Master of Infrastructure Planning and Management Degree
A master’s degree can help you advance in your career. It can also help you prepare for future educational goals, like a PhD.
Learn from world-class faculty and industry practitioners in areas such as urban planning, finance, cybersecurity, GIS and emergency management. You’ll also build a network of connections in the field.
Program Overview
There is a growing international need for professionals capable of directing the conception, planning and construction of infrastructure facilities. This program is intended to meet that need.
The curriculum for this program will emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to infrastructure planning. The faculty members have expertise in a variety of both technical and non-technical disciplines. A particular emphasis is placed on public involvement. This involves a process whereby interested and affected individuals, organizations and agencies are consulted and encouraged to participate in the planning of infrastructure projects.
The faculty members are also engaged in a variety of research projects. These include new house evaluation and radon mitigation, oil spill response capabilities, truck damage factor determination, in-situ pipe repair, pavement marking, high speed rail and bridge management. A number of these research projects have been sponsored by the Center for Global Metropolitan Studies, which is one of Berkeley’s New Ideas initiatives. The graduate capstone project will allow you to apply what you have learned to a real-world problem and develop valuable professional and networking connections.
Coursework
Well-planned infrastructure strengthens the sustainability and livability of communities. In this graduate program, you’ll explore the complexity and interdependencies of major infrastructure systems like energy, communications/cybersecurity, food, water, transportation and public health.
You’ll learn the skills to develop and analyse infrastructure facilities on both the urban and regional scale, considering their technological, economic and social impacts. You’ll also gain a deeper understanding of the nature and characteristics of infrastructure, including how it evolves over time.
Become skilled in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to perform complex spatial analysis. You’ll study how to apply GIS in a range of planning applications including hazard and emergency management, climate change and sustainable urban development. You’ll also gain a greater understanding of the importance of public involvement in the process of planning.
Electives
Through a curriculum that embraces sustainability, creativity and pragmatism, the MCP program trains critical, open-minded thinkers and inventive problem solvers who are equipped to tackle some of the world’s most pressing social issues. Students have gone on to work as town and city planners, city managers, community development directors, transportation specialists, researchers and policy experts in federal, state and local government; nongovernmental organizations; corporations; and academic institutions.
Students who choose the Infrastructure concentration will gain a coherent understanding of roads, utilities and services, public space and civic institutions as interacting physical and spatial systems. They will also develop operational strategies to address the broader social and political issues that impact these systems.
This course will suit applicants with a few years of postgraduate experience or new graduates seeking to deepen their knowledge in specialist infrastructure engineering. Non-native speakers of English will need a good standard of English to be considered for this course. Students will also benefit from one-on-one career counseling and a network of area and regional employers, industry practitioners and faculty.
Final Project
Well-planned infrastructure strengthens the sustainability and livability of our cities and communities. Our master of infrastructure planning and management degree will equip you to develop and design large-scale, complex infrastructure projects fit for the challenges of our time.
You’ll gain a deep understanding of the interdependent nature of infrastructure systems through our multidisciplinary approach. You’ll learn about the full life cycle of a project, the application of formal asset-management techniques, the use of building information modelling (BIM), sustainable decision-making and more.
Our interdisciplinary learning environment will give you the skills and confidence to tackle any challenge, whatever your industry. We’ll help you to build the networks, portfolio and research experience that will set you apart from your peers and give you the edge to thrive in your future career. You will have access to a range of research-based and professional projects and internship opportunities. Many of these opportunities are made possible by our extensive connections with the city, region and global industries through our MCRP network.