Regional + City Planning

DIVISION OF REGIONAL + CITY PLANNING

International Students: The Master of Regional and City Planning (M818) degree qualifies students on an F-1 visa to work in the U.S. for up to three years following graduation. Learn more here.

Prospective Students: The OU Regional and City Planning (RCPL) program is accepting applications for Fall 2021. OU RCPL is offering multiple funding opportunities on a competitive basis to new applicants. RCPL’s student funding packages include two-year commitments with in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers and/or graduate assistantships. Students interested in funding are encouraged to apply by April 6, 2021. The GRE is not required for applicants, and admissions are on a rolling basis.

RCPL is dedicated to recruiting underrepresented students and has a track record of providing awards to students of one or more of the following identities:
• African American/Black
• Hispanic/Latinx/Chicanx
• Native/Indigenous/American Indian/Alaskan Native
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
• Asian American
• First generation students
• Students of LGBTQIA+ identities

These recruitment efforts are part of efforts to address issues of social justice and increasing diversity within the profession and in communities in which planners work. Students who have interests or experience in social justice and planning with diverse communities will also be considered.

The University of Oklahoma is in Norman, which is an affordable city that is just 30 minutes outside of Oklahoma City. The program offers small classroom sizes and tailors courses of study to fit student interests. RCPL alum have an over 90% job placement rate within 6 months of graduation.

Contact Dr. John C. Harris at johncharris@ou.edu for more information and questions about these GA opportunities.

Planning the Future

Faculty in the Division of Regional + City Planning (RCPL) prepare students to address the challenges that face the cities, towns and rural areas of Oklahoma and the nation. The OU RCPL program, founded in 1947, is one of the oldest programs west of the Mississippi River. RCPL students, like those in other divisions of the OU College of Architecture, have access to a multidisciplinary learning environment and a low student-faculty ratio that allows them to work closely with faculty and gain insight from faculty expertise. The Division of Regional and City Planning’s focus on communication and experience better prepares graduates for the collaborative work of successful city planning professionals.

More Information about Master of Regional + City Planning Degrees

More Information about Accelerated Programs (5 yr. undergrad + grad degree)

More Information about Ph.D. in Planning, Design and Construction

Do you think about how cities work?

Resources

Why RCPL at OU?
Learn More about the Division of Regional + City Planning, Scholarships, and useful industry resources.

Accreditation (PDF)
As an accredited urban planning program, we are required to post data about our program annually.

Board of Visitors RCPL (PDF)
The RCPL Board of Visitors includes alumni and other professionals interested in helping support and shape the RCPL program. This document has an overview of the members of the RCPL Board of Visitors.

News on the Oculus Blog
See stories about the RCPL program on the Gibbs College of Architecture blog

RCPL Graduate Student Resource Guide
Helpful information for current and new students (from parking, scholarships, career services and more)

Alumni Voices

“I had previous professional work experience in a planning-adjacent field and while I learned how to do the job, I did not fully understand the context or why. Attending the urban planning program at OU gave me the in-depth knowledge I needed to fully understand the how and why of planning.”

Mark W. Zitzow

Urban Planner at Johnson & Associates, Inc.

“I spent 3 weeks in Lusaka, Zambia as a member of a mixed team of architects, landscape architects, and city planning students… it was amazing to see how professionals worked in the field, as well as how our group collaborated and came together to put out a formal proposal that the client eventually developed.”