The UP SURP offers the Diploma, Master of Arts (MA), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Urban and Regional Planning programs following the ladder structure. Courses taken in a lower degree (e.g. Diploma) are credited in the next higher degree (e.g. MA). 

DIPLOMA in URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (DURP)

 The DURP program requires the completion of 20 units of course work (listed below), which also constitute the core courses of the MA program, along with 6 units of electives*.

• Plan 201 Theory and Practice of Planning (3 u)
• Plan 299 Research Methods in Planning (3 u)
• Plan 203 Land Use Planning (3 u)
• Plan 214 Planning Analysis & Techniques (3 u)
• Plan 210 Planning Process (3 u)
• Plan 210.1 Planning Workshop (5 u)

MASTER OF ARTS in URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (MA(URP))

 There are two options in taking the MA(URP) program. These are:

• Plan A (thesis option): Diploma-level courses (20 units) + 9 units of field of specialization courses + 6-unit thesis/Plan 300
• Plan B (non-thesis option): Diploma-level courses (20 units) + 15 units of field of specialization courses + 6 units of cognate (minor) courses** + comprehensive examination (written and oral)

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (PhD(URP))

 The PhD program is designed to equip students with the knowledge and specialized skills appropriate for planning and planning-related positions in the academe, government, and private sector. The program requires completion of the courses in Urban and Regional Planning up to the MA level, plus units of advanced coursework, field of specialization (major) courses*, and cognate (minor) courses**.

• Graduate Seminar in Urban and Regional Planning Policies
• Advanced Research Methods in Urban and Regional Planning
• Six subjects (3 units each) from the menu of subjects in the fields of Estate Planning, Infrastructure Planning, Transportation Planning, and Environment and Natural Resources Planning
• Comprehensive exam
• PhD Dissertation 12 units

MASTER OF SCIENCE in REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (MSRDP)

 The Master of Science in Regional Development Planning, or the SPRING Program, is a joint offering of UP-SURP and the Technical University of Dortmund (TUDo) in Germany, focusing on regional and district development planning, with emphasis on rural areas.
 SPRING stands for Spatial Planning for Regions in Growing Economies and is a two-year Master´s degree pro¬gramme that addresses current topics of spatial planning in developing and emerging countries. In lectures, for instance, SPRING participants discuss the challenges of rapid urban growth, reflect on the conflict between environmental protection and economic development, define strategies to cope with impacts of climate change or develop concepts to improve transport systems. The first year of the SPRING programme takes place at TU Dortmund University, followed by a second year at one of the five partnering universities in Ghana, Tanzania, The Philippines, Brazil or Chile (currently not available). Language of instruction is English. The SPRING programme awards a M.Sc. Degree in “Regional Development Planning and Management”. Both final documents (certificate and transcript) are jointly issued by TU Dortmund University and the respective partnering university of the second year.

 The two-year program runs for the first year at TUDo and the second year at UP-SURP.

DUAL DOCTORATE PROGRAM (URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING)

 The Dual Doctorate Program (Urban and Regional Planning) aims to create in students a special aptitude for independent scientific work going beyond the general study objective, set in an international context. The aptitude is nurtured and evaluated based on a dissertation which advances the state of scientific knowledge on the chosen theme and a successful oral defense.

 The PhD student must submit an independent dissertation based on the scientific fields and specialization of the SURP and SoSP faculty conferring the PhD. In particular, the student must:

• prove a deeper understanding of the current state of research within his/her subject area,
• present and justify his/her selection of methods, and
• present reliable research results for his/her research questions.

 The dissertation topic and scope should be selected and defined in such a way that no more than three years will be required for completing the dissertation in case of full-time students.

Number of Semesters: Full-time students enrolled in the Ladder Program (24 units coursework) need 1 to 1-1/2 years to complete their coursework while those enrolled in the Straight Program (50 units coursework) need 2 to 3 years.

Total Number of Units: The proposed SURP Dual Doctorate Program (Urban and Regional Planning) will follow the course requirements of the existing SURP Doctor of Philosophy Program for students enrolled in the Ladder or Straight Programs.

Award of PhD Degree. Only one (1) doctoral degree will be issued by UP and TUDo but written in two (2) separate Diplomas with the title Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) issued by UP and Doctor of Engineering (Dr.Eng.) issued by TUDo.