Using criteria developed by the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate programs, researchers analyzed data and refereed articles appearing from 1998-2002, and citations of work during the same period.

CULMA's MUP tied for 12th position with the University of Southern California on the number of publications per faculty member; and finished ninth on the quantity of citations in scholarly journals per faculty member. This second statistic provides an indication of the impact that publications have on the research of other scholars in their field. On both criteria, Wayne State University ranked ahead of such institutions as Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers, University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Cornell, to name a few.

Two Wayne State MUP faculty members were singled out for scholarly accomplishments. George Galster, Clarence Hilberry Professor of Urban Affairs, finished second on the number of publications with 16 and ninth for the number of citations receiving 1,182. Laura Reese, professor of urban planning, was recognized for sharing the 36th position on the number of publications with 6.

The Masters in Urban Planning program, within the Department of Geography and Urban Planning, offers a professionally-oriented degree that focuses on preparation of planners who will be employed primarily by local governments, planning consultants and community-based organizations. The degree is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.