Joint Degree Programs

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers joint master’s degree programs in partnership with the related disciplines of demography, international affairs, law, public administration, and public health. These joint degree program permit students to complete two master’s degrees simultaneously at a substantial reduction in the total number of credit hours required. Information about each joint degree program is provided below.

Joint Degree Program in Planning and Demography (MSP/MSD)
The joint degree program in planning (MSP) and demography (MSD) prepares students for careers at the intersection of these two professions. Students complete 66 credit hours in the joint degree program, with half the coursework in each discipline. Applicants to the MSP/MSD joint degree program should make formal application through the admissions office of either the Department of Urban and Regional Planning or the Program in Demography.

Joint Degree Program in Planning and International Affairs (MSP/MA)
In order to better prepare students for overlapping careers in Planning and International Affairs, the joint degree program allows students to earn the degrees of Master of Science in Planning (MSP) and Master of Arts in International Affairs (MA). The program consists of 67 credit hours. Applicants to the MSP/MA joint degree program should make formal application through the admissions office of either the Department of Urban and Regional Planning or the Program in International Affairs.

Joint Degree Program in Urban and Regional Planning and Law (MSP/JD)
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the College of Law offer a joint degree program that allows students to qualify for both the Master of Science in Planning (MSP) and Juris Doctor (JD) degrees in substantially less time than would be necessary to achieve each independently. Total credit hours required are 111, of which 33 are taken in Planning and 78 in Law. Students enrolled in the joint degree program pursue both degrees concurrently, spending their first year in full-time coursework in law and the second year in urban and regional planning. Applicants to this program must meet the separate admission requirements of both departments, including satisfactory performance on the GRE for admission to Planning, and satisfactory performance on the LSAT for admission to Law. Applicants to the MSP/JD joint degree program should make formal application through the admissions' office of both the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the College of Law. Applicants should begin the admissions process with the College of Law.

Joint Degree Program in Planning and Public Administration (MSP/MPA)
The professions of planning and public administration are intertwined in numerous ways. Many positions in government can best be filled by persons who possess the knowledge and skills of both administrators and planners. Planners in local governments often aspire to become administrators of governments and planning organizations. Conversely, administrators, especially in rapidly growing governments, may be hampered if they cannot exercise the skills to frame plans. The joint degree program at Florida State University permits the mastery of core knowledge and skills in both professions in three years or less, instead of the four years or more that would otherwise be required. Total minimum credit hours required for the joint degree is 66. The student usually spends two semesters of full-time study in each department, and then divides the remaining coursework between the two departments over the duration of the program. Applicants to the MSP/MPA joint degree program should make formal application through the admissions office of either the Department of Urban and Regional Planning or the School of Public Administration and Policy.

Joint Degree Program in Planning and Public Health (MSP/MPH)
Florida State University is one of only a handful of universities offering a joint planning and public health degree. This program reflects the recent resurgence of interest in what civic stakeholders, local communities, and global society are doing to ensure that urban and urbanizing landscapes are healthy and desirable places for today’s world. Major improvements in health can result from improving places and the planning processes that shape them, and changing our personal and collective lifestyles, rather than simply investing further in the health (sick) care system. The city and the communities where people live and work, provide a useful focus for these concerns, because more than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Total minimum credit hours required for the joint degree is 66. Applicants to the MSP/MPH joint degree program should make formal application through the admissions office of either the Department of Urban and Regional Planning or the Program in Public Health.