UF’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program
Earns Another Seven-Year Accreditation
The University of Florida’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program has earned a 7-year Certificate of Accreditation from the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), the longest term the board awards. UF’s MURP remains the first and only degree program with a campus and online delivery to be accredited by the PAB in the United States. The re-accreditation of UF’s MURP program cements a decades-long legacy of excellence and innovation in planning education.
The MURP program was first accredited in 1978. An online delivery was established in 2011 and was first accredited, together with the campus delivery, in 2019. The re-accreditation follows a multi-day PAB site visit earlier in the year, during which reviewers examined how the MURP program prepares the next generation of planning leaders.
“We’re honored to receive a seven-year re-accreditation from the PAB for our MURP program,” said Dr. Laura Dedenbach, AICP, Chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. “This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts of our faculty and staff, students and advisory council towards program excellence, innovation and leadership in planning education. Our MURP graduates lead planning departments, consultancies and community organizations across Florida, the United States and abroad.”
Established in 1975, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) has been at the forefront of planning education in Florida and across the nation. UF’s MURP graduates have maintained an average pass rate of 100% on the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam, compared with a national average pass rate of roughly 65%. 100% of MURP graduates were employed within one year of graduation. Since its inception, the department has awarded 921 master’s degrees to MURP students, including 165 to MURP online students.
The PAB praised the program’s “exemplary record” as a “well-developed professional program.” They cite a collaborative and collegial faculty, engaged Advisory Council and notable student learning outcomes assessment process. Reviewers specifically highlighted the online delivery as a “best practice” — a distinction that reflects more than 15 years of investment in the quality of online planning education. Reviewers noted that UF MURP students have a reputation among employers as being of the “highest quality”.
“Our MURP program broadens access to students from across the world and gives them the professional knowledge and tools they need to become planning leaders in their home communities,” said MURP online Program Director Kyle Dost, AICP. “We’ve designed this program to actively support our students in their development within and beyond the classroom. Accreditation reaffirms our department’s ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality planning education to our students.”
The PAB accredits university programs in North America that lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in planning. The American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning sponsor the board and help shape its standards.
The University of Florida is a top-8 public, comprehensive, land-grant research university and the state’s oldest, with an annual enrollment of about 63,000 students. Within UF, the College of Design, Construction and Planning works to improve the built and natural environment through its educational and professional programs in planning, design, construction and preservation. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is a department within the college.