Master of Urban Design

The Master of Urban Design is 1.5-year program that will develop your leadership and expertise in urban design and urbanism with a strong emphasis on sustainability, quantification and implementation. A key feature of this degree is its multidisciplinary outlook and emphasis on communication and collaboration that emulates real-world practice. The program's core units will provide you with an appreciation and understanding of the historical and theoretical dimensions of urbanism and design, urban morphology and the relationship between ecological processes and city form. While design is an important aspect that is at the core of the Diploma and Master's degrees, there is universal recognition that the defining aspects of urban design practice is its integrating role in multidisciplinary teams. Students will develop the ability to analyse contexts, define principles and provide guidance for future designers of buildings, landscapes and the public domain. This indirect design aspect of the built environment requires a related but distinct set of skills including facilitation, collaboration and communication in addition to being able to think spatially and communicate visually. These skills are not the exclusive domain of `designers and people from a range of backgrounds and capabilities are welcomed into an urban design program that aims to be multidisciplinary and emulate practice. Core units may be complemented with electives that will strengthen your knowledge in related fields: for example, architects can take electives in planning and planners can extend their understanding of architecture. All students can reinforce their knowledge of sustainability. This cross- pollination nurtures more effective urban design and gives you the flexibility to build your course of study around your interests and professional aspirations. Graduate opportunities Over 200 students have graduated from the program to go on to occupy positions in both the private and public sector in cities across Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Graduates are able to bridge the concerns of architecture and planning, think strategically, appreciate scale and qualities of place and communicate urban design principles to a wide range of audiences. Graduates of the Master of Urban Design (Urban Design and Planning) degree are eligible, subject to professional experience requirements, for corporate membership of the Planning Institute of Australia.