Urban Planning, MUP & Engineering, MS MUP+MS
Earn two master’s degrees — Master of Urban Planning and Master of Science in Civil Engineering — simultaneously and in less time. By completing both degrees together, you’ll develop professional expertise in the closely related fields of transportation engineering and urban planning.
In the Civil Engineering and Urban Planning coordinated program, you’ll gain the skills to design transportation systems while understanding the social, environmental and political dynamics that shape them. This coordinated program prepares you for a career that demands both technical precision and big-picture thinking. You’ll graduate ready to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive infrastructure solutions that improve mobility, equity and quality of life.
Program Type
Master’s
Program Format
On Campus
Here’s what you can expect
Through a coordinated curriculum and hands-on experiences, you’ll navigate the relationship between transportation systems and broader urban contexts. Learn from experts in both civil engineering and planning, with opportunities for applied research through the Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation and the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety. You’ll also meet guest speakers and professionals — including many alumni — who can help you build valuable connections. And you’ll do it all with access to resources to support your growth.
But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself what it is like to be a student here by scheduling a visit to campus.
Urban Planning, MUP & Civil Engineering MS Program Details
The MUP + MS coordinated degree is an opportunity for students to simultaneously earn two degrees: Master of Urban Planning (MUP) and Master of Science in Engineering: Civil Engineering.
Urban planning is traditionally concerned with broader issues related to transportation, including land use, housing, environment, economic development and urban design. Transportation engineers and planners need to address complex and interconnected issues, which require engineers to understand planning and planners to grasp engineering skills. Students trained in both fields are in high demand.
The dual degree program in transportation engineering and urban planning allows you to earn two master’s degrees after completing a minimum of 54 credits, typically 2.5 years. If you were to earn those master’s degrees separately, a minimum of 78 credits would be required.
Review the Urban Planning, MUP & Civil Engineering, MS requirements.
How to Apply
Applying to a program offered by UWM’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning is simple with our detailed application instructions. Learn what materials to prepare and confidently take next steps with important dates in mind.
Graduate Assistantships + Scholarships & Aid
Graduate students may be eligible to receive funding support through teaching, research and project assistantships. Graduate assistantships typically include full tuition remission, annual stipend and affordable state health coverage through the university.
UW-Milwaukee offers a variety of cost-saving opportunities, including scholarships, grants, fellowships and residency-based tuition rates. Plus, we offer several scholarships available exclusively to School of Architecture & Urban Planning students.
Research
As an R1 research university, we’re experts at offering students opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research alongside faculty. Graduate students in the joint Urban Planning & Civil Engineering program have opportunities for applied research through the Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation and the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety.
Internships
Our location in Milwaukee offers an array of planning internships and opportunities that are made possible by faculty relationships with practitioners. Students have interned with dozens of different planning agencies, including:
- Milwaukee Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative
- Milwaukee Department of City Development and Milwaukee Department of Public Works
- Suburban planning offices
- Department of Natural Resources
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
- Consulting firms and nonprofit organizations
Projects
The greater Milwaukee community is a living laboratory for learning and discovery. Your core courses and many elective courses engage you in real-life planning experiences where you’ll work in groups, under faculty supervision, for clients in the community. That means you’ll learn firsthand the challenges and rewards of articulating a vision, finding solutions, analyzing policies and preparing plans.
Student Organizations
Learn in action through architecture and urban planning student organizations. Opportunities include connecting with professional association leaders, attending national conferences and tackling real-world projects for clients and community partners. Plus, you’ll deepen your connections with faculty, mentors and fellow students. Check out our student organizations.
Career Outlook
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Where Urban Planners Work
The majority of planners work for municipalities, including central cities and suburbs within major metropolitan areas and suburbs. They also work in medium-sized and smaller cities that serve as the hub of activity for a larger rural area. Planners also work in county government, for regional planning agencies and in state government. A significant number of planners work in the private sector as well.
Here are some additional examples where planners work:
- Architecture firms hire planners to help them design more functional neighborhoods.
- Banks hire planners to assist them in making community investment decisions.
- Economic development agencies hire planners to help them better understand the linkages between public policies and employment and to better communicate with employers about the competitive advantages of specific locations.
- Nonprofit community organizations hire planners to operate housing, mortgage assistance, or economic development programs.
- Real estate developers hire planers to help them negotiate development terms that meet the developer’s needs while addressing the concerns of neighborhoods and city councils.
- School districts hire planners to help with resource allocation decisions or initiatives dealing with new approaches to service delivery.
- Transportation agencies (such as state highway departments and local transit agencies) need urban planners to help them better integrate proposed transportation improvements (whether highways, transit, or bike facilities) with new residential and commercial development.
Career Resources
We’re committed to helping you launch your career from your first semester to your first job and beyond. We offer a variety of ways for you to build your professional network and prepare for a successful transition into your career. Learn more about career resources.
Which faculty you have within this program depends on your chosen courses or interests. For a list of all School of Architecture & Urban Planning faculty and staff please click the button below.
- Associate Professor & Co-Chair, Urban Planning
- cesswein@uwm.edu
- 414-977-7744
- Arch & Urban Planning 389
- Associate Professor, Urban Planning
- Founding Director, Center for Equity Practice & Planning Justice
- keharris@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5824
- Arch & Urban Planning 322
Affiliated Faculty
Xiao Qin, Civil Engineering Department