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Master of Regional Planning / Doctor of Law

Urban and Regional Planning / JD with Albany Law School

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Become an Expert in Urban Planning and Law

Become an effective leader in urban and regional planning with advanced knowledge of land use, housing policy, environmental issues, and transportation planning, and the legal concerns of city planning in practice.

The combined MRP and JD program is a joint offering between the University at Albany and Albany Law School that lets you complete both the Master of Regional Planning and the Juris Doctor a year sooner than you could earn them consecutively.

Albany Law School offers a number of areas of study that complement urban planning interests, including excellent tracks in environmental law and government law and policy.

Program of Study

You spend the first year of this program full-time at Albany Law School. After that, you spend three years completing all of the requirements for both degrees. 

The combined program allows you to complete your master’s in regional planning and law degree with 114 credits rather than 135. Your curriculum is reduced by 21 credits because you do not have to complete specialization courses in the planning program, and because 12 credits of your planning coursework will count toward your law school elective requirements.

To enter the combined program, you must be independently admitted to both the MRP program at UAlbany and the JD program at Albany Law School. Tuition and fees are administered by each institution, so costs will vary depending on where you are in the program and how many credits you take at each in a given semester. 

To learn more about required coursework, see UAlbany's MRP page and visit the Albany Law School website.

 

Additional Information

See the Graduate Bulletin for details.
For more information, contact the Department of Geography and Planning at 518-442-4742 or [email protected].

Content

APPLIED LEARNING

Becoming an urban and regional planner means getting outside of the classroom and into the community. At UAlbany, you’ll gain experience by completing planning and law internships in the Capital Region. 

The diversity of urban projects happening here gives you plenty of opportunities to apply your knowledge and solve real problems in planning agencies and law firms.

Content

Career Paths

With this combined regional planning master’s and law degree program, you’ll be prepared for a variety of careers related to urban development and the laws that protect the environment and govern public and private land use.

Alumni of this program go on to become:

  • Legal counsel for city planners
  • Commercial development attorneys
  • Environmental protection consultants
  • Urban planning policy researchers 
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Admissions Requirements
Deadlines

Departmental Assistantship Consideration

  • Fall: March 15
  • Spring: Not Available
  • Summer: Not Available


 No Departmental Assistantship Consideration

  • Fall: Rolling
  • Spring: Rolling
  • Summer: Not Available
Required Application Materials
  • Transcripts from all schools attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of goals
Special Notes
  • Must also apply to Albany Law School. 
  • This program requires an internship, field experience, study abroad component, or clinical experience requirement. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions.  If applicants have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of the intended academic program.
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