Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning

Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program: BA/BS and MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning or MS in Environmental Policy and Planning

The Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning department offers exceptional Tufts undergraduates the option of earning both a BA/BS and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (MA UEP), or an MS in Environmental Policy and Planning (MS EPP), or an MS in Sustainability (MSS) in five years. 

Learn about the different paths to UEP as a Tufts Undergrad

The Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program is open to all majors offered in the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. Potential related majors include (but are not limited to): Anthropology, Architectural Studies, Biology, Community Health, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Economics, Environmental Studies, Sociology, and Political Science. The Master of Arts in Urban and Environment Policy and Planning and the Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning typically require two years of full-time study for a total of 42 credits. Each degree is awarded upon completion of the requirements for each portion. In other words, you would graduate with an undergraduate degree with your undergraduate class and graduate with a master's with your master’s cohort once your respective graduate requirements are met.

A maximum of six credits (2 courses) may count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. A student may elect to withdraw from the Program at any time by filing the appropriate petition.

Program Requirements and Policies

  • Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program students must fulfill all the requirements of their undergraduate major and the UEP MA/MS degree.
  • Students may apply up to six credit-hours of coursework at the 100-or 200-level taken as part for the undergraduate degree requirements towards the master's degree requirements. These shared graduate-level course credit-hours must be part of the master's degree requirements and must adhere to the policies in the Graduate Student Handbook. For most students, these courses include one of the UEP core courses taken in their senior year (UEP250, UEP252 and/or UEP255) and one elective course.
  • Students may reserve up to six credit-hours of coursework at the 100- or 200-level to count towards the graduate degree. Most students reserve two of the core MA/MS courses: UEP250, UEP252 and/or UEP255
  • To satisfy the credit requirements of both the graduate and undergraduate degrees, students may need to take courses during the summer.
  • Graduate tuition is paid per-credit. The overall cost of the 42 credit degree is reduced by up to 12 credits that have been reserved or double-counted.

Course Requirements

The student will enter the UEP MA/MS student cohort during their senior year and take the following core graduate courses while completing their remaining undergraduate coursework:

  • UEP 250 Foundations of Public Policy and Planning
  • UEP 252 Cities in Space, Place and Time
  • UEP 255 Field Projects

The following UEP MA/MS degree requirements will be completed during the fourth and fifth years of study:

  • Either 27 or 30 credits of elective courses at the graduate level (9 or 10 courses). Two of these elective courses may come from outside the UEP department. If a student has taken up to two 100-level electives during the undergraduate program, such courses may be double-counted towards the elective courses for the MA/MS program.
  • 150-hour internship relevant to policy or planning.
  • Capstone exam (three credit) or thesis (three or six credits).

  • The Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program (BA/MA or BS/MS) in Environmental Studies and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning provides an opportunity for Tufts undergraduates completing an Applied Environmental Studies major to continue their environmental education with graduate programming in environmental policy and urban planning. Students leaving the program are better prepared to enter the job market in critical environmental sectors, with the added benefit of a professional graduate degree and credentials in urban planning and environmental policy. With some advanced planning, the Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program is a viable option for many Environmental Studies majors. Students pursuing a co-major in Environmental Studies may also apply.

    Environmental Studies Track Prerequisites and Requirements

    The prerequisites to apply to the Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program are satisfied if Environmental Studies students take a UEP course (or declare an Urban Studies minor), Math 21 Introductory Statistics or an equivalent, and ECON 11 or an equivalent intermediate-level microeconomics course. Environmental Studies students can meet this requirement in several ways, including by taking the Economics sequence either ECON 5 OR 8, and then ECON 30 (which also satisfies the social science distribution requirement). Students should apply in their junior year. 

    Potential Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program students should have accumulated a sufficient number of credits to leave only a single semester of undergraduate coursework during their senior year so they may start their graduate program. During the senior year, Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program students take three required UEP graduate-level core courses (UEP 250 & 252 in the fall and UEP 255 in the spring). Students complete their undergraduate degree at the end of their senior year. In the fifth year, students complete the remaining 10 courses (30 SHUs) for the graduate degree (including the required internship) and the UEP Master's Thesis And Capstone Exam.

    Students can double-count two courses between both degrees. These must be classes with a course number above 100. In some cases, Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program students will need to take summer classes before or after their fifth year of study to complete the graduate degree requirements in five years.

    Both the undergraduate and graduate program require the completion of an internship, respectively. However, students who complete their internship in their senior year following the internship requirements of the graduate program (150-hour internship relevant to policy or planning) may use that internship to fulfill both internship requirements. Prospective students should check with their undergraduate major department to determine whether they might count their UEP internship toward an undergraduate requirement.

  • The Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program (BS/MA or BS/MS) between the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning provides an opportunity for Tufts undergraduates completing a BS in Civil Engineering or a BS in Environmental Engineering to continue their education with graduate programming in environmental policy and urban planning. Students who complete this Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program are better prepared to enter the job market in critical urban and environmental sectors with the added benefit of a professional graduate degree and credentials in urban planning. With advanced planning, the Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program is a viable option for many CEE majors.

    Civil and Environmental Engineering Track Prerequisites and Requirements

    The prerequisites to apply to the Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program program are satisfied if CEE students take: 1) ES 56: Probability and Statistics or CEE 156: Biostatistics, 2) the economics sequence EC 5: Principles of Economics or EC 8: Principles of Economics with Environmental Applications and EC 30: Environmental Economics, and 3) take a UEP course or declare an Urban Studies Minor. Students should apply in the fall semester of their junior year.

    Students can double-count two courses between both degrees. These must be classes related to the UEP degree with a course number above 100. In some cases, Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program students will need to take summer classes before or after their fifth year of study to complete the graduate degree requirements in five years.

    Please contact UEP Professor Rebecca Shakespeare for additional information.

    Students can explore sample course pathways mapped out for hypothetical students interested in:

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the program should consult their undergraduate major advisors and UEP Professor Rebecca Shakespeare before applying. Interested students are encouraged to contact the department before applying during their first year, as sophomores, or as juniors. Only Juniors may apply to this program, and should start their application during their junior fall for spring semester submission deadlines. Only in exceptional cases will an application be accepted after the junior year. Note that Tufts students do NOT have to take the GRE.

All applicants must meet the following pre-requisites before admission to the MA UEPP or MS EPP Programs:

  • Urban Studies minor or a UEP course (with a B- or better, excluding courses in professional skills)
  • ECON 011 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory or equivalent (with a B- or better)
  • MATH 021 Introductory Statistics or equivalent (with a B- or better)
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0

All applicants must complete this course plan worksheet, indicating their prerequisites and their plan for completing both their undergraduate and graduate studies. This worksheet, approved by their undergraduate advisor, should be submitted with their application. 

Application requirements and processes, tuition, financial aid, and other information is available on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) website. Call the GSAS Admissions team at 617-627-3395 with any questions.