Community and Regional Planning-Graduate Applications

MCRP Applications Procedures

Applications to the MCRP Program are handled here in Community and Regional Planning, but the application process itself is usually initiated online on the Graduate College website. Their site is very informative for prospective students. You will find information there about admissions deadlines, requirements, and the actual application forms. There is also additional information about tuition rates, benefits associated with assistantships, and housing in Ames . If you are interested in any of the Double Degree programs, please let us know when you send in your statement of purpose. Another valuable web site is the CRP Application Requirements page. This site will tell you specifically what we require of you in order to complete your application.

Applying for the MCRP program at Iowa State University

First go to the Graduate College website and complete the appropriate online application form. The graduate application process at Iowa State is then "self-managed," which means that you manage your own application by collecting your application, fee, academic records, letters of recommendation, and other supporting materials, and sending them in one package to the Department. While the process does require careful planning on the part of the applicant, it has two advantages: it simplifies the application process and speeds processing by the university. However, it is important that you read the instructions carefully. An application fee must be paid when you apply.

The additional application materials that are required are: official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and GRE scores. TOEFL scores are required for students whose first language is not English unless they have received a Bachelor's degree from a university where the language of instruction is English.

The codes to give to ETS are as follows:

GRE: Iowa State University 6306, Department of Planning 4402

TOEFL: Iowa State University 6306, Department of Planning 97

If your referees are mailing letters of recommendation, please address them to the CRP Admissions Committee and submit letters on official letterhead. Otherwise, they are more than welcome to complete the recommendation form online.

The statement of purpose is your chance to tell us why you would like to earn a Masters degree in Community and Regional Planning at Iowa State University . What do you have to offer the field? What are your interests? What do you hope this department can do for you? These are just a few of the questions you might address in your essay, which should be approximately no more than 2 pages in length. You do not need to send us samples of your work or a portfolio; simply address issues related your work or classroom experience in the statement. Please note that if you are intending to take any courses via distance education (see below) then you must include that in your statement of purpose as there are additional conditions on your application that must be discussed with the Director of Graduate Admissions.

Full admission requires that students have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, however restricted admission may be granted to those whose grade point is lower. Information regarding admission categories can be obtained from the Graduate College's Application Requirements web site. The department's minimum for the TOEFL is 213. There is no minimum score for the GRE, but successful students have an average score of about 1100 combined verbal and quantitative scores.

After I send in my application materials, what happens next?

The department's admission committee will review applications as they arrive, a process that generally takes one or two weeks. The ISU Admissions Office must also evaluate the application, which may take up to a few weeks at certain times of the year when their workflow is heaviest. Once this department has made an admission decision, we will immediately notify you via email. The official acceptance decision comes from the Graduate College , which will send a letter to you in the mail.

If I am accepted, will I get any assistance in funding my studies?

The department is able to offer a number of Graduate Assistanships each fall. These positions are generally 10 hours per week and last for 4 months each semester. These positions pay approximately $630/month and have other benefits associated with them. If you do not get an assistantship there are still opportunities for loans and grants. Unfortunately the department itself has no scholarships for graduate students. Minority students may also wish to read about the Graduate Minority Assistantship Program.

If you have other questions about the department, Iowa State University , Ames , or visiting us, please contact the department at crp@iastate.edu . You may also contact the Director of Graduate Education, Francis Owusu, as follows:

Francis Owusu

Director of Graduate Education

Department of Community and Regional Planning

146 College of Design

Iowa State University

Ames , Iowa . 50011-3094

Tel: (515) 294 8958

E-mail: fowusu@iastate.edu

Updated 02/14/08-03:14 PID:910