Masters in City Planning

Three letters are required for the application by the application deadline. The most helpful and strongest letters of recommendation are from individuals who have supervised the applicant’s work in either an academic, employment (including professional work experience and/or internships), or community service capacity, who can evaluate the applicant’s intellectual ability, creativity, initiative, leadership potential, and promise in the field of urban planning. We prefer one of the three letters to come from an academic source (though not required). If

The goal of the Personal History Statement is to give us a better sense of who you are, and how you would contribute to the department’s mission to create a community of students with diverse perspectives, life experiences, and intellectual interests. The Personal History Statement should convey who you are: how has the combination of your life experiences (for example, personal background, education, or volunteer or work histories) and role models (for example, family or professional mentors) influenced your decision to apply for a degree in city planning? How have your teaching, research, and professional or public service contributions shaped your thinking about equity, diversity, or sustainability in urban planning? What makes you unique, and how does who you are influence who you want to be as a planner? The Personal History Statement is also a chance to let the committee know about factors that may have influenced your academic or work history, such as barriers to access in higher education.

The portfolio is only required if you are applying for the Master of City Planning with the Urban Design Concentration, or if you are applying for the concurrent degree in City Planning/Master of Architecture (MCP/M.Arch) and City Planning/Landscape Architecture (MCP/MLA-2D or 3D only).

In addition to your work experience (including relevant internship and/or volunteer opportunities) and education, please include a comprehensive skills section (e.g., software or language proficiency). If you have any educational, volunteer, and/or employment experience related to the field of planning or urban studies, please make sure to highlight it. We advise students to be detailed and expansive so we can get a better sense of your background, skills, work experience, and accomplishments.

The goal of the Statement of Purpose is to give us the ability to assess whether our program is a good match for your professional goals. At a minimum, the Statement of Purpose should indicate, with clarity and focus, your purpose for pursuing graduate study in urban planning, your proposed emphasis of study, and any special interest(s) in the field. It should highlight how your academic and other experiences (professional work experience, internship, and/or volunteer opportunities) or activities (research, co-curricular activities, leadership roles, etc.) impacted this decision, and your perspective on how Berkeley’s faculty and curriculum would enable you to find an intellectual home here. You should also give us a sense of why you feel that a Berkeley degree will help you reach your long-term career goals. There is not an word limit,

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