Concurrent Graduate Degrees
Concurrent Degrees within the College of Environmental Design
MArch + MCP
The concurrent program in city planning and architecture aims to combine the study of urban and planning issues with the design of buildings and sites. By providing a range of essential skills as well as a broad understanding of the social, economic, and natural factors that shape the physical environment, the concurrent degree program in architecture and city planning accomplishes what neither program achieves alone. This program allows completion of the Master of Architecture (MArch) and the Master of City Planning (MCP) degrees with a savings of 12 units (one semester’s course work).
Offered by the Department of Architecture and the Department of City & Regional Planning
- About the MArch + MCP
Program
The concurrent program in city planning and architecture aims to combine the study of urban and planning issues with the design of buildings and sites. By providing a range of essential skills as well as a broad understanding of the social, economic, and natural factors that shape the physical environment, the concurrent degree program in architecture and city planning accomplishes what neither program achieves alone.
As the disciplines of city planning and architecture have evolved in the past few decades, their education and practice have become more specialized. Architecture usually focused on the design of buildings and complexes, while city and regional planning has typically focused on overall management and policy of environments in both urban and regional settings. In the current world of practice, there is a great need for professionals who are able to combine an understanding of complex architectural design with larger-scale urban and regional issues that represent the social, economic and natural factors that influence and shape the physical environment. By providing an all-encompassing understanding and a range of essential skills for effectively impacting and enhancing the built environment, the concurrent degree program in city planning and architecture accomplishes both of these dual and often not-so-converging roles.
Graduates of the concurrent MCP + MArch work in a variety of companies and organizations. Our alums hold positions in several organizations including architectural firms, planning consultancies, public policy institutes, development companies, city governments, nonprofit and non-governmental corporations, and research institutions.
Requirements
The program is designed for exceptionally well-qualified students who hold the five-year bachelor of architecture (BArch) degree or a four-year bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree in architecture, as well as those who have completed equivalent degrees in related disciplines
Courses
The MArch portion of the concurrent program requires completion of 24 to 72 semester units, depending upon the student’s undergraduate degree; the MCP segment calls for 36 semester units. No special curriculum applies to this concurrent program; rather, the requirements of both programs must be satisfied by students enrolled in the concurrent program. Both departments expect that students will coordinate with their advisors the individual study plans for the concurrent degree relative to their interests. In the MCP curriculum, students must declare an area of concentration and complete a core of courses selected to complement their backgrounds and interests. In the MArch curriculum, students must complete a set of core of courses in several areas including history, theory, structures, etc., and declare the thesis intention. The areas of emphases for students in the concurrent program include housing, urban design, project development, and community design, among others.
Capstone
Students in the concurrent program may choose between three options to fulfill their final requirements for the concurrent degree: (1) produce one combined research thesis in an area of emphasis with four faculty members including two from DCRP and two from ARCH; (2) produce an independent study design or research thesis in ARCH and a parallel professional report in DCRP; or (3) complete a design thesis in a thesis studio in ARCH and a professional or client report in DCRP.
To Apply
See the Master of City Planning program page for information on how to apply to the concurrent degree programs. Applications are made through UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division.
MArch + MLA
The concurrent Master of Architecture (MArch) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree program combines knowledge of ecological and social factors with the design of buildings and sites. As the professions of architecture and landscape architecture have matured over the past century, teaching and practice of the disciplines have become increasingly specialized. Architectural education and practice have focused on the design of individual buildings, with little emphasis on site design and environmental issues. Landscape architecture, on the other hand, typically has not been concerned with understanding and creating architectural form, but focuses on the design of outdoor spaces at a variety of scales, from small gardens or parks to large natural landscapes in cities and regions.
Offered by the Department of Architecture and the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning
- About the MArch + MLA
The Program
The program combines knowledge of ecological and social factors with the design of buildings and sites. As the professions of architecture and landscape architecture have matured over the past century, teaching and practice of the disciplines have become increasingly specialized. Architectural education and practice have focused on the design of individual buildings, with little emphasis on site design and environmental issues. Landscape architecture, on the other hand, typically has not been concerned with understanding and creating architectural form, but focuses on the design of outdoor spaces at a variety of scales, from small gardens or parks to large natural landscapes in cities and regions.
Today, professionals are needed who combine an understanding of individual building design with larger-scale site design and the cultural and natural factors that shape environments at all scales. Neither program alone can provide the range of skills and understanding that CED considers essential in improving the quality of the built environment.
The concurrent program requires 72 units of coursework for students who have satisfied all prerequisites, and a minimum of 24 units in each department.
Requirements
The concurrent program is intended for exceptionally qualified students who have either an undergraduate degree (BA or BS) or a professional undergraduate degree (BArch or BLA) in architecture or landscape architecture and who satisfy either the two-year Master of Architecture admission prerequisites or the two-year Master of Landscape Architecture admission prerequisites. (Please note that MLA 3D applicants may not apply to the concurrent program but successful applicants can apply at the end of their first year.)
Application to the concurrent degree program is competitive, and admission is contingent upon applicants showing that they will be able to successfully complete the requirements for both degrees within three years. Applicants must be competitive with the two-year master’s applicants in the second department. Applicants may receive admission into two programs, one program, or neither program. Applicants will be notified of the admission decision separately by each department.
The following courses or their equivalents are required for admission to the concurrent degree program. Students without this background will be required to take these courses for elective credit.
- ARCH 150* Introduction to Structures
- LD ARCH 110 Ecological Analysis
- LD ARCH 112 Landscape Plants: Identification and Use
- LD ARCH 120 Topographic Form and Design Technology
*Note: Physics and calculus are prerequisites for this course and must be taken prior to enrollment in the concurrent degree program.
To Apply
Applications are made through the Graduate Division at UC Berkeley.
MCP + MLA
This concurrent program leading to the degrees of Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) combines a common framework of theory and method while permitting specialization in one of two areas: environmental planning or urban design.
Offered by the Department of City & Regional Planning and the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning
- About the MCP + MLA
The Program
The concurrent program combines a common framework of theory and method while permitting specialization in one of two areas: environmental planning or urban design. The common core includes history and theory of the development of urban areas; basic characteristics of land, water, and climate and how they relate to development and conservation; social and environmental spatial concepts; environmental measurement, including physical, social, and psychological measures; economic values associated with land conservation and development; and infrastructure. In addition to the common core, students must also complete an option core, an area of specialization, and a thesis or professional project.
Environmental Planning
The environmental planning option emphasizes training in the planning process, development economics, political institutions and law, and regulatory policy and administration. It aims to educate students to apply this training to decisions about the appropriate use of land and natural resources. Environmental planning candidates should have a basic knowledge of ecological principles relevant to planning and design, as well as competence in graphic communication skills. An undergraduate degree in the natural sciences, landscape architecture, or planning is typically required for admission to the concurrent program in environmental planning.
Requirements
The program is intended for exceptionally qualified students who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in city and regional planning, landscape architecture, architecture, or a related field. Depending on the student’s undergraduate degree, the program can be completed in three or four years. (Please note that MLA 3D applicants may not apply to the concurrent program but successful applicants can apply at the end of their first year.)
To Apply
Current students must apply at the end of their first semester. Prospective applicants may select the concurrent program in the graduate application.
Other Concurrent Degrees
MArch + MS Engineering
The complexity of modern structures requires the design and supervision of both architects and structural engineers. The growing inter-reliance of these two disciplines creates a demand for professionals capable of viewing a possible structure both as an architect and as a structural engineer.
Offered by the Department of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- About the MArch + MS Engineering
The Program
The concurrent MArch and MS Structural Engineering program offered by the Department of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials enables students to obtain this valuable combination of professional disciplines with up to 24 fewer units than if the two degrees were pursued separately.
Requirements
See Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials Detailed Program Requirements for information on admissions and prerequisites.
To Apply
Applications are made through the Graduate Division at UC Berkeley.
MCP + MPH
This three-year concurrent degree program leads to a Master of City Planning (MCP) degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The program trains professionals to engage in research, practice, and advocacy at the intersection of the design professions, public health, and public policy. The program introduces students to the domestic and international issues confronting efforts to promote more healthy cities, metropolitan regions, and places more generally, and we place a special emphasis on investigating strategies to address persistent health inequities in urban areas.
Offered by the Department of City & Regional Planning and the School of Public Health
- About the MCP + MPH
- Partner Organizations
The Program
Berkeley’s concurrent program in city planning and public health is one of the oldest such programs in the United States. Building on the leadership and vision of program founders such as public health professors Leonard Duhl and Trevor Hancock and architecture professor Rosyln Lindheim, the concurrent MCP+MPH program grapples with understanding how urbanization and characteristics of urban life influence well-being and what practices and policies can improve the lives of the majority of the world’s population now living in cities. The urban environment, and the planners and policies that shape it, influences many aspects of health and well-being: what people eat, the air they breathe and the water they drink, where (or if) they work, the housing that shelters them, where they go for health care, the danger they encounter on the street, who is available for emotional and financial support, and how political power is distributed and public resources allocated.
While the fields of modern city planning and public health emerged together in the 19th century to address urban inequities and infectious diseases, they were largely disconnected for much of the 20th century. In the 21st century, planning and public health are reconnecting to address the new health challenges of urbanization and globalization — from racial and ethnic disparities to land use sprawl to providing basic services to the millions of urban poor around the world living in informal slum settlements. The concurrent graduate programs in city planning and public health focus on how to reconnect the fields of planning and public health to address these and other 21st-century urban health challenges.
Students and faculty affiliated with the program work closely with UC Berkeley’s Center for Global Healthy Cities on action-research projects locally and around the world. The program trains students to think critically and apply knowledge to pressing problems using interdisciplinary research and practice methods and experiential learning. Outstanding students are offered financial aid and research assistantship opportunities, and many are encouraged to continue for a PhD at Berkeley.
Courses
Students must complete the required core courses in both the city and regional planning and public health programs. Students must also take CY PLAN 256 Healthy Cities by the end of their second year and are strongly encouraged to take PB HLTH 267D Health Impact Assessment. Students can select any concentration area in planning and public health; however, we strongly recommend that students consult with core faculty before selecting concentration areas. Participation in program seminar series and a summer internship is also required. Students will complete one capstone project that satisifies both the MCP and MPH degrees. Students must seek approval for their final project by the end of their fourth semester.
Faculty
The program is co-directed by Jason Corburn, associate professor of city and regional planning, and Darlene Francis, associate dean of education, equity, and inclusion and associate professor of public health and neuroscience.
Contact
For more information about the concurrent MCP+MPH degree program, please contact:
- Professor of City and Regional Planning and Public Health Jason Corburn at jcorburn@berkeley.edu.
- Associate Dean Education, Equity, and Inclusion and Associate Professor of Public Health and Neuroscience Darlene Francis at darlenefrancis@berkeley.edu.
To Apply
See the Master of City Planning page for information on how to apply to concurrent degree programs.
You must also submit a SOPHAS application to the School of Public Health. Please contact the School of Public Health with questions about the SOPHAS application process.
One of the unique features of Berkeley’s concurrent MCP+MPH degree program is its close ties to practice in the Bay Area, California, and internationally. We have an advisory committee of professionals working in government, non-profits, philanthropy, and the private sector throughout the region who regularly offer internships and jobs.
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- Institute of Social Medicine (Instituto de Medicina Social, IMS) at Rio de Janeiro State University (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ)
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- Université Paris Ouest – Nanterre La Défense (Space, Health, and Territories Lab)
MCP + MS Transportation Engineering
This concurrent degree program leading to a Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Science (MS) enables students interested in transportation planning to acquire the tools for rigorously approaching transportation-engineering problems. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s approach to transportation is technical and analytical, while the Department of City & Regional Planning focuses on policy issues, particularly as related to the influence of transportation on the political, environmental, and social fabric of communities. In this way, the concurrent degree program enables those interested in the field to bridge the “process” and “policy” components of transportation studies in a complementary and reinforcing manner.
Offered by the Department of City & Regional Planning and Program in Transportation Engineering within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- About the MCP + MS Transportation Engineering
The Program
The concurrent degree program allows the qualified student to obtain both the Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Science (MS) degrees in about 2-1/2 years.
Requirements
Students must be admitted to each department individually. Because this is a concurrent degree program, exceptionally well-qualified persons may apply to both programs simultaneously. Most students, however, apply to one program during their first year in the other program.
Prerequisites
See Transportation Engineering Graduate Requirements for information on prerequisites and the program.
Contact
If you have an interest in this program, please contact Professor Daniel Chatman at dgc@berkeley.edu.
To Apply
See the Master of City Planning page for information on how to apply.
MCP + JD
The Department of City & Regional Planning has developed concurrent degree programs with Berkeley Law at UC Berkeley and UC Law San Francisco, which permit qualified students to obtain both a Master of City Planning (MCP) and a Juris Doctor (JD) in four years (rather than the five years necessary if the programs were taken in sequence).
- About the MCP + JD
The Program
The purpose of this program is to provide an integrated professional curriculum of greater breadth than would otherwise be available for students interested in urban land use, housing, or social policy problems. The planning curriculum offers students training in policy analysis and exposure to theories and programs that address urban development problems. Legal training provides additional analytic skills and substantive knowledge necessary for successful plan and program implementation.
Graduates of the concurrent degree program are qualified for a number of professional roles at the intersection of law and planning. These include municipal attorneys, community development administrators or counsels, staff personnel on legislative committees, development administrators, planning directors, consultant planners, advisors to private clients on land use matters, staff members of governmental agencies, public interest advocates, and executive assistants to mayors, governors, and department heads. Past graduates of the program have found an impressive variety of professional opportunities available to them.
To Apply
To apply for a concurrent degree, select the desired concurrent degree from the drop-down options in the UC Berkeley Graduate Application.
For the MCP +J D degree, applicants must fill out separate applications for the MCP program and the JD program. For more information on required materials and deadlines for the JD, please visit the Berkeley Law and UC Law SF websites respectively.