Become part of a tight-knit cohort as you learn in small classes and interact closely with faculty.
Students come from diverse backgrounds, with degrees in architecture, business management, environmental sciences, geography, landscape architecture, political science, public health, regional development, fine arts and other disciplines.
The Graduate Planning Society (GPS) is a student-run organization providing students in the MS Urban Planning program with the support and professional tools necessary to develop leadership skills. GPS also serves as a link to the local chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).
Meet MS Urban Planning Students
Students in the MS Urban Planning program come to CAPLA from across the country and around the world. Their passions, like their professional experience, are diverse. Meet a few of our students:
Tiara Stephens '24 MS Urban Planning
Tiara Stephen came to Tucson from Brooklyn to explore the Desert Southwest and work at the University of Arizona. Not long after, she joined the MSUP program, furthering her passions for affordable housing and community access.
Zsalina Allen '23 MS Urban Planning
In the summer between her second and first years of the MSUP program, Zsalina Allen participated in a sustainable transportation study abroad program in Denmark and Sweden, documenting her travels in a fascinating and entertaining blog.
Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning
Following from her Peace Corps experience in Namibia, Lena Porell sees community development and grassroots planning as ways to make a difference.
Ariel Fry '20 MS Urban Planning
Ariel Fry, who is from the small Sonoran Desert town of Ajo, Arizona, has a passion for using public spaces to enrich people's lives.
Julian Griffee '20 MS Urban Planning
Julian Griffee served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Albania before joining the MS Urban Planning program as a Coverdell Fellow.
After my undergraduate experience in a large program in Washington, D.C., I knew I wanted more individual attention in graduate school. I've found that here.
Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning
Meet Planning Faculty
Philip Stoker, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Planning
Philip Stoker's experience conducting research on water sustainability, wildlife management, pedestrian safety, rural planning, community patterns and urban design guides his lectures and course design.
Kristina Currans, Associate Professor of Urban Planning
Trained as a civil engineer, Kristina Currans has a wide variety of research and other interests, with a particular focus on land-use development and transportation planning.
Atticus Jaramillo, Assistant Professor of Planning and Real Estate Development
Atticus Jaramillo’s research focuses on housing and community development planning, with a particular focus on affordable housing and health.