Master of Community Planning
VIU International, Canada
First Year Course Fee
USD 10,062
Course Accredited By
NA
Do you want to design and shape the world around you? Consider the Master of Community Planning degree at Vancouver Island University. Community planners play a huge role in the development of neighbourhoods, towns, cities and regions. An urban planner can also help shape a community’s response to a range of emerging issues such as climate change; and economic issues such as tourism by creating a sustainable city also known as ecocity.
The MCP program at VIU combines research, applied learning through a variety of in-community, real-world projects, and interactions with the professional planning community to give you a wide range of skills and knowledge. This community planning program is fully accredited through the Canadian Institute of Planners, alongside Canada’s historic planning schools.
This is an intensive program with many opportunities to apply the skills and techniques learned in the program to "real life" planning questions and problems. Students will be engaged in self-directed learning and group studies, seminars and discussions, and will have many opportunities to meet and learn from professional planners. There is also a strong focus on urban design and visual representations of community planning, including GIS.
The MCP is a 2 year program (September to April in Year 1 and September to April in Year 2). Students may be involved in field work and research in the summer semesters between Year 1 and Year 2. The program is a cohort model intended to be completed over two years. However, students may take additional semesters to complete their program if their thesis or major project has not been completed by April of Year 2.
Enrollment Cycles
- September 2023
To be admitted into the program, students must hold a baccalaureate degree from a recognized university in any discipline, and meet the following admission criteria:
- A minimum average of "B" calculated in the last two years of the undergraduate degree, with a review of the entire degree.
- Applicants whose previous degree was obtained in a country where English is not the primary/official language and from a university where English was not the language of instruction must meet one of VIU’s English Language requirements for Graduate Programs.
Acceptance and satisfactory review of the following items by the Admissions Committee:
- Résumé
- Three letters of reference (from academic or professional referees) as well as a statement of interest addressing each of the following areas:
Areas of research interest;
- Statement of career interest
- Statement of volunteer and/or career experience.
Year 1
Fall Semester
- Introduction and History of Planning
- Community Design
- Planning Practice
- Citizen Participation and Consultation
Spring Semester
- Planning Theory and Policy
- Community Design)
- Planning Law and Regulations
- Research Methods
Year 2
Fall Semester
- Ethics and the Public Good)
- Advanced Studio
- Major Project) or, Thesis
- Planning for Sustainability
- Fundamentals of GIS)
- Topics in First Nations Land Use and Community Planning
- Topics in Design and Aesthetics
- Issues in Community Planning
Spring Semester
- Literature of Planning
- Advanced Planning Practice
- Topics in Municipal and Regional Planning
- Topics in Evolving Issues in Planning
- Issues in Community Planning
- Directed Study
- Fees - Year 1 Amount Tuition (24 credits x $335.03 per credit) 8,040.72
- Approximate cost for lab supplies 50.00
- Student Activity fee (24 credits x $9.41 per credit) 225.84
- VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $20.90 per month) 167.20
- Health and Dental Plan fee ($275.00 per year) 275.00
- Field Studies Fee 1,148.69
- Total 9,907.45