Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)

Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Overview

The field of planning has long been recognized as a professional field in Canada and the world. UBC's School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) is one of the larger graduate planning schools in North America. Its Vision is “Knowledge in action - planning in partnership", and in achieving that Vision, SCARP's Mission commits, "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". 

SCARP’s dual-accredited Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) program provides students, through cutting-edge content and innovative pedagogy, with essential theory, skills, methods, and critical thinking and analytical tools to address and keep pace with a rapidly-changing world and the range of problems that planners try to solve. The updated program addresses some of the biggest challenges facing society today, including climate change, systemic injustice, and planning for more resilient communities; as well as ongoing efforts to repair relationships with Indigenous people and decolonize planning in Canada. 

This program is intensive and professionally oriented, and students emerge as well-rounded, critical, creative agents of equitable change.

What makes the program unique?

The MCRP program offers an innovative curriculum that draws upon the expertise of SCARP faculty as well as practicing planners, across a wide range of sub-fields, including housing equity, indigenous community planning, environment and climate change, transportation, and numerous more. These are not treated as separate sub-fields but integrated concerns in a transdisciplinary cross-examination of how to create healthy communities for everyone. This is reflected in the specific requirements for the MCRP degree, as well as the research, professional practice, and service activities of the faculty, staff, and students.

The MCRP program is accredited in both Canada and the US, by the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Canadian Institute of Planners. By creating an enhanced professional curriculum meeting their comprehensive learning outcomes, graduates of MCRP leave as accredited experts in the field of planning. SCARP is (by last count) one of only two schools in Canada with a master’s program fully accredited by both the Canadian and American planning organizations.

MCRP's curriculum goes beyond theoretical learning and applies its projects to real-world problems in the community. Students, consultation with faculty, intensively partner with community, municipal, and private-sector organizations as consultants, in a joint venture to identify problems and formally propose feasible solutions. 

The School is highly regarded within the international profession of planning, and its setting in Vancouver, which attracts world-wide attention and acclaim for excellence in urban planning, enhances the educational experience of SCARP students.

 

Program Enquiries

If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement: 100

Reading

22

Writing

21

Speaking

21

Listening

22

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

6.5

Writing

6.5

Speaking

6.5

Listening

6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

Application open dates and deadlines for an upcoming intake have not yet been configured in the admissions system. Please check back later.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Course-based programs do not have a thesis component. While they may assign academic advisors to students, they do not require applicants to reach out to individual professors / faculty members to seek commitment as their thesis supervisor. Please do not contact faculty members for the purposes of thesis supervision if you are applying to this program.

Citizenship Verification

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$114.00$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$3,812.78$8,713.60
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)
$11,438.34$26,140.80
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) Not applicable
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)$1,116.60 (approx.)
Costs of livingEstimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.
Deposit to accept offer (if admitted)
Deposit requirement$1500.00$1500.00
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.

Employer support

Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Options

At last count, 95% of SCARP masters graduates who sought employment were working in a professional planning or planning-related job within one year of graduation, in various sectors of the community. These figures reflect both the historic focus of employment in the planning profession in municipal and other public sector agencies, and emergent new trends for professional employment in the private and non-profit sectors. The MCRP degree program prepares graduates for professional practice by providing the kind of forward-looking education that graduates need to become the future leaders and innovators of the planning profession.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

 20222021202020192018
Applications241340254258214
Offers7170688076
New Registrations4043394340
Total Enrolment8584808582

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 96% based on 105 students admitted between 2014 - 2017. Based on 158 graduations between 2019 - 2022 the minimum time to completion is 1.7 years and the maximum time is 2.74 years with an average of 2.02 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Further Information

Specialization

Planning emphasizes an integrated approach that encompasses urban policy and community development, international development, environmental and natural resources, urban design, and planning processes and methods.

Program Website

Faculty Overview

Program Identifier

VGMMCRP
 
 
Program Enquiries
If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry
 
 

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.

Curious about life in Vancouver?

Find out how Vancouver enhances your graduate student experience—from the beautiful mountains and city landscapes, to the arts and culture scene, we have it all. Study-life balance at its best!