The Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).
MURP graduates are very well placed upon graduation as evidenced by the high employment rate.
2023-2024 Tuition & Fees
A complete breakdown of the Graduate Student Tuition and Fees can be viewed on the University’s Regular Tuition Schedule webpage.
Tuition & Fees (per Full Time Academic Year)
- In State Residents per full-time academic year: $15,600
- Out of State Residents, per full-time academic year: $33,648
Note: Three 3-credit hour courses (or 8 credit hours, minimum) are considered full-time for graduate students.
Student Retention Rate
Percentage of students who began studies in Fall 2022 and continued into Fall 2023: 98%
Student Graduation Rate
Percentage of students graduating within 4 years, entering class of 2019: 78%
Number of Degrees Awarded
Number of degrees awarded for the 2022-2023 Academic Year: 11
AICP Certification
Percentage of master’s graduates taking the AICP exam within 3 years who pass, graduating class of 2019: N/A
Employment Rate
Percentage of all graduates obtaining professional planning, planning-related, or other positions within 12 months of graduation, graduating class of 2022: 91%
Results from an exit survey of 65 students who graduated between 2018-2022 indicate the employment sector.
Full-time graduates obtaining planning-related jobs in different sectors:
Government: 35%, Non-profit: 8%, Private firms: 37%, Other: 15% [pursuing doctoral degrees: 5%]
Full-time graduates obtaining planning-related jobs at different government levels:
Federal: 17%, State: 48%, City & County: 35%
Student Achievement
Employer Survey
In 2019, the DURP ʻOhana, a Chapter of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association, surveyed local firms/organizations that employ Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) graduates. The survey, which was sent to 48 employers (public, private, and non-profit), had a 33% response rate. It assessed the skills and attributes of DURP graduates on a scale from outstanding (highest) to need to improve (lowest) to examine how well the master’s degree program is aligned with the needs of local firms/organizations. Some of the survey results are presented below:
Satisfaction with DURP graduates employed: 100% reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied”
Knowledge of general planning principles: 75% responded “good” or “very good” and 6% said “outstanding”
Ability to apply knowledge and skills to practice: 69% responded “good” or “very good” and 19% said “outstanding”
Writing and technical skills: 62% responded “good” or “very good” and 19% said “outstanding”
Communication skills: 81% responded “good” or “very good” and 19% said “outstanding”
Teamwork: 81% responded “good” or “very good” and 12% said “outstanding”
Motivation to seek professional development opportunities: 69% responded “good” or “very good” and 19% said “outstanding”
Client Assessment of Practicum Projects
The planning practicum has been a successful vehicle for engaging students in teamwork to provide services valued by community groups and organizations, policy-making bodies, and regulatory and planning agencies. It plays a key role in keeping faculty and students attuned to planning issues in Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region. Five practicum projects completed between Fall 2018 and Fall 2021 were assessed by their respective clients using a client assessment form. Clients rated their satisfaction on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the highest). On average, students received the following scores:
Professionalism: 4.75
Quality of final report and presentation: 4.5
Overall team performance, responsiveness to feedback, and understanding of key issues: 4.5
Quality and feasibility of recommendations: 4.25
Technical aspects of the work undertaken: 4.0
Student Awards
Additional Affordable Rental Unit (ARU) Design Competition hosted by Better Block Hawaiʻi in partnership with the County of Kauaʻi and the Rice Street Business Association (2023)
Winners: Mark Krzyzanowski and Kammie Tavares, PhD Students
Project: “E Hoʻi Kākou i Kauhale”
APA Hawai‘i Chapter Student Project Award (2023)
Project: Waimānalo Food System: Moving Towards a Healthy Ahupua‘a
Client: Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo
Student Team: Reyhanillo Andi Kasim, Tamera Blankenship, Heather Davis, Pablo Gonzalez, Sydney Kramer, Keane Miyamoto, Kiralee Ramos, Niegel Rozet, Megan Russell, Ty Shiramizu, Rainbow Uli‘i, Shaun Wriston
Faculty Advisor: Priyam Das; Teaching Assistant: Sandy Jiyoon Kim
P.E.O. Scholar Award 2022-23
The P.E.O. Scholar Awards was established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the U.S. and Canada who are pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university.
Recipient: Layla Kilolu, PhD Student. Layla was one of the 100 women out of 775 nominees selected to receive $20,000.
John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellows (2022)
This Fellowship provides educational and professional experience to graduate students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and national policy affecting these. The fellows are placed in federal government offices in Washington, D.C. for one year.
Recipient: Roberto Porro, PhD Candidate
Peter J. Rappa Sustainable Coastal Development Fellowship at the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (2021)
The Rappa Fellows further knowledge and understanding of sustainable coastal communities through research, extension, and community-based education in topics of coastal smart growth and community planning and their integration with hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation as well as cultural and traditional knowledge of Hawai‘i.
Recipient: Ryan Ringuette, MURP Candidate
ACSP Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship (2021)
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning designed this fellowship to foster diversity and inclusion amongst the next generation of urban planning scholars and researchers.
Recipient: Katia Polster, PhD Student
Jagdish P. Sharma Memorial Scholarship, UHM (2020)
This annual scholarship supports graduate students in UHM’s College of Arts & Sciences who have an academic focus on South Asia. It awards each recipient up to $5,000.
Recipient: Sandy Kim, PhD Student