Master of Community Planning/Master of Information Management in College Park United States | University of Maryland, College Park

Emerging smart cities, powered by innovative data streams and heightened citizen participation, present fresh complexities for both information science and urban development fields. Fulfilling smart cities' potential to enhance residents' living standards demands transformations across three key infrastructures: informational, social, and physical. This dual master's program addresses this pressing need by combining a Master of Community Planning with a Master of Information Management. Designed for graduate students passionate about urban planning and data systems, the program allows cross-counting relevant courses between disciplines to fulfill specialization and elective needs. While pursuing each degree individually would total 78 credits, this integrated approach requires just 60 credits and can be finished within three academic years. The curriculum leverages the distinctive capabilities of faculty from both the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (MAPPD) and the College of Information Science (iSchool), merging competencies in data analytics, digital governance, and IoT technologies with urban planning principles. Through this interdisciplinary framework, planning students gain information management expertise while information students acquire urban planning knowledge, all centered around the smart cities paradigm.