In 1980, the School of Architecture and Planning established a two-year graduate program leading to a Master of Community and Regional Planning professional degree. By the spring of 1985, the program had sufficient resources and experience to apply for accreditation from the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). In preparation for this review, the curriculum was strengthened to focus on community development and natural resources, particularly in the context of the Southwest region and Albuquerque's proximity to Mexico. The curriculum was also reorganized to prepare students to practice in both rural and urban settings. In 1986, the program was accredited and lauded for its work and its relevance to both New Mexico and the Southwest region. It has continually been reaccredited in the usual five-year cycles from that time to the present.
Over the course of time Community and Regional Planning Program has evolved in several ways. Among these:
- The student body has steadily become more socially, ethnically and economically diverse and increasingly reflects the demographic composition of the Southwest.
The Master's degree now has three concentrations:
- Community and Economic Development
- Natural Resources and Environmental Planning
- Physical Planning and Design
The CRP program now administers an undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Planning and Design, which consists of tracks in Community and Regional Planning and in Landscape Architecture. The CRP program offers minors in Community and Regional Planning for graduate and undergraduate students from other disciplines. The program offers formal dual degrees with Public Administration, Latin American Studies, and Water Resources Administration, and has supported individually crafted dual degrees with Public Health and Architecture.