Junta and UCLM renew the urban planning master's degree for small municipalities

The Regional Ministry of Development of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) have signed a collaboration agreement to organize, finance, and carry out the fourth edition of the Permanent Training Master’s in Urban Planning for Small Municipalities, covering the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 academic years. The agreement was signed in Toledo on September 30, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha no. 203, dated October 22, 2026, by means of the Resolution of 14/10/2026, from the General Secretariat of the Regional Ministry of Development (official reference 2026/7548).

The text is disseminated in compliance with article 7.1 of Decree 315/2007, of December 27, which regulates the General Registry of Agreements of the regional Administration, and bears the signature of the general secretary, Daniel Corredor Román. The agreement is signed by the Regional Minister of Development, Ignacio Hernando Serrano, and the Vice-Rector for Postgraduate and Permanent Training of the UCLM, Santiago Gutiérrez Broncano.

The framework for the initiative is Law 2/1998, of June 4, on Territorial Planning and Urban Activity, and Law 2/2021, of May 7, on Economic, Social, and Tax Measures against Depopulation and for the Development of Rural Areas, which enables technical cooperation formulas with small municipalities to prepare and process their urban plans. The Regional Ministry of Development acts through the General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Urbanism, whose functions are assigned by Decree 31/2025, of April 29.

A 60-credit postgraduate program with a practical nature

The program consists of 60 ECTS, structured into two expert courses of 24 credits each and a master’s final project (TFM) of 12 credits, with part-time dedication. Teaching begins in October 2026 and concludes in May 2028, with the TFM submission expected in September 2028.

• Mixed delivery: 80% online and 20% in-person on-site, in the municipalities chosen as case studies.
• Recorded sessions for those unable to attend due to professional commitments.
• Faculty from the UCLM, other universities, Government personnel, and other specialists.
• Applied approach to specific localities in the region, with workshops and practicals.

24 places and a budget of 149,760 euros

The offer consists of 24 places, four of which are reserved for officials of the Government of the Communities; if these are not filled, they will be added to the general places. The estimated execution cost is 119,808 euros and, with the 25% indirect costs applied by the UCLM, the total budget amounts to 149,760 euros, placing the cost per student at 6,240 euros.

• Standard tuition: 2,400 euros (20 places).
• Discounted tuition for regional staff: 1,920 euros (4 places).
• Maximum contribution from the Junta, charged to budget application 17070000G/432A/42200: 94,080 euros.
• Contribution from the UCLM: 55,680 euros.
• Regional fixed component: 23,040 euros per course; variable of 960 euros per enrolled student and an additional 480 euros per Master’s Thesis (TFM) of a Junta employee in 2027-2028.
• Ceiling per course: 46,080 euros in 2026-2027 and 48,000 euros in 2027-2028.

The master’s degree will only be held if at least 12 students enroll; otherwise, the edition will be canceled and the agreement will expire.

Deadlines, monitoring, and precedents

The UCLM will send a certification with the number of enrolled students before October 30, 2026, and October 30, 2027, and the Junta will pay its contribution within a maximum of 30 calendar days from its approval. The justification for each course must be presented before July 15, 2027, and July 15, 2028, to the General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Urbanism.

The agreement creates a Master’s Steering and Management Committee of five members—three appointed by the UCLM and two by the Ministry of Public Works—and a joint monitoring commission of four members. The validity extends from the signing until the end of the 2027-2028 edition, extendable by addendum.

The initiative continues the agreement of September 21, 2022, and its addenda of July 26, 2023, and September 9, 2024, which allowed for three editions (2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025). In these, 47 students with profiles such as senior and technical architecture, law, and engineering were trained, coming from city councils, provincial councils, the regional Administration, and private firms and companies.

The agreement comes in a context of low population density and widespread depopulation, in which many city councils lack their own technical staff in urban planning matters. The training of specialists called upon to draft and process the planning of these municipalities makes the master’s degree a tool for direct technical cooperation for the rural town halls of the region.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 203, of October 22, 2026, section III (Other Provisions and Acts), pp. 37413-37422 (official reference: 2026/7548).