Admissions for Urban Development (MPl)

The Urban Development (MPl) program is challenging and intensive. We enroll approximately 30 students every year, selected from a highly competitive applicant pool.

International applicants are asked to contact the Urban Development office directly, to discuss eligibility, prior to starting their application.

To be considered for admission, you must meet the minimum program requirements:

Two-year Regular Stream

The minimum grade requirement for admission consideration to a master's program is a 3.0/4.33 (B or equivalent) in the last two years of study within a four year undergraduate (or equivalent) bachelor's degree. (See: Admission Requirements).

A significant majority of our students do not have a previous degree in urban planning.

Applicants with a professionally accredited undergraduate bachelor degree in planning will not be accepted into the two year regular stream program as it is a first professional degree.

All applicants are expected to have passed a university-level course in statistics.

One-year Accelerated Stream

This program is primarily designed for applicants with a professionally-accredited bachelor's degree in Planning, with a minimum GPA of 3.00/4.33 (B) in the last two years of study and significant work experience, who are seeking advanced planning study. Applicants must also have professional experience working directly in the field of planning, with progressive responsibility of no less than five cumulative calendar years of full-time employment. Note that internship and co-op experience is not counted. Applicants who are provisional or full members of a recognized provincial, state, or national planning institute or regulatory body are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants with a four-year undergraduate degree (other than a degree in planning from an accredited program) and an exceptional record of practice directly in planning over an established career of five or more cumulative years may be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. We encourage these applicants to contact our program office to explore their eligibility.

Internationally Trained Planning Professionals

Internationally trained planning professionals who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents with demonstrated planning knowledge and experience are highly encouraged to apply. Our accredited planning program provides the needed skills and hands-on training to transition and advance applicants’ planning careers in the Canadian context. The program of study can be adapted, as needed, for internationally trained planners to gain experience with Canadian urban planning ethics and governance. Applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency at the minimum level required by the Yeates School of Graduate Studies if previous education was not instructed in English. You can learn more  from the Graduate Studies Admission Requirements page. 

All applicants to our 1-year program must have passed a university-level course in statistics prior to starting the program. Strong applicants who have not yet completed this statistics learning should contact the program to discuss options for completion before applying.

Admissions typically open in mid-October.

Submit your application by the first consideration deadline to be guaranteed consideration for admission and scholarships.

We’ll notify first consideration applicants of admissions decisions in early March, and will notify all other applicants of an admissions decision on a rolling basis.

We will continue to accept applications until all available spots are filled.

*Please be aware that once you have completed the OUAC portion of the application, it can take up to five business days to receive the email containing instructions on how to create your Toronto Metropolitan University identity and upload your supplementary documents into the system.

Statement of Interest (Two-year Regular Stream applicants)

Your statement of interest must not exceed four single-spaced pages. Please follow the requirements below.

1) Page one:

• Heading: Compelling urban planning issues Reflect upon a compelling urban planning issue that has influenced your decision to apply to our graduate program.

• Heading: Why I want to be a professional urban planner Reflect upon the professional practice of planning and tell us why you want to complete graduate studies in this particular profession.

2) Page two:

• Heading: Why I want to study in the Toronto Metropolitan University Master of Urban Development program Review our required core courses. Next, review the biographies of our faculty members. Please tell us what it is about our courses and faculty members that led you to apply to our professional planning program. 

• Heading: My capacity to tackle a new discipline Our master's program is a first professional degree program which means that we accept students from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. It also means that all of you will be new to the study of planning in our challenging yet rewarding program. Please reflect upon your previous academic, professional and volunteer experiences and tell us what challenges you anticipate as a student in our professional planning program.
  

3) Page three:

• Heading: Visualizing Planning Upload a carefully selected photograph that you have taken and represents a specific compelling planning issue that has influenced your decision to apply to our graduate program.
• The photograph can be taken on your smartphone or a camera, and it must be your own creation. It should demonstrate how you see the planning and city (e.g. urban places, people, culture and nature etc.) and relate to your "compelling planning issue”. Your image should complement your writing to show how you express yourself in a visual medium. The image should be no larger than 2000 x 1500 pixels, at 150 dpi (or medium size).
  
• Accompany your image with a short statement of no more than 250 words describing how the image relates to your "compelling planning issue". 

4) Page four:

• Heading: Statistics requirement  Have you taken a university-level statistics course or a course in which a substantial portion of it was statistics? 
• If yes, what was the course code and name? At which university did you take it? Include the calendar description and a website link to the course outline if possible. 
• If no, will you take a university-level statistics course and complete it before joining our program? Which course do you intend on taking and when?

• Heading: Experience with software Describe any experience you have working with the following software: Adobe Creative Suite (PDF maker, Photoshop, Illustrator), ArcMap, Illustrator and/or AutoCAD.

• Heading: Teaching assistant experience Have you ever been a teaching assistant? If yes: When? For which courses? At what university?   

Statement of Interest (One-year Accelerated Stream applicants)

Your statement of interest must not exceed four single-spaced pages. Please follow the requirements below.

1) Page one:

• Heading: My decision to return to school The decision to leave the workplace to return to full-time graduate study is a significant one. The program to which you are applying is an accredited professional planning program. Review the professional accreditation requirements (external link)  for the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. Please reflect upon and comment on the eligibility of your previous experience for membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners.
  

2) Page two:

• Heading: Why I want to study in the Toronto Metropolitan University Master's of Urban Development program Review our required core courses. Next, review the biographies of our faculty members. Please tell us what it is about our courses and faculty members that led you to apply to our professional planning program.

3) Page three:

• Heading: Visualizing Planning Upload a carefully selected photograph that you have taken and represents a specific compelling planning issue that has influenced your decision to apply to our graduate program.
• The photograph can be taken on your smartphone or a camera, and it must be your own creation. It should demonstrate how you see the planning and city (e.g. urban places, people, culture and nature etc.) and relate to your "compelling planning issue”. Your image should complement your writing to show how you express yourself in a visual medium. The image should be no larger than 2000 x 1500 pixels, at 150 dpi (or medium size).
  
• Accompany your image with a short statement of no more than 250 words describing how the image relates to your "compelling planning issue". 
  

4) Page four:

• Heading: Statistics requirement Have you taken a university-level statistics course or a course in which a substantial portion of it was statistics?
• If yes, what is the course code and name? At which university did you take it? Include the calendar description and a website link to the course outline if possible.
  
• If no, will you take a university-level statistics course and complete it before joining our program? Which course do you intend on taking and when?

• Heading: Experience with software Describe any experience you have working with the following software: Adobe Creative Suite (PDF maker, Photoshop, Illustrator), ArcMap, Illustrator and/or AutoCAD.

• Heading: Teaching assistant experience Have you ever been a teaching assistant? If yes: When? For which courses? At what university?

Two letters of recommendation (applicants from both streams)

We require two academic recommendations from faculty members familiar with your academic performance. If needed, one of these recommendations may be submitted by a professional, non-academic referee.

Recommendation letters are a key component of your application. You should pay close attention to the selection of your referees. It is your responsibility to contact your referee to confirm their availability before providing their details on the application form.

Please advise your referees that you are applying to a very competitive graduate program that places heavy significance on the quality of the letters of recommendation.

Stronger letters of recommendation will address:

• Your capacity to tackle a new discipline
• Your ability to work independently and in teams
• How your background has prepared you for a professional graduate program

Please note that we reserve the right to contact your referees at any stage during the application process.

Refer to the Document Checklist for more required documents. Find out how to submit your:

• Reference letters
• Transcripts
• English language proficiency (if applicable)

At Toronto Met, all graduate applications are submitted online. Visit Apply online to learn more about:

• Submitting your application through OUAC
• Uploading your documents
• Monitoring your application

The selection and assignment of your supervisor will take place when the topic of your Major Research Paper/Project (MRP) is determined (typically in your second year).

When you apply online, the OUAC site will ask you to identify a supervisor. This is not a mandatory field and you should leave it blank. We ask you to please not contact our SURP faculty members by email to ask about potential supervision or research assistant opportunities. Both of these will become available if you are offered a position in the program.