Urban Development (MPl) FAQs
Don’t see your question here? Check the Graduate Studies Admissions FAQ for more information about admissions and the application process.
Program Information
Check out the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) website for an excellent introduction to urban planning (external link) . The Ontario Professional Planners Institute website also has helpful resources about the profession of urban planning (external link) .
We encourage all applicants to become thoroughly familiar with the Toronto Met Urban Development (MPl) program before applying. To help you learn more about our program, we recommend that you:
- Attend our admissions open house. If you are unable to attend in person, then you can watch the webcast online.
- Register for one of our monthly (google form) Virtual Information Sessions (external link, opens in new window) .
- Review our curriculum - Two Year Stream and One Year Stream.
- Learn more about our faculty.
No, the Urban Development (MPl) program is only available on a full-time basis.
Yes, the Toronto Met Urban Development (MPl) program is accredited by the Canadian Institute of Planners.
There are a number of internal and external funding opportunities that can support you to pursue graduate studies. These include scholarships, awards, bursaries, assistantships and more.
Please note that some scholarships, such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, are extremely competitive.
The fees for the program change every year but are typically around $3,500 per term. There are three terms per year; five terms in total for the two-year stream and three terms in total for the one-year stream.
Required courses typically consist of 30 students, while elective courses consist of 25 to 30 students. In studio, students tend to work in groups of five or six.
Students can pursue self-arranged placements with agencies of their choice or select from a list of internally arranged placements that are secured and matched by the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Internally arranged placements are secured in a variety of environments ranging from public sector (municipalities, regions), private (development companies, consultants), and not-for profit agencies.
Some internships are paid and some are unpaid – it depends on the host/internship position.
Internships are typically six weeks long. Some may be longer.
Admissions
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.
Visit Admissions for Urban Development (MPl) to learn more about:
- Admissions requirements
- Application deadlines
- Application process
- Required documents
Email gradapplicants@torontomu.ca with your admissions questions.
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.
Yes. Generally, we accept degrees from any degree-granting institution and look at applications on a case-by-case basis.
Review the admissions requirements to determine your eligibility. If you think that you are qualified for the One-year Accelerated Stream, then please apply for that program. If the admissions committee decides that you are ineligible, then they will automatically consider you for the Two-year Regular Stream.
No, neither is required for the Urban Development (MPl) program.
If you have completed a statistics course, the course will be recorded on your official transcript(s). If you are unsure, please submit the course description, course outline, course code and name of the university of study for your course to be evaluated.
Yes. If you are accepted, you will be given a conditional offer which states that you have to complete the statistics course before starting the program. If you do not complete the statistics course before beginning the program, your offer will be revoked.
Visit Calculating Your GPA for more information.
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.
Admissions decisions typically begin in mid- to late-February and continue until the program is filled.
Each planning school in Ontario has its own timeline and process. All of our admissions offers are time-limited. There is no coordinated offer of admission date which means that you may receive an offer from one school and have to make a decision before hearing from others.
Although you are not required to be proficient in using a specific software package, it is beneficial to have working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite (PDF maker, Photoshop, Illustrator).
We enrol approximately 35 students each year, which means that we have about 70 students enrolled in the program at any time.
Almost all of your questions can be answered by reading the material we recommend in the FAQs above and by watching our admissions video. If you have further questions, please email the graduate program administrator.
We are lucky to have a large number of qualified applicants each year. While we understand that it is disappointing to not be accepted, we have a firm policy that no one from our program will meet to discuss unsuccessful applications.