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The M.Sc. in Urban Planning, Policy and Design (Thesis) is centred on an independent research thesis. Original research on an urban issue of interest with implications for planning, policy or design will be conducted. The program focuses on critical skills in research, analysis, and interpretation that are applicable in both academia and practice.

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Urban Planning, Policy and Design is a thesis-based program. The three-term program of study provides students with a strong understanding of urban dynamics and assists them in developing and carrying out their research. Prospective students propose a topic for an independent research project supervised by a faculty member in the School. Students in the program develop, initiate, and complete the research project over 16 months. Supporting coursework is in planning history and theory, methods, research design, and topics relevant to the student’s research.

The Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.) program is a two-year course of study that attracts students from Quebec, Canada, the U.S., and overseas. It is recognized by the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (OUQ) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). Graduates may become full members of the OUQ and other provincial planning associations by completing their respective internship and examination requirements.

The core program provides a general education in spatial planning in its functional, environmental, and social dimensions. Formal specializations are available in Transportation Planning and Urban Development & Urban Design. Further information concerning these concentrations is available at mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/programs. In all cases, electives, the summer internship, and the Supervised Research Project allow for individual concentration on a particular topic.

The Transportation Planning concentration enables students to specialize in this field as part of their course of study for the M.U.P. degree. A number of core courses and electives, the summer internship, and the Supervised Research Project must be devoted to the acquisition of skills (including in quantitative analysis) necessary to work as a transportation planner. Admission into the concentration is based on a competitive selection process at the end of the first year of study in the M.U.P. program.

The Urban Development and Urban Design concentration produces graduates who are skilled in analysis and design for development in existing (sub)urban landscapes and urbanizing contexts, whether in North America or elsewhere. A series of courses on urban design, real estate, the politics of development, and urban governance enhance the core curriculum of the professionally-accredited M.U.P. program. Additional courses address innovative approaches to urban development, contemporary urban form, community-based design, globalization and development, and the adaptive redesign of suburban contexts; in addition to enduring topics such as housing, public space, cultural landscapes, and environmental planning. Students seeking to specialize in Urban Development and Urban Design apply at the end of their first year of study; admission into the concentration is based on performance in the first year of study and demonstration of spatial literacy, numeric competency, communication skills, and understanding of complex development processes.

The Ph.D. in Urban Planning, Policy and Design prepares students for advanced research and teaching on the processes that govern the management, development, and evolution of towns and cities. During the first two years, under their supervisor's and advisory committee's guidance, students follow courses, refine their research topic, and explore their area of expertise, leading up to comprehensive and proposal exams. They then proceed to write and submit a thesis based on their own original research.