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The Department of City & Regional Planning (DCRP) has developed concurrent degree programs with Berkeley Law | Boalt Hall at UC Berkeley and Hastings College of the Law (San Francisco), which permit qualified students to obtain both an Master of City Planning (M.C.P.) degree and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree in four years (rather than the five years necessary if the programs were taken in sequence).

The purpose of this program is to provide an integrated professional curriculum of greater breadth than would otherwise be available for students interested in urban land use, housing, or social policy problems. The planning curriculum offers students training in policy analysis and exposure to theories and programs that address urban development problems. Legal training provides additional analytic skills and substantive knowledge necessary for successful plan and program implementation.

Graduates of the concurrent degree program are qualified for a number of professional roles at the intersection of law and planning. These include municipal attorneys, community development administrators or counsels, staff personnel on legislative committees, development administrators, planning directors, consultant planners, advisors to private clients on land use matters, staff members of governmental agencies, public interest advocates, and executive assistants to mayors, governors, and department heads. Past graduates of the program have found an impressive variety of professional opportunities available to them.

Admissions for External Applicants

Applicants to the dual degree program with Law must apply separately to Law and City and Regional Planning. For Law, please check the Berkeley Law | Boalt Hall JD Admissions or Hastings Admissions websites for admission requirements and instructions.

Application Instructions for the MCP Program

• Select the "City and Regional Planning M.C.P. Fall 2012" application on the Graduate Division Application for Admission.
• Select the box at the end of the application stating that you are applying for the concurrent M.C.P./J.D. program.
• Select the law school(s) you are applying to (either Berkeley Law | Boalt Hall, Hastings, or both).
• Submit all the required application materials listed on the DCRP Graduate Admissions website.
   

Admissions for Current UC Berkeley Students

Current UC Berkeley students are eligible to apply after their first semester at UCB and prior to their last year (or last two semesters) of their current program. Current UCB students who apply to the concurrent degree program must be enrolled in a minimum of two DCRP courses while applying (or have taken DCRP courses in the past).

Application Instructions

• Select the "City and Regional Planning M.C.P. Fall 2012" application on the Graduate Division Application for Admission.
• Select the box at the end of the application stating that you are applying for the concurrent M.C.P./J.D. program.
• Select the program you are currently enrolled in (either Berkeley Law | Boalt Hall or Hastings).
• Upload one electronic letter of recommendation from a current UC Berkeley faculty member.
• Enter two academic or professional references — references do not need to submit letters of recommendation.
• Upload unofficial law school transcript.
• Upload Proof of Registration (Hastings students only) — include with transcript.
  
• Email a copy of your admissions file from your graduate student services department to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .