About Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) prepares students to explore the intersections of planning, policy, and practice at the metropolitan, community, and neighborhood scales and in the diverse contexts of rural and urban, poor and affluent, fast-growing and declining communities. We engage issues affecting where people live, work and play; where they shop and receive medical attention; how they get from place to place; what communities look like; how communities work and how we use our resources. We are preparing the next generation of planners for this exciting and challenging work. UAP has two campuses: Arlington and Blacksburg, Virginia.Points of Distinction
We are proud of our faculty expertise in various areas, including active and public transportation; collaborative governance; disaster resilience and risk management; economic and community development, and heterodox economics; environmental policy and planning, including climate resilience and community sustainability; international development; social and environmental psychology; and urban and rural policy and planning. In addition to our accredited Master of Urban and Regional Planning program (MURP), we offer two undergraduate majors - Smart and Sustainable Cities (SSC) and Environmental Policy and Planning (EPP); a PhD in Planning, Governance, and Globalization (PGG); and a range of Graduate Certificates.Degrees & Programs
| Master's Degree | |
| Degree Name | Master of Urban & Regional Planning |
| Degree accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board: | Yes |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| Minimum GRE | Optional |
| Minimum TOEFL | 90 (IBT) with a score of 20 or greater in the Listening, Writing, Speaking and Reading subsections |
| Minimum IELTS | 6.5 |
| In-state tuition per year | $18,600 (tuition and fees) |
| Out-of-state tuition per year | $34,000 (tuition and fees) |
| Application deadline | Rolling admission |
| Financial aid and scholarship deadline | March 1st for fall admission |
| Bachelor's Degree | |
| Degree Name | Public and Urban Affairs (PUA), with majors in Smart & Sustainable Cities (SSC) and Environmental Policy and Planning (EPP) |
| Degree accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board: | No |
| In-state tuition per year | $16,000 (tuition and fees) |
| Out-of-state tuition per year | $38,000 (tuition and fees) |
| Students in program | 185 |
| Full-time equivalent student:faculty ratio | 21 |
Urban Affairs and Planning Program, School of Public and International Affairs
College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
Arlington and Blacksburg Virginia
Address
140 Otey St NWBlacksburg, Virginia 24061-1062
Last Updated: October 10, 2025
Faculty Members
David Bieri
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Ralph Buehler
Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Margaret Cowell
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Ralph Hall
Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Steve Hankey
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Shalini Misra
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Todd Schenk
Chair & Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Max Stephenson
Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Paroma Wagle
Assistant Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Diane Zahm
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Yang Zhang
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Dara Wald
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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