Please note: Beginning with the Fall 2020 application cycle, the GRE is no longer a required component of the application. International students are still required to take the TOEFL or IELTS.
Application Deadlines
The Master of Urban and Regional Planning program accepts applications throughout the year for Fall and Spring admissions. For each admissions cycle, there are three deadlines: 1) for priority consideration; 2) for international applicants; and 3) the final deadline for domestic applicants.
Applications must be complete by the applicable deadline in order to be considered for admission.
Deadlines for Fall 2022
Priority Funding Deadline: January 31st
Final Deadline for International Applicants: May 15th
Final Deadline for U.S. Applicants: June 15th
Deadline for Spring 2022
Deadline for all applicants: October 15th
How Do I Apply?
Please submit all application materials directly to the University of Florida’s Office of Admissions portal (https://admissions.ufl.edu). Do not send any materials directly to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
A complete application package includes:
- UF Graduate Application form, including the application the UF Office of Admissions requires. Please refer to the UF Graduate School for additional admissions requirements.
- The application fee (as determined by the Office of Admissions)
- Unofficial transcripts (the university will require official transcripts upon your acceptance of an offer of admission)
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4-point scale, for upper division coursework
- Please note: The university requires applicants for graduate study to compute their college-level junior and senior year grade point average, unless your institution uses a non-traditional grading system. The university requires an accurate self-reported GPA, which it will verify. You providing an accurate self-reported GPA will help to expedite our processing of your application. The university worksheet is available here: https://admissions.ufl.edu/pdf/worksheet.pdf.
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4-point scale, for upper division coursework
- Personal statement (500 words maximum)
- Our students are diverse in thought, background, and experience. Each student’s path to graduate school is unique. We want to learn more about your decision to pursue a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida and to choose planning as a career.
- Your personal statement should include, but not be limited to, your:
- personal background,
- life experiences, opportunities, and challenges that provide context for your motivations to become a planner,
- leadership skills and experiences, and
- values.
- If any unanticipated experiences have negatively affected your academic career, please explain them so that we can review your academic record in the context of these experiences.
- Statement of intent (1,500 words maximum)
- Before preparing your statement of intent, review our website. We encourage you to refer to our program in your response.
- Please take care to properly attribute any content from another source. Your statement of intent should be original work. Plagiarism is grounds for rejecting an application.
- Your statement of intent should address each of the following questions.
- Why are you interested in planning as a professional field? Include any professional, volunteer, or internship experiences that have prepared you for this field of study as well as your research interests and career aspirations.
- How will UF’s Urban and Regional Planning program help you meet your professional goals?
- What do you plan to do during the course of your studies (e.g., courses, research, engagement, working with faculty)?
- What are your expectations of the graduate planning program at UF?
- Résumé or CV
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Arrange for three recommenders to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. The recommenders should sign their letters and submit them directly to your application using the CollegeNET email link.
- Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the attention of the UF Department of Urban and Regional Planning Admissions Committee.
- Your recommenders should be qualified to evaluate your academic achievements, skills and abilities, and/or professional qualifications.
- Letters of recommendation from family members and friends will not be accepted.
- If you have received your undergraduate or graduate degree within the last three years, at least two of the three letters must be from academic references. If you have been out of school for longer than three years, and you are unable to contact former professors, letters from other individuals who can address your achievement and potential would be appropriate.
- Professional recommenders must:
- be or have been a supervisor or otherwise in a capacity to objectively assess your professional abilities, contributions, skills, and achievements;
- not be a colleague or subordinate;
- know you or your work well; and
- not offer a personal reference.
- The content of the letters should
- speak to your academic achievement;
- present your strengths, interests, abilities, interpersonal skills, and vision for the future;
- evaluate your potential for success in our program; and
- explain and provide context for professional experience.
- Merit-based Aid:
- If you make a request, we will consider you for merit-based aid, such as assistantships or scholarships. To be considered for merit-based aid, please download and complete this form: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/media/graduate-school/pdf-files/fellowship-assistantship.pdf. Then, upload the form, and examples of your work, to your application. Please submit examples of your work, such as:
- a portfolio of previous academic or professional work (If submitting work from group projects, please distinguish your work from that prepared by others);
- a detailed description of community service or engagement experiences;
- a detailed description of professional work experience, including example projects; or
- a description of relevant skills such as graphic design, GIS, and community engagement.
- If you make a request, we will consider you for merit-based aid, such as assistantships or scholarships. To be considered for merit-based aid, please download and complete this form: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/media/graduate-school/pdf-files/fellowship-assistantship.pdf. Then, upload the form, and examples of your work, to your application. Please submit examples of your work, such as:
- International Applicants
- International transcripts have additional requirements that must be followed for each international institution. International applicants must submit to the Office of Admissions:
- Transcripts The university has additional requirements for international transcripts. International applicants must submit to the Office of Admissions an official copy in the native language of each transcript, a mark sheet, and a diploma/degree certificate from each university or college attended, along with certified, literal (exact) English translations for documents not originally issued in English.
- TOEFL or IELTS scores See https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/ for additional information on English proficiency requirements.
- Financial certification The university requires financial certification only upon your acceptance of our offer of admission.
- International transcripts have additional requirements that must be followed for each international institution. International applicants must submit to the Office of Admissions:
What is the Process for Admissions?
The Office of Admissions forwards complete application packages to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. A departmental admissions committee comprised of UF Planning faculty and staff reviews all applications.
The admissions committee makes a recommendation and forwards it to the Office of Admissions for final processing. Upon final clearance from the Office of Admissions, a decision letter is issued to the applicant.