Master of Community Planning

Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus

Canada,British Columbia

 1 Shortlist

24 Months

Duration

CAD 13,815/year

Tuition Fee

CAD 150

Application Fee

Sep 2025

Apply Date

Canada, British Columbia

Type: University

Location Type: Urban

Founded: 1969

Total Students: 12,000 +

Int. Students: 1,400 +

Campus Detail

Main Campus Address

900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia, CA

Master of Community Planning

Program Overview

The Master of Community Planning (MCP) is an applied program that is fully accredited by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). Graduates are eligible to apply for student membership with CIP while at VIU and can apply for full membership post-graduation."

The program focuses on:

  • Small city and town planning;
  • Community and urban design, including a strong GIS component;
  • Rural/urban interface planning;
  • First Nations planning (with attention to the issues relevant to the First Nations of Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia);
  • Sustainable economic issues, including tourism; and
  • Emerging issues such as climate change and planning for post-fossil fuel communities.

This is an intensive program with many opportunities to apply the skills and techniques learned in the program to "real life" planning questions and problems. Students will be engaged in self-directed learning and group studies, seminars and discussions, and will have many opportunities to meet and learn from professional planners. There is also a strong focus on urban design and visual representations of community planning, including GIS.

The MCP is a 2 year program (September to April in Year 1 and September to April in Year 2). Students may be involved in field work and research in the summer semesters between Year 1 and Year 2. The program is a cohort model intended to be completed over two years. However, students may take additional semesters to complete their program if their thesis or major project has not been completed by April of Year 2.

By program completion, our graduates will have a broad interdisciplinary knowledge of how planners can influence the futures of neighbourhoods, small communities, and rural areas both locally and world-wide. Our graduates will have new skills that will enable them to serve citizens and communities as they respond the social, economic, environmental, and sustainability issues that shape our world.