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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this program is to bring together the private (decision making) and public (policy) aspects of real estate development and to help students develop skills related to land development in metropolitan areas.  The program is interdisciplinary and covers all major aspects of the development process including design, feasibility analysis, land use regulation, market and location analysis, and negotiation.  Thus, graduates from the program would bridge the gap between 1) professional training in fields such as city planning and public policy and 2) business administration.  Graduates from the new program should be able to understand the constraints and incentives faced by both the private and public sectors when making land use recommendations and decisions.

GRADUATE PROGRAM

Admission Requirements

The following are required for admission to the Master’s Program in Urban Land Development (including admission as a pre-ULD Master’s student):

• A BA or BS degree
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 or above in all undergraduate courses;
• Completion of the foundation courses or their equivalents with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no grade lower than a "B-"; and
• A minimum score of 550 (213 if computer based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for students whose preparatory education was in a language other than English, taken within three years of the date of application.

Additionally, the following information will be considered in evaluating applications:

• The candidate’s overall GPA, GPA in the last 60 units of the bachelor’s program, and GPA in foundation courses;
• The candidate’s performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination taken within three years of the date of application;
• The candidate’s written statement of purpose; and
• The candidate’s letters of recommendation.

Admission Procedures

The College of Business Administration’s Graduate Office will be the unit responsible for processing applications at the departmental level.  The Graduate Office will process applications twice a year: once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester.  Candidates for the MS in Urban Land Development will be required to submit the following information to the CBA Graduate Office:

• Any specific application form that may be developed for the program;
• GMAT or GRE scores;
• TOEFL scores (if applicable);
• A written statement of purpose addressing the applicant’s purpose in pursuing a Master’s in Urban Land Development; and
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals with knowledge of the applicant’s academic and professional potential.

Additionally, the candidate shall submit the following information to the University’s Office of Graduate Studies:

• The application for graduate school admission (in accordance with any applicable University filing deadlines);
• Two sets of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; and
• TOEFL scores (if applicable).

Applicants who are approved for admission will receive a letter from the Associate Dean, Office of Graduate Studies.  The Graduate Admission Recommendation (GAR) form will include any relevant information about proficiencies to be addressed and foundation courses that are required.

There are specific course prerequisites for certain MS in Urban Land Development “foundation” classes (e.g., ECON 1A and 1B are required to be taken before ECON 204).  In addition, students are expected to have demonstrated basic proficiency in mathematics, statistics, and computer usage before enrolling in the foundation courses. Such proficiencies include the following:

• Mathematics: equivalent to at least one semester of calculus;
• Statistics: equivalent to an introductory course in probability and statistics; and
• Computer usage: literacy as demonstrated by course work or competency examination.

The program director has the discretion to determine if and how such proficiencies may be demonstrated.

Moving from Foundation to Required Courses

Students who have met the above prerequisites can be admitted as Pre-ULD Masters students and enroll in the foundation courses.  To advance from the foundation to the required courses students must 1) earn a B- or better in all foundation courses and 2) maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better in such courses.  Students in the last semester of the foundation courses must file an Application for Classification with the Graduate Programs Office in the College of Business Administration.  The student’s academic status will be reviewed to assure that he or she meets the necessary criteria to be accepted as a classified graduate student.  At the discretion of the ULD program director, a student may enroll in required or elective courses while concurrently completing the last of the foundation courses.

Advancement to Candidacy

Before enrolling in a 500 level course a student must advance to candidacy.  Initiation of advancement is a responsibility of the student.  The application for Advancement to Candidacy must be filed no more than four weeks before the opening of the final semester of the program.  To be eligible to advance a student must be making satisfactory progress and have completed at least 12 units in the program beyond the foundation courses.  Satisfactory progress is defined in part as earning an overall GPA of 3.0, with no grade in a foundation or required course below a
"B-".  Students with a GPA deficiency cannot advance to candidacy.  Students must also satisfy the writing proficiency exam (WPE) requirement before Advancement to Candidacy is approved.

REQUIREMENTS - MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE

Total units required for MS: 36
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

*Equivalent courses may be substituted with approval of the program director.

B. Program Requirements (21 units)

C. Elective Courses: (12 units)
(12) Select four of the following:

Other courses approved by the program coordinator may be used to meet the elective course requirements. However, a maximum of six (6) units of upper division undergraduate course work may be used to meet the elective course requirements.

D. Culminating Experience (3 units)

Notes: 1) The number of units taken in the College of Business Administration cannot exceed 50% of the total number of units taken to satisfy the required, elective, and culminating experience requirements; 2) complete descriptions of the following courses can be found for the appropriate department within this catalog.

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