University of Sydney Handbooks - 2014 Archive

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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.

Course rules

 

Graduate Certificate in Urban Design

Graduate Diploma in Urban Design

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)

2 Attendance pattern

The attendance pattern for this course is full time or part time according to student choice.

3 Master's type

The master's degree in these resolutions is a professional master's course, as defined by the Coursework Rule.

4 Embedded courses in this sequence

(1)
The embedded courses in this sequence are:
(a)
the Graduate Certificate in Urban Design
(b)
the Graduate Diploma in Urban Design
(c)
the Master of Urban Design
(2)
Providing candidates satisfy the admission requirements for each stage, a candidate may progress to the award of any of the courses in this sequence. Only the longest award completed will be conferred.

5 Streams

(1)
The Master of Urban Design is also available in the following streams:
(a)
Architectural and Urban Design
(b)
Urban Design and Planning.
(2)
Completion of a stream is not a requirement of the course; applicants are required to nominate whether they will complete the degree with or without a stream at the point of application.
(3)
Candidates wishing to transfer between streams should contact the Faculty student office.

6 Admission to candidature

(1)
Available places will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit, according to the following admission criteria.
(2)
Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Urban Design requires an undergraduate degree and/or relevant work experience.
(3)
Admission to the Graduate Diploma in Urban Design and Master of Urban Design requires an undergraduate degree in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning or related field with a WAM of at least 65 or completion of the requirements of the embedded Graduate Certificate with a WAM of at least 65.
(4)
Admission to the Graduate Diploma, Masters and Masters with specialisation also requires:
(a)
a portfolio of work indicating relevant design interests and capacities to the satisfaction of the program director; and
(b)
evidence of professional experience in urban design, architecture, planning, landscape architecture or a related industry; or
(c)
completion of a field study relating to urban design, appropriately documented to the satisfaction of the program director.
(5)
In exceptional circumstances the Dean may admit applicants without these qualifications but whose evidence of experience and achievement is deemed by the Dean to be equivalent.

7 Requirements for award

(1)
The units of study that may be taken for these awards are set out in Table G.
(2)
To qualify for the award of the Graduate Certificate in Urban Design, a candidate must complete 24 credit points, including:
(a)
minimum 18 credit points of core units of study; and
(b)
maximum 6 credit points of elective units of study.
(a)
minimum 36 credit points of core units of study, which must include ARCH9001 Urban Design Studio A; and
(b)
maximum 12 credit points of elective units of study.
(4)
To qualify for the award of the Master of Urban Design, a candidate must complete 72 credit points, including:
(a)
minimum 54 credit points of core units of study; and
(b)
maximum 18 credit points of elective units of study.
(5)
To qualify for the award of the Master of Urban Design with streams, a candidate must complete 96 credit points, including:
(a)
minimum 78 credit points of core units of study; and
(b)
maximum 18 credit points of elective units of study.
(6)
Core units completed in excess of the minimum requirements may count as elective units of study.

8 Course transfer

(1)
A candidate for the master's degree or graduate diploma may elect to discontinue study and graduate with a shorter award from this embedded sequence, with the approval of the Dean, and provided the requirements of the shorter award have been met.
(2)
Candidates enrolled in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning may apply to transfer to the Master of Urban Design (Urban Design and Planning) subject to meeting the requirements for admission as set out in part 6 (2) of the admission to candidature section.
(3)
Candidates enrolled in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning may apply for credit for units completed as part of the Master of urban and Regional Planning studies towards the award of the Master of Urban Design, noting they still need to meet or have met core unit requirements of the Urban Design and Planning Stream.
(4)
Only the longest award completed will be awarded.

9 Transitional provisions

(1)
These resolutions apply to students who commenced their candidature after 1 January, 2014 and students who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January, 2014 who elect to proceed under these resolutions.
(2)
Candidates who commenced prior to 1 January, 2014 may complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions in force at the time of their commencement, provided that requirements are completed by 1 January, 2017. The Faculty may specify a later date for completion or specify alternative requirements for completion of candidatures that extend beyond this time.