The Master of Planning is a two-year postgraduate program designed to train students in urban, regional, and environmental planning, infrastructure development, housing, and sustainable design. It is ideal for graduates from fields like Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geography, Sociology, and Economics who want to contribute to planned urbanization and policy-making.
M Plan courses in India are mainly entrance-based; the most common entrance test is the GATE (Architecture & Planning or Civil Engineering paper); however, top courses like NIT Calicut, SPA Delhi, or IIT Kharagpur accept other entrance tests as well, such as NATA or CCI. In addition to GATE, national, state, and university-level exams such as CUET-PG, TANCET, and CEPT Entrance are equally acceptable, depending on the institution. In the case of GATE qualified, admission to institutes such as NITs is done on a centrally conducted counseling known as CCMT. It involves registration, filling out forms, verification of documents, and paying fees.
M.Plan Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for admission to the M.Plan program are outlined below. The specific requirements may vary slightly between institutions.
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture (B.Arch), B.Plan, (B.E./B.Tech) Civil Engineering, or postgraduate degree in Geography, Economics, Sociology, or allied subjects from a recognized university/institution.
- 55% (general) aggregate or equivalent CGPA marks in the qualifying degree (50% in the case of SC/ST/OBC/PwD category candidates).
- A valid GATE score in Architecture & Planning (AR), Civil Engineering (CE), and in other related subjects may be needed to join top institutes such as SPA Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, and CEPT University.
- It is also possible to apply provisionally as an undergraduate or postgraduate in their final year, on returning the qualifying degree certificate before the admitting institution's deadline.
M.Plan Entrance Exams
Following is a list of national, state, and university-level entrance examinations to pursue the Master of Planning degree in India. There are provisional application and examination requirements, and the fees of the different categories have been mentioned in the table.
National Level
State Level
University Level
M.Plan Admission Process
The admission procedure to pursue an M.Plan at NIT Calicut includes the following steps:
Step 1: The students have to sit in the GATE exam either in the Architecture & Planning (AR) or Civil Engineering (CE) paper.
Step 2: Upon qualifying the GATE exam, the candidates have to get registered at the CCMT (Centralized Counselling of M.Tech / M.Arch / M.Plan) site.
Step 3: When registering, the students should complete the process of personal, academic, and GATE exam information along with the uploading of essential documents (photograph, signature, GATE scorecard, degree certificates, etc.).
Step 4: The students are required to make the payment to the CCMT counseling, and they are required to enter their preferences for institutes and M.Plan programs in which NIT Calicut is an option.
Step 5: Seat allotment result will be announced in rounds according to the GATE scores and choice preferences of candidates. In the case of students, they need to verify the allotment status at the CCMT portal.
Step 6: In case candidates are allocated a seat at NIT Calicut, they must accept the seat by paying the seat confirmation fee and uploading the required documents that will be used to verify the applicants.
Step 7: Once the seat is accepted, the candidate needs to physically present himself/ herself in NIT Calicut on the specific date when the document verification will take place, and the seat is confirmed.
Step 8: The last step is to pay the institute admission fee according to the instructions of NIT Calicut and finish the enrollment process to get the M Plan program started.
Required Documents
- Bachelor’s Degree Mark Sheet and Certificate
- Entrance Exam Scorecard
- Class 10th and 12th Mark Sheets
- Identity Proof (Aadhaar Card, Passport, etc.)
- Passport-size Photographs
- Category Certificate (if applicable)
- Work Experience Certificate (if required by the institute)
- Statement of Purpose or Letters of Recommendation (if applicable)
M.Plan Admission FAQs
What is the entrance exam for M.Plan?
Top M.Plan colleges in India consider entrance tests like GATE (Architecture & Planning/ Civil engineering), CUET-PG, CEED, TANCET (Tamil Nadu) and university-level tests. Most institutes, such as IITs, NITs, and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), usually demand the score of a national-level examination such as GATE/CEED/ etc.
What factors are considered in the merit list for M.Plan selection?
M.Plan admission is usually selected based on the entrance examination score, the academic qualification, and, in some cases, the work experience. There are some other institutes too that include group discussion or personal interviews in the performance evaluation before releasing the final merit list. Selection is further refined by social category (reservation), academic record, and availability of seats.
What are the jobs after M.Plan?
Among the new-age jobs are Smart City Consultant, AI-driven City Planner, Environmental Planner specializing in climate-resilient planning, Mobility/ Transport Planner who focuses on sustainable transit, GIS and Data-Driven Urban Designer, and Housing/ Community Development Specialist. There is an increasing need of experts in IoT-based infrastructure systems, disaster response, and integration of urban technology.
Which sectors are most likely to hire M.Plan graduates in the next few years?
The best employers that will be taking M.Plan graduates will include smart city projects, green infrastructure and sustainability consulting, government urban development agencies, transportation and mobility planning firms, real estate and housing corporations, GIS/data analytics companies, and multinational infrastructure consultancies. Most opportunities will be facilitated by the national Smart Cities Mission and the incorporation of technology of the private sector into urban design in India.
