MPlan (Masters in Planning): Courses, Colleges, Careers

Walking through the streets of your city, have you ever wondered what went into planning it? Who decided where the subway should be? Where a housing locality must be constructed? Or how the transportation network should be connected, so as to improve commutation from one corner of the city to another? A city or a town does not exist in a void. Its development is a result of years of meticulous planning. The huge portion of the credit for designing and developing a city must be given to the city planners. In this blog, we cover everything that you need to know about the Masters of Planning or MPlan. 

What is a Masters in Planning (MPlan) ?

Masters in Planning (MPlan) is a 2 year, post-graduate program. This course deals with the study and planning of any ecosystem for living purposes and offers specialization in courses like infrastructure, city, housing, transportation, environmental, regional and urban planning. The Masters in Planning course is a blend of the environmental, sociological and economic aspects of planning and aims to educate students on sustainable urban development. Additionally, the study focuses on construction mechanisms in terms of zones, talukas, districts and then into properly flourished cities and towns. In the end, this course helps students apply critical thinking and come up with unique solutions to development issues.

Eligibility Criteria

There is a minimum eligibility criteria for those wanting to pursue a course in Masters in Planning (MPlan): 

• The applicants must have completed 10 +2 from a recognized board and should have secured a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in their respective subjects.
• The applicants who have completed B.Planning must have secured a minimum of 50% aggregate in their degree to be eligible.
• Applicants who have a degree in B.Arch, B.Tech and BE in Architecture/Civil Engineering who have secured a minimum of 55% aggregate are eligible to apply for Masters in Planning course.

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Admission Process for Masters in Planning

For admission to Masters in Planning programmes from reputed universities in India, there are numerous national and state-level entrance exams. Some of the entrance exams conducted to shortlist students include:

• GATE – It is a national level entrance exam conducted every year for postgraduate programs in reputed institutions like IIT’S, NIT’S and is also required for securing admission in an MPlan programme.
• TANCET – It is the entrance exam conducted by ANNA University and helps to shortlist candidates for various programs including M Plan.
• AUCET – also called Andhra University Common Entrance Test, is conducted by Andhra University. It can be conducted in offline as well as online modes.

The final selection of the candidates is done on the basis of final test scores, counselling as well as an interview.

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Syllabus for MPlan

The following is semester wise segregation of the syllabus of Masters in Planning (Mplan) course. It must be noted that the syllabus might have slight variations depending on the university and their approach to the course:

Semester 1

• Urban design
• Planning Theories and Techniques
• Housing and Community Planning
• History of Human Settlement and Planning Principles
• Workshop/Planning Studio

Semester 2

• Urban Infrastructure Planning
• Transportation Planning
• Urban Ecology & Environment Planning
• Elective – I (Introduction to regional Planning, Urban & Rural Sociology, Socio-Economic Basis for Planning, Techniques of Analysis & Population Studies + Workshop/Planning Studio)

Semester 3

• Urban Land Economics, Development Management & Finance
• Planning Legislation & Professional Practice
• Elective – II (Research Methodology, City & Metropolitan Planning, Urban Development Models, Urban Regeneration & Conservation Techniques) + Dissertation/Thesis and Planning Seminar

Semester 4

• Dissertation/Thesis

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Colleges Offering Course on Masters in Planning in India

• IIT, Kharagpur
• NIT, Calicut
• School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
• College of Engineering, Trivandrum
• Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi
• Andhra University, College of Engineering.
• Maulana Azad Institute of Technology , Bhopal
• School of Planning, Delhi
• Hindustan Institute of Technology of Science
• Government Engineering College, Trissur

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Colleges Offering MPlan Courses Abroad

Masters in Planning (MPlan) is one of the thriving careers abroad and there are plenty of top-notch universities offering courses for the same. However, it is important to note that the course name may not be the same across all the universities around the globe. Here is a list of universities outside India offering programmes which are an Indian equivalent of MPlan.

1. Masters of Community Planning and Development, La Trobe University (Australia)
2. MSc Urban and Regional Planning, University Of Birmingham (UK)
3. Master of Urban Planning, University of Melbourne (Australia)
4. Master of Urban Planning and Design, University of New South Wales (Australia)
5. MA Urban Design, Cardiff University (UK)
6. MSc Urban Design and International Planning, University of Manchester (UK)
7. Master of Community Planning, University of Cincinnati (USA) 
8. Master of Urban and Regional Planning, University of South Australia (Australia) 
9. Master of Urban Designing, RMIT University (Australia)
10. Master of Science in Urban Informatics, Northeastern University (USA) 

MPlan Careers and Job Prospects

There are ample career prospects for students after completing Masters in Planning (Mplan) . some of the popular jobs available for MPlan degree holders include:

• Urban Planning and Design bodies
• Property Development Companies
• Housing and Community Advocacy
• Transport and Environmental Planning Consultancies
• Education and Research Centres
• Urban Planning Manager
• Urban Architect/Planner
• Project Manager
• Assistant Professor
• Architecture Manager

There are also numerous government jobs available to those who hold a degree in Masters in Planning. Various companies like Larsen & Toubro offer various work and internship opportunities to professionals holding a degree in MPlan.

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FAQs

Masters in Planning is an upcoming field that is going to be in par with professional courses like Engineering. There is a great demand as well as plenty of job opportunities for professionals in this field. We hope this blog provides you with all the necessary information about the Masters in Planning program. For more such blogs and professional help in navigating through academics, tune into Leverage Edu.