Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning (BAUSP)
Full-time for the BAUSP program is 12 credit hours. Average in-state cost is roughly $39,700 per year, and average out-of-state cost is roughly $62,700 per year.
Departmental undergraduate financial aid comes in the form of scholarships.
Master of Urban Planning (MUP)
Full-time for the MUP program is 16 credit hours. Average in-state cost is roughly $42,200 per year, and average out-of-state cost is roughly $59,900 per year.
Types of aid and assistantships include:
- Merit-based aid
- Need-based aid
- Assistantships: Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Graduate Assistant
Merit-Based Financial Recognition
The department runs a merit-based financial recognition program focused on graduate students. Materials submitted at the time of application to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning are used to assess merit and to allocate available department funds as well as nominations for campus-level fellowships. To receive priority consideration for these awards, submit your application materials by December 15th. Merit-based financial awards may include:
- College of Fine and Applied Arts Nonresident Scholarships recognizing merit for applicants who are not residents of Illinois at the time of application and reducing the total amount of tuition in each semester in which they are awarded.
- Departmental Scholarships recognizing merit from funds provided by department alumni and donors.
- Departmental Teaching Assistantships for a portion of the program duration that provide a stipend and tuition and partial fee waiver and require work.
- Nomination for Campus Recruitment Fellowships for a portion of the program duration that provide a stipend and tuition and partial fee waiver.
Graduate Need-Based Financial Aid
The university’s Graduate College is responsible for helping graduate students explore options for financial aid and funding. In addition to information on financial assistance for graduate students, the Graduate College maintains a directory of fellowships for graduate study and also supports current students in preparing competitive external fellowship applications.
Graduate Assistantships
Most MUP and PhD students are eligible to apply for available Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Graduate Assistant positions. Assistantships include a stipend as well as waiver of tuition and selected fees in the semester in which they are held. The value of a 25% MUP student assistantship (requiring 10 hours of work per week) including tuition and fee waiver for one semester is approximately $24,000, including a stipend of $5,710. We require students holding assistantship positions to meet minimum credit hour requirements for full-time student status, and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Assistantships to MUP students are typically awarded at 25% time (10 hours per week), which assistantships to doctoral students are typically made between 25% and 50% time (10 to 20 hours of work each week of the appointment).
The Department is responsible for allocating Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant positions based upon departmental needs. Each semester, the department typically issues a Request for Qualifications for available TA and GA positions and then hires eligible students from the pool of applicants. Individual faculty are responsible for hiring current students as Research Assistants based upon their needs and available funding. Some students find assistantships through the University’s Assistantship Clearinghouse.
All students applying for assistantships must be in good academic standing and maintain a strong academic record while holding their assistantship. Additional requirements including Graduate College language proficiency requirements may impact eligibility for certain positions.
Ph.D. in Regional Planning Ph.D.
Full-time for the PhD program is 8 credit hours. Average in-state cost is roughly $42,200 per year, and average out-of-state cost is roughly $59,900 per year.
Admission to the Regional Planning Ph.D. Program typically includes a financial award package including four years of funding for the fall and spring semesters including a stipend between $25,000 and $28,000 per year. The Department’s standard offer of admission typically includes a mix of Research Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship, and Fellowship funding that is tailored to each student’s needs and progress in the program. The Department also nominates some applicants for competitive campus recruitment fellowships at the time of admission. The Department also welcomes applicants with fellowships from external sources.
While the Regional Planning Ph.D. is designed to be completed in four years, we recognize that some dissertation projects require more extensive fieldwork time for analysis. In those cases where a student who is making adequate progress in the program requires additional time beyond their four-year funding package, they will work with their advisor to identify additional funding or registration options to cover this additional time.
The Graduate College is responsible for helping graduate students explore options for financial aid and funding. In addition to information on financial assistance for graduate students, the Graduate College maintains a directory of fellowships for graduate study and also supports current students in preparing competitive external fellowship applications.