Master in URP

Master in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)

Two-Year Full-Time Master Program in Urban and Regional Planning

Urban and regional planning is a sunrise sector. The world at large is now predominantly urban, and India is going through a phase of rapid urban transformation. Urbanization is a fundamental step in achieving economic development but also brings with it several environmental and social challenges. Policymakers in India and across the world, are now increasingly focusing on cities and its region to achieve Sustainable Development. Urban and regional development is a key national priority area and many new programs and policies are being launched to meet infrastructure needs (e,g. Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, PMAY, Swatch Bharat Mission, Gati Shakti Mission, Digital India Mission). There is a huge demand for professional expertise in the planning sector especially for those with backgrounds in Geography, Economics, Sociology, Planning, Civil Engineering, and Architecture.

Program Objectives:

The curriculum is designed to develop an understanding of the complexities of urban systems and processes, and functional knowledge and skills for urban, rural and regional planning. MURP graduates will have the capacity to plan for urban and rural regions of various administrative scales. Students develop specialized expertise in sustainable systems and services including physical and social infrastructure, housing, transportation, water management, waste management, economic development, livelihood, environmental management and disaster risk reduction strategies and other areas. The Program fosters a public service orientation, and commitment to equity through multi-stakeholder engagement and participatory planning.

Academic Calendar:

The two-year MURP program comprises of four semesters. Each academic year comprises two semesters of 19-22 weeks each. The Summer Internship Program (SIP) is at the end of the First Year, for 8-10 weeks between Semesters II and III. A week in each semester usually has 18-20 sessions, including classroom sessions and Studios and other interactive engagements, such as Immersion courses, guest lectures by well-known academicians and industry professionals, and planning ethics seminars. Co-curricular events include organization of Leadership Talks, Alumni Talks, National Habitat Practice Colloquium, and various other events. There are also annual events such as Unnovations, Samavesh and the Annual Research on Cities Summit (ARCS).

Program Structure:

The MURP Program includes core and elective courses and other learning segments of 112 credits. Each credit requires 10 hours of classroom contact or its Studio/field equivalent, and another 10 hours outside the classroom for preparatory reading and assignments. Students are thus expected to spend about 70 hours a week for their academic work. The core courses provide conceptual fundamentals of Planning and its application, spatial understanding, analytical frameworks, tools for Studio work and field learning techniques. SIP, National Habitat Practice Colloquium, seminars and leadership talks are mandatory components which provide industry exposure and engagement.

Dissertation:

Students are required to complete a dissertation/ thesis in any of the following cross- cutting areas:

Digital Infrastructure Planning
Disaster Management and Risk Resilience
Economy and Livelihood
Environmental Planning and Climate Change
Gender Inclusive Planning
Geoinformatics and Land Management
Green and Blue Urbanism
Governance and Policy Analysis
Heritage and Tourism Planning
Housing and Real Estate Planning

Liveability
Regional Planning
Sustainable and Inclusive Planning
Sustainability Urbanism
Transportation Systems
Urban Planning
Urban Informality
Waste and Water Infrastructure
Water Infrastructure Systems

The MURP Course Curriculum

SEMESTER I

Geoinformatics and Spatial Analysis
Housing and Environmental Planning
Macro and Micro Economics for Planning
Planning Communication
Planning History and Theory
Quantitative Methods and Planning Techniques
Studio I- Area Planning
Urban Policies and Institutions

SEMESTER II

Infrastructure Planning
Planning Ethics Seminar
Professional practice
Regional Planning
Studio II – Urban Development Planning studio
Transport Planning
Micro & Participatory Planning (E)
Land Management & Development Regulation (E)
Urban Renewal and Heritage (E)
National Colloquium on Habitat Practice

SEMESTER III

Development Finance
Planning legislation & Legal issues
Resilience Planning
Studio - III– Regional & Metropolitan Planning studio
Urban and Regional Governance
Dissertation Proposal
Green Urbanism and Renewability (E)
Policy Analysis and Evaluation (E)
Qualitative Research Methods (E)
Real Estate Development & Management (E)
Spatial Justice and Inclusive Strategies (E)
Urban Analytics (E)
Urban Economy and Livelihood
Urban Informality (E)
Urban Research Methods (E)

SEMESTER IV

Gender, Space & Development
Dissertation
Property systems and markets (Elective)
Digital Governance (Elective)
Advanced Planning Techniques (Elective)
Universally Accessible Built Environments (Elective)
Tourism Planning (Elective)

MURP-Internships and Special Curricular Components

Summer Internship Program (SIP) of at least eight weeks with leading Planning organizations, for experiential learning of working environments and planning practices.
Habitat Practice Colloquium features leaders and eminent professionals from urban development, planning and management fields to discuss contemporary issues and innovations.
Immersion Courses, on emerging topics enables students to learn conceptual and theoretical bases of ethical practice, discuss the ethical responsibilities and dilemmas of a Planner, and identify ways to make principled choices and decisions in the planning process.
Planning Ethics Seminar (PES), enable students to learn conceptual and theoretical bases of ethical practice, discuss the ethical responsibilities and dilemmas of an urban practitioner, and identify ways to make principled choices and decisions.
Dissertation, to develop a specialization in an area of their interest through research or planning project guided by faculty and professionals specializing in that area.

Industry Interfaces & Engagements

HabituX, the association of SHS students, organizes co-curricular events and activities that help students to develop teamwork, inter-personal and leadership skills. This enables the students to engage with urban communities, industry and leaders. Specific components for industry engagement include:

Annual Research on Cities Summit (ARC Summit), an annual event for scholars, industry leaders and policy makers to discuss emerging perspectives, approaches and technologies for sustainable settlements. Every student in the two-year MBA-UMG gets an opportunity to participate, interact and learn, and if presenting their work, to have it included in the Summit publications.
Samavesh – An Urban Management Conclave, of industry leaders and policy makers.
National Habitat Practice Colloquium (NHPC)- top academicians, government officials, and industry experts interact with students regarding emerging topics.
Leadership Talks by top policy makers and business leaders interact with students regarding topical issues.
Studio exercise – in collaboration with various planning authorities, students formulate development plans for city and its region. The final plans are reviewed by the respective government officials.

International Exposure

Admissions: Who can apply and how

Online applications can be submitted on the XIM University website. The following categories of graduates are eligible for the MURP Program.

Eligibility:

Candidates with a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Architecture/Planning or Master’s degree in Geography/Economics/Sociology with at least 55% marks in aggregate from a recognized University can apply. Those with a valid Admission Test score of GATE/CEED/NATA/CCU will be given preference.
Candidates with Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with minimum 60% marks in aggregate can apply. Those with a valid Admission Test score of GATE/CEED/NATA/CCU will be given preference.
Candidates who have secured the 1st, 2nd or 3rd position (i.e., any of the top three ranks) in their Undergraduate Programs in Planning/Architecture/Civil Engineering or Master’s Programs in Geography/Economics/Sociology can apply without any Admission Test score by entering their rank information in the XIM University Online Application Form. A certificate from the Head of the Institution stating their rank/ position must be furnished.
All shortlisted candidates (in all categories mentioned above) will have to appear for a Writing Ability Test and/or Personal Interview to be conducted by XIM University.
Final year degree students expecting to complete their final examinations can also apply.

Campus Living and Learning

The MURP is a fully residential program. XIM University promotes participation in various student committees and associations. School of Human Settlements encourages students to develop team skills and citizenship qualities through participation in interest-specific, voluntary student associations and other pursuits such as sports, social service, book clubs, music, debates, quizzes, etc.

Degree

The XIM University awards Master in Urban and Regional Planning degree to students who successfully complete all curricular requirements equivalent to 112 credits and fulfil other prescribed requirements of the MURP Program. The Degree is awarded to qualifying students in the Annual Convocation, usually in the month of April.

Careers in Urban Management and Governance

MURP graduates are highly valued by a diverse range of organizations involved in urban planning, development, and management. These include renowned consulting firms, government agencies, development firms, real estate companies, and research institutions. MURP graduates find rewarding positions in roles such as urban planners, transportation planners, environmental planners, and GIS analysts, among others.