The Master of Science in Architecture Urban Design (MS.Arch UD) program is a specialized, multi-disciplinary field of inquiry and practice that encompasses multiple scales of analysis and potentials of implementation.
With over half of the world’s population living in urban areas and 28 mega-cities of 10 million or more inhabitants (accordng to the United Nations), the need to understand urban areas and propose solutions for urbanized and urbanizing areas is imperative. Our curriculum integrates research and design by allowing graduate students to learn methods in urban research; to understand the interdependencies among buildings, landscapes, infrastructure, public spaces, and society; and to design innovative solutions that improve the quality of life. Required courses introduce the study of urban, social, economic and environmental conditions; visual simulation, and urban design, history, and theory. Elective courses permit students to pursue individual interests related to urban research and design, such as sustainable urbanism, housing, transportation, and contemporary theories of urbanism. Students interested in pursuing the Urban Design option may have a professional degree in architecture or landscape architecture or come from other disciplines with the capacity to engage in focused urban research.