Reciprocity of credit hours allows students to complete the two degrees, normally requiring two years each, in a total of three years. MPH-MUP students take one year focused on their public health core courses and one year focused on the urban planning core courses. Then, in the third year, the students complete the MUP and MPH capstone requirements. Joint degree students take electives from either program as appropriate in all three years.

To satisfy requirements of the Graduate College, MPH-MUP students must be enrolled for at least two semesters in urban planning and three semesters in public health (during those three semesters, student must complete at least 36 hours in public health courses). In any semester, students must be officially enrolled in one degree program or the other. Switching enrollment from one program to the other requires a petition to the Graduate College.

Students may decide to pursue this joint degree after completing one year of study within the MPH program.

To receive both degrees, students must complete a total of 88 hours of graduate-level coursework, including a minimum of 40 hours of urban planning courses and 48 hours of public health.

Joint degree students must complete all MUP core courses and the capstone requirement. The required hours of urban planning credit is a minimum, and cannot be reduced by UP 590 internship credit or other waivers.

For the MPH part of the joint degree, students must complete all core courses, three required concentration courses, and an Applied Practice Experience. Most 400 and 500-level Urban Planning courses will meet the requirement for an MPH elective course and the fourth concentration course of choice. An internship related to the MUP degree does NOT fulfill the requirements for an MPH Applied Practice Experience.

The Capstone course for the MUP program meets the requirement for the MPH Integrative Learning Experience course, provided that the student assembles a committee with representatives of each program. The committee must agree that the proposed project meets the requirements of each program. In addition to the MUP Capstone requirements, the joint degree student MUST present the Capstone project at the regularly scheduled MPH event at the end of each term for MPH Integrative Learning Experience presentations.

Students interested in applying to a joint degree program must complete applications to both programs. Students should not apply through SOPHAS, rather the Illinois Admissions Portal.