Master of Urban Design
Urban design emerged as a distinct field in Australia about 20 years ago in response to a need for better design skills at urban scales: streets, street blocks, town centres, city districts, new suburbs, cross-city infrastructure. Since that time, urban design has expanded enormously. Today, design professionals with good urban design knowledge and skills are much sought after by private consulting firms, development organisations and local and state governments, where they are required to prepare and evaluate urban design policies, strategies, frameworks, guidelines, concepts, master plans and programs, as well as be involved in the more detailed design and management of urban spaces.
Urban design knowledge and skills also assist in designing for specific sites by providing a better appreciation of urban structure and context. They are crucial for good development evaluation, and enhance perspectives on urban conservation: and there is a small but growing demand for urban design educators and media commentators. The program is arranged to develop understanding and abilities for all of these roles. At its core are studio projects that address emerging design issues, plus supporting units that cover essential morphological, ecological, cultural and other dimensions of urbanism.
Graduates of the program occupy important urban design positions in all of the above-mentioned employment sectors in cities across Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Admission requirements
To apply, you should hold a professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning or a closely related design area and submit a portfolio of work with your application. Your portfolio should show several examples of design and design-related work completed as part of your university studies and/or samples of work from professional or equivalent experience (preferably both). Further, your particular role in producing each item of submitted work should be made clear. The portfolio must be on paper only, consist of approximately 10 A4 or A3 sheets, and include drawings and other relevant items of illustration such as photographs of models, with supporting explanation.
Master of Urban Design (Architectural and Urban Design)
This Master of Urban Design program develops specialist knowledge and skills in both urban and architectural design. It compresses the essentials of two studio-based graduate areas into two years (four semesters) of full-time study. This 96 credit point degree combining expertise in urban design and enhanced architectural design abilities is unique, and may hold special appeal to international students.
Admission requirements
To apply, you should hold a professional degree in architecture and submit a portfolio of your work with your application. Your portfolio should show several examples of design and design-related work completed as part of your university studies and/or samples of work from professional or equivalent experience (preferably both). Further, your particular role in producing each item of submitted work should be made clear. The portfolio must be on paper only, consist of approximately 10 A4 or A3 sheets, and include drawings and other relevant items of illustration such as photographs of models, with supporting explanation.
Master of Urban Design (Urban Design and Planning)
This Master of Urban Design program develops specialist knowledge and skills in both urban design and planning. It compresses the essentials of two graduate streams into two years (four semesters) of full time study. This 96 credit point degree combining expertise in urban design, and urban and regional planning and policy is unique, and may hold special appeal to international students. (For more details about these two areas, see information on the Master of Urban Design, and Master of Urban and Regional Planning programs.)
Admission requirements
To apply, you should hold a professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning or a closely related design area and submit a portfolio of your work with your application. Your portfolio should show several examples of design and design-related work completed as part of your university studies and/or samples of work from professional or equivalent experience (preferably both). Further, your particular role in producing each item of submitted work should be made clear. The portfolio must be on paper only, consist of approximately 10 A4 or A3 sheets, and include drawings and other relevant items of illustration such as photographs of models, with supporting explanation.
Units of study
Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
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Certificate, Diploma and Master of Urban Design |
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Without specialisation |
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Core units |
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Graduate Certificate Students must take ARCH9001; Graduate Diploma Students must take ARCH9001 and ARCH9002 | |||
ARCH9001 Urban Design Studio A |
12 | C ARCH9062 or ARCH9063 Permission of coordinator required unless enrolled in the Master, Grad Dip or Grad Cert of Urban Design or MUrbDes(UrbDes & Plan) or MUrbDes(Arch & UrbDes). |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9062 Urban Design - Ideas and Methods |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9022 |
Semester 1 |
ARCH9002 Urban Design Studio B |
12 | P ARCH9001 |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9063 Urban Morphology |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9021 |
Semester 2 |
ARCH9080 Urban Ecology and Design |
6 | A Undergraduate studio experience in design Enrolment in this unit is NOT recommended for students who have completed Urban Environment (PLAN9065 pre 2009) |
Semester 2 |
ARCH9060 Urban Design Report |
12 | P 48 credit points incuding ARCH9001 N ARCH9031, ARCH9045, ARCH9046, PLAN9010, PLAN9011, PLAN9018 Note: Department permission required for enrolment Submit an Independent Study Approval Form, signed by your proposed supervisor, with your request to enrol. This unit is for Masters students in an Urban Design stream only. |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
Architectural and Urban Design Stream |
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These units are for the 96 credit point Master of Urban Design (Architectural & Urban Design). A maximum of 24 credit points of MARC Studios may be counted to the core requirements. | |||
Core units |
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MARC4001 Urban Architecture Research Studio |
12 |
This studio cannot be taken in the same semester with MARC4002 or MARC4003. Students may incur materials costs in this unit. |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
MARC4002 Sustainable Architecture Research Studio |
12 |
This studio cannot be taken in the same semester with MARC4001 or MARC4003. Students may incur materials costs in this unit. |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
MARC4003 Digital Architecture Research Studio |
12 |
This studio cannot be taken in the same semester with MARC4001 or MARC4002. Students may incur materials costs in this unit. |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
MARC4102 Modern Architectural Theory |
6 | N ARCH6104, ARCH9048, ARCH9049 |
Semester 2 |
ARCH9001 Urban Design Studio A |
12 | C ARCH9062 or ARCH9063 Permission of coordinator required unless enrolled in the Master, Grad Dip or Grad Cert of Urban Design or MUrbDes(UrbDes & Plan) or MUrbDes(Arch & UrbDes). |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9062 Urban Design - Ideas and Methods |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9022 |
Semester 1 |
ARCH9002 Urban Design Studio B |
12 | P ARCH9001 |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9063 Urban Morphology |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9021 |
Semester 2 |
MARC4201 Modern Architectural History |
6 | N ARCH4102 |
Semester 1 |
ARCH9080 Urban Ecology and Design |
6 | A Undergraduate studio experience in design Enrolment in this unit is NOT recommended for students who have completed Urban Environment (PLAN9065 pre 2009) |
Semester 2 |
Urban Design and Planning Stream |
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These units are for the 96 credit point Master of Urban Design (Urban Design & Planning). Students who want PIA accreditation should also include PLAN9018 Planning Report, in their final semester. | |||
Core units |
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ARCH9001 Urban Design Studio A |
12 | C ARCH9062 or ARCH9063 Permission of coordinator required unless enrolled in the Master, Grad Dip or Grad Cert of Urban Design or MUrbDes(UrbDes & Plan) or MUrbDes(Arch & UrbDes). |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9062 Urban Design - Ideas and Methods |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9022 |
Semester 1 |
ARCH9002 Urban Design Studio B |
12 | P ARCH9001 |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
ARCH9063 Urban Morphology |
6 | A Some prior study of architectural, urban or planning history. N ARCH9021 |
Semester 2 |
PLAN9061 Planning Principles, Systems & Practice |
6 | N PLAN9020, PLAN9044 Enrolment numbers limited by teaching resources. If your attempt to enrol online is unsuccessful please contact the Faculty of Architecture Student Administration Centre. Permission required in Semester One unless enrolled in Urban and Regional Planning. |
Semester 1 Semester 2a |
PLAN9062 Planning Law |
6 | C PLAN9061 N PLAN9021 |
Semester 2 |
PLAN9063 Strategic Planning and Design |
6 | N PLAN9027 |
Semester 1 |
PLAN9065 Resource and Environmental Management |
6 | Semester 1b |
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PLAN9068 History and Theory in Urban Planning |
6 | N PLAN9031 |
Semester 1 |
PLAN9045 Economics for Planners |
6 | Semester 2 |
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PLAN9064 Land Use and Infrastructure Planning |
6 | N PLAN9028 |
Semester 2 |
Please note that the following unit of study will not be offered in 2012: | |||
PLAN9069 Urban Design and Development Control |
6 | N PLAN9051 |
Semester 1 |
Course rules
Master of Urban Design
These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2000 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Resolutions of the Faculty, the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006 (as amended) and the Academic Board policies on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.
Course Resolutions
1 Course codes
Code |
Course and stream title |
---|---|
CG005 |
Graduate Certificate in Urban Design |
CF035 |
Graduate Diploma in Urban Design |
CC035 |
Master of Urban Design |
CC136 |
Master of Urban Design (Architectural and Urban Design) |
CC135 |
Master of Urban Design (Urban Design and Planning) |