M.C.R.P., M.A.P., M.Sc.P.
Members
Professors
H. Campbell, S. E. Chang, K. Clifton.
Professors Emeriti
P. Boothroyd, A. H. J. Dorcey, P. C. Gurstein, T. Hutton, T. McDaniels, V.S. Pendakur, W. E. Rees, L. Sandercock, M.Y. Seelig.
Associate Professors
L.C. Angeles, J. Connolly, M. Hooper, M. Senbel, M. Stevens, M. Tran.
Associate Professors Emeriti
Assistant Professors
J. Barudin, A. Binet, H. Caggiano, J. Harten, K. Kamizaki, M. Low.
Program Overview
The School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), a unit within the Faculty of Applied Science, was created in 1952 and has one of the larger planning programs in North America. The School's mission statement commits them, through education and research, to generating and transforming knowledge into action by planning in partnership to improve lives and communities and the quality of built and natural environments. They emphasize an integrated approach to planning that encompasses urban policy and community development, international development, environmental and natural resources, urban design, and planning processes and methods. The School’s professional master’s degree, the MCRP, is accredited both by the Canadian Institute of Planners and the American Institute of Certified Planners.
SCARP's faculty are involved in a variety of planning research projects focusing on disaster management, equity, climate change, decolonisation, and more. Four SCARP faculty members have cross-appointments, in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability; the Centre for Climate Justice; the Institute of Asian Research; the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice; and the Department of Civil Engineering.
Full details are available at the School of Regional and Community Planning.
Doctor of Philosophy
Admission Requirements
The School offers a Ph.D. program for advanced study and research in the areas of its competence. Applicants for admission must have a master's degree in planning, or its equivalent, with high academic standing. To ascertain the School's ability to fulfill potential students' objectives, a statement of about 1000 words is required describing their research interests and objectives which should be submitted at least one month before the application deadline.
Transfer from the Master's to the Ph.D. program is permitted under regulations set by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
For more information, visit the School of Community and Regional Planning.
Program Requirements
The Ph.D. is primarily a research degree, so that students should enter with a strong background in their field of study. After two years of coursework and examinations, candidates devote their efforts toward dissertation research.
All doctoral students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination. The major requirement for the Ph.D. is completion of a research dissertation meeting the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements.
Master of Community and Regional Planning
The Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) is a 24-month professional master's degree in Planning. It is an innovative and flexible program that anticipates and responds to rapidly changing urban, regional, and global environments.
The MCRP curriculum offers a strong core sequence of 42 credits that is tailored to the evolving demands of the profession. Students will additionally complete 18 credits of elective courses customized for their interests and professional aspirations. In the second year of the program, students will complete a 2-term studio course that integrates theories and methods covered throughout the curriculum into a single team-based project, with a real client or community group; or, alternatively, those students that select the Indigenous Community Planning concentration will spend an 8-month practicum partially immersed in a host First Nations community, supporting a comprehensive community planning process.
Cumulative program requirements provide students with real world experience and prepare them for entry into a wide variety of planning jobs. The program also features an Internship experience and a mentoring program.
Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the admission requirements of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. English language proficiency standards, including TOEFL and GRE requirements are listed under English Language Proficiency Standards and GRE Requirements.
In addition to meeting the University’s academic standards for admission, SCARP requires that students submit a 500-word statement outlining their specific interests as well as providing information on their professional experience and community involvement. The SCARP Admissions Committee oversees the admissions process to the School.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit will be granted in accordance with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies policy on Transfer Credit.
Program Requirements
The total program credit requirement is 60 credits, including 42 credits of required courses that incorporate accreditation performance criteria and essential background for planning. If not enrolled in the Indigenous Community Planning curriculum, these are:
- PLAN 500 (3) Comparative Perspectives on Planning History and Futures
- PLAN 501 (3) Reconciliation and Planning
- PLAN 502 (3) Sustainability and Resilience in Planning
- PLAN 504 (3) Urban Design and Visual Representation
- PLAN 505 (3) Planning Theory, Values, and Ethics
- PLAN 506 (3) Information and Analysis in Planning
- PLAN 507 (3) Engagement and Facilitation for Planners
- PLAN 511 (3) The Legal and Institutional Context of Planning
- PLAN 512 (3) Urban Economics, Infrastructure, and Real Estate Issues in Planning
- PLAN 513 (3) Making and Implementing Community and Regional Plans
- PLAN 540 (6) Planning Praxis
- PLAN 541 (6) Planning Studio
For the remaining 18 credits, students can choose courses tailored with their interests through consultation with their Faculty Advisor.
Students that are admitted into the Indigenous Community Planning concentration within the MCRP program will be required to complete 60 total credits, including 42 credits of required courses that that incorporate accreditation performance criteria and essential background for planning with Indigenous communities. These are:
- PLAN 500 (3) Comparative Perspectives on Planning History and Futures
- PLAN 502 (3) Sustainability and Resilience in Planning
- PLAN 504 (3) Urban Design and Visual Representation
- PLAN 505 (3) Planning Theory, Values, and Ethics
- PLAN 506 (3) Information and Analysis in Planning
- PLAN 507 (3) Engagement and Facilitation for Planners
- PLAN 511 (3) The Legal and Institutional Context of Planning
- PLAN 514 (3) Indigenous Planning: Ways of Being, Knowing and Doing
- PLAN 515 (3) Indigenous Law, Governance and Community Planning
- PLAN 516 (3) Planning for Community Economic Development
- PLAN 543 (12) Indigenous Community Planning Practicum
Master of Arts in Planning
Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Program Requirements
The M.A.P. degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 34 credits including a 12-credit thesis, over twelve to eighteen months.
Students in the Master of Arts in Planning program will have a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree (or equivalent), and must complete PLAN 558, PLAN 559, and PLAN 560 and at least one 3-credit course in qualitative methods for research in another UBC department. The course must be approved by the faculty advisor.
Master of Science in Planning
Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
In addition to meeting the University’s academic standards for admission, SCARP requires that students applying to the M.Sc.P. submit a proposed thesis topic and samples of their academic research and writing. These submissions are used together with letters of reference to make an overall assessment of a student’s appropriateness for the program, to determine if the student’s interests are compatible with SCARP faculty areas of interest and expertise, and to select each student’s program advisor. The SCARP Admissions Committee oversees the admissions process to the School.
Program Requirements
The M.Sc.P. degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 34 credits and a thesis, over twelve to eighteen months.
Students in the Master of Science in Planning program will have a Bachelor of Science undergraduate degree (or equivalent), and must complete PLAN 558, PLAN 559, and PLAN 560 and at least one 3-credit course in quantitative methods for research in another UBC department. The course must be approved by the faculty advisor.
Contact Information
School of Community and Regional Planning
433-6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z2
Tel: 604.822.4422
Email: grad.scarp@ubc.ca
Web: www.scarp.ubc.ca