I am a midwest prospective graduate student that would like to attend a Master's in City and Regional Planning Program. I would prefer to stay in the Midwest. The two schools that I have been accepted to thus far are U of Oklahoma and U Texas Arlington. Does anyone have any advice/information regarding either school that may aid me in choosing which to attend? Thank you.
-
Cyburbia is a friendly big tent, where we share our experiences and thoughts about urban planning practice, the built environment, planning adjacent topics, and anything else that comes to mind. No ads, no spam, and it's free. It's easy to join!
U of Oklahoma verse U Texas Arlington
- Thread starter xskier9
- Start date
- Messages
- 7,500
- Points
- 38
I'm not a huge fan of either program. I don't know all that much about OU's planning curriculum other than they have it in the college of architecture, indicating a more design-oriented degree. UTA has all of their urban affairs wrapped into one department, which gets you a little more of an interdisciplinary degree, which means it probably emphasizes policy. It also has dual degree programs. If I remember right, UTA is accredited for urban planning. Though in a completely different department, my brother went there for a Master of Engineering degree and complained about the lack of personal interaction with professors. I looked at UTA as a grad school possibility, but some of my professors advised staying away from it. You would also have to live with the fact that it's in Arlington Texas, poster child for suburban sprawl (OK, that's just my personal taste coming out). One advantage that UTA has over OU is that UTA is in a major metropolitan area. There are countless cities around that area for internships and hands-on research projects. Also, many of the urban planning consulting firms in Texas are located in Dallas.
Basically, there are many other schools in the midwest that offer MCRPs. Don't limit yourself to just these two (it sounds like you probably have a few more acceptance letters coming anyway).
Basically, there are many other schools in the midwest that offer MCRPs. Don't limit yourself to just these two (it sounds like you probably have a few more acceptance letters coming anyway).
OhioPlanner
Cyburbian
- Messages
- 304
- Points
- 11
Almost all of the students at UTA are part time and work full time and the classes are primarily at night. I'm from Arlington and while its a nice city, its really family oriented and there is not a real college scene.
However, UTA has a nice sized faculty and a lot of emphasis on community and economic development.
The program at the University of Oklahoma has a small faculty, but it is a primarily full-time student program. Norman is a lovely affordable college town.
What other schools have you applied to?
However, UTA has a nice sized faculty and a lot of emphasis on community and economic development.
The program at the University of Oklahoma has a small faculty, but it is a primarily full-time student program. Norman is a lovely affordable college town.
What other schools have you applied to?