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Dual Degree Programs

Most dual degree programs require more than the standard 55 semester-hour MCRP degree requirement for their successful completion; however, the course requirements are fewer than if the degrees were pursued independently.  The typical dual degree program takes between two and three years to complete and there is somewhat less flexibility and fewer elective hours available than in the normal two-year Master of City Planning degree program.  Both degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of the program of study.

Five dual degree programs (four within Georgia Tech and one with Georgia State University) are available.

• Transportation Engineering. This dual degree program is to meet the need of planning agencies and transportation departments for people who combine competence in city and regional planning and transportation engineering. Candidates for this program are limited to students who hold a bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, or a physical science.  The program consists of course work in city planning, transportation engineering, mathematical and experimental statistics, principles of digital computers and operations research.  It is administered jointly by the Graduate City & Regional Planning Program and the School of Civil Engineering.

• Urban Design. The dual Master of Architecture and Master of City & Regional Planning degree program trains those who wish to engage directly in the process of city building.  The program is intended to meet the needs of planning agencies, consultants, institutions, and architectural firms for graduates who can deal competently with the design complexities of urban areas.  The curriculum is comprised of the core requirements for each of the two professional programs and a set of common requirements that focus upon urban design as a common ground linking the theory and practice of the two disciplines.

• Water Resources. This dual degree program with Civil Engineering (MS CE/MCP) addresses a growing need for water resources professionals with both technical and planning expertise. Candidates for this program should have a background in engineering or the physical sciences.

• Environmental Engineering. This dual degree program with Environmental Engineering (MS EnvE/MCP) provides students the scientific bases, the analytic techniques, and the planning principles to be effective environmental professionals.  Candidates for this program should have a background in engineering or the physical sciences.

• Planning Law.  This dual Georgia Tech Master of City & Regional Planning and Georgia State University Juris Doctor degree program will 1) broaden the intellectual horizons of both Georgia State University College of Law and the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture by facilitating interdisciplinary study, 2) support the interests of students who wish to pursue study in the fields of both law and urban planning, 3) provide an educational opportunity that reflects the fact that land management law and city and regional planning have become increasingly integrated and interdisciplinary in nature and that training for today's land use law or planning profession requires expertise in both disciplines.

• Public Policy.  The objective of the dual degree program in City and Regional Planning and Public Policy is to provide an education and research experience to those students wishing to work in urban policy analysis at the national, state and local level.  Graduates will be more likely to work in political rather than planning settings and be focused more on policy research and analysis rather than on land planning and design.  The dual degree is an efficient step towards Ph.D. programs in either City and Regional Planning or Public Policy with an emphasis on Urban Policy.  The dual degree student receives both degrees in less time than it would take to receive the two degrees sequentially.  

In addition, special dual degree programs are possible in other disciplines, depending upon a student's undergraduate major.  These require the cooperation of other participating departments and universities, and are developed on a case-by-case basis.

Certificate Programs

Additionally, two certificate programs are available in cooperation with Georgia State University.  Students interested in real estate development or historic preservation may cross-enroll for classes at Georgia State University and earn credits toward a certificate in either discipline.   Students are eligible for admission to GSU based upon their attendance at Georgia Tech.  Through the cross-enrollment program students can avoid the additional admission process and cost. Upon completion of additional GSU coursework, students earn the MCRP degree from Georgia Tech and a certificate in either real estate development or historic preservation from Georgia State University.