The Department of Community and Regional Planning and the Department of Landscape Architecture offer a degree program in which the MCRP and MLA degrees are earned concurrently.  There are advantages to this double degree program, compared to earning two degrees separately:

 

Double Degree Program	Separate Degree Programs
59 to 60 credits minimum	84 credits minimum
One thesis project	Two thesis or non-thesis projects
Typically 3 years	Typically 4 years

 

Core courses for the MLA degree are applied as electives for the MCRP degree, and vice-versa (ISU considers these as "non-overlapping" credits).  ISU requires a minimum of 22 "non-overlapping" credits for each degree.  In contrast, thesis credits apply to both degrees (ISU considers these as "overlapping" credits).

 

The MCRP core consists of nine required courses (totaling 29 credits), plus three credits of electives that are directed toward methods or information course(s) to support the thesis. The MLA core consists of six required courses (totaling 17 credits), plus five credits of electives that are directed toward gradudate methods or information courses to support the thesis.  (These directed electives may be in departments other than LA.)  The thesis requires 8 credits of LA 699 or 6 credits of CRP 699.

 

  MLA Core Requirements                                  MCRP Core Requirements

3 cr	LA 501	Advanced LA Theory	4 cr	Stat 401	Statistical Methods
3	LA 541	Research Methods	3	CRP 501	Planning Methods I
3	LA 562	Landscape Conservation	3	CRP 502	Planning Methods II
3	LA 565	Landscape Change	3	CRP 511	Introduction to CRP
4	LA 580	Thesis Preparation Tutorial	3	CRP 521	Land Use Planning
1	LA 582	Research Colloquium	3	CRP 523	Economic Analysis
5		Directed LA Electives	4	CRP 532	Community Development
22		MLA Sub-Total	3	CRP 561	Planning Theory
			3	CRP 592	Planning Law
			29		MCRP Sub-Total
8	LA 699	Thesis Research   --OR--	6	CRP 699	Thesis Research
			3		CRP Elective

 

TOTAL = 22 MLA + 29 MCRP + 8 (LA thesis) or 9 (CRP thesis and elective) = 59 or 60 credits

 

The thesis topic must be appropriate to both degrees and must integrate subject areas from both CRP and LA.  The Program of Study (POS) committee must include a co-major professor from each department and a third member, who may be from either department or from a department other than LA or CRP.

 

The typical time required to complete the double degree program is three years.  This assumes an average of 10 credits per semester, which is common for graduate students with assistantship, work, family, or sponsor responsibilities.  Students with fewer responsibilities may be able to progress more quickly, if course scheduling allows or with summer enrollment.

 

	Fall	Spring
Year 1	3 CRP 501 - Planning Methods I 3 CRP 511 - Introduction to CRP 3 LA 541 - Research Methods 4 Stat 401 - Statistical Methods 13 credits	3 CRP 502 - Planning Methods II 3 CRP 523 - Economic Analysis 3 CRP 561 - Planning Theory 3 LA 501 - Advanced LA Theory 1 LA 582 - Research Colloquium 13 credits
Year 2	3 CRP 521 - Land Use Planning 4 CRP 532 - Community Development 3 CRP 592 - Planning Law 3 LA 565 - Landscape Change 13 credits	3 LA 562 - Landscape Conservation 4 LA 580 - Thesis Preparation 2 LA Elective 9 credits
Year 3	3 LA Elective 3-4 CRP/LA 699 - Thesis Research 6-7 credits	3 CRP elective 3-4 CRP/LA 699 - Thesis Research 6-7 credits

 

For more information on the MCRP/MLA double degree program, please contact:

 

Dr. Francis Owusu DOGE, CRP 585 College of Design 515-294-7769 fowusu@iastate.edu

Prof. Paul F. Anderson DOGE, LA 481 College of Design 515-294-8943 fridolph@iastate.edu