University of Technology Sydney

C04439v1 Master of Urban Design

Award(s): Master of Urban Design (MUrbDes)
Commonwealth supported place?: No
Load credit points: 90
Course EFTSL: 1.875
Location: Online campus

Notes

This course is not offered to international applicants.

This course is not offered to international students.


Overview
Course aims
Career options
Course intended learning outcomes
Admission requirements
Inherent (essential) requirements
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Course completion requirements
Course program
Articulation with UTS courses
Professional recognition
Other information

Overview

The UTS Online Master of Urban Design is designed for professionals who want to develop their practical design capabilities to shape the lived experience within sustainable urban environments. Students explore the concept of environmental, economic and social sustainability in urban design and development, and apply their understanding to deliver creative solutions for planning and design in consideration of different design scales.

The course provides a practical approach to urban design across an array of areas, whilst exploring real-world case studies, learning from industry professionals and applying their understanding in authentic assessments.

Delivered fully online, this course enables students to work full-time while gaining practical design skills and immediately apply what they learn to make a greater impact in their current role and design resilient urban environments.

Course aims

The degree aims for students to explore the relationship between planning and design to gain a holistic understanding of the environmental, legislative, economic, and social sustainability perspectives for urban design and planning development.

Students learn to evaluate urban design approaches and develop creative solutions that shape the planning and design of resilient urban environments. Students undertake various studio-based subjects that focus on different design scales – from the local to metropolitan.

  • Urban design principles
    Apply urban design principles to develop creative solutions for urban problems. Apply an integrated understanding of environmental, social, and economic factors to inform an advanced level of urban design solutions.
  • Problem-solving skills
    Determine risk assessment principles and apply them to simulating future courses of action. Design and conduct a research project to identify and evaluate alternative strategies to resolve a complex problem.
  • Critical and ethical thinking capabilities
    Develop an informed critical perspective on ethical issues raised by new sources?to be able to demonstrate?the?ethical responsibilities of a professional urban designer.
  • Effective communication and stakeholder management skills
    Communicate effectively with key stakeholders from a variety of cultural, social, economic and political perspectives. Develop coherent and logically structured arguments that are backed by evidence to support their negotiation strategies.

Career options

The Master of Urban Design is for those with diverse backgrounds who are wanting to develop their practical design capabilities to shape the lived experience within sustainable urban environments.

With a Master of Urban Design, students build and practice the skills employers demand to add value to their professional career immediately. Upon successful completion of this course, graduates have a broad scope of jobs available both in government and private companies, including roles as:

  • Urban Designer
  • Open Space Planner
  • Specialist Place-maker
  • Urban Design Consultant
  • Urban Design Director

Course intended learning outcomes

A.1 Enable reflective practice on one's personal views and values and interpret how they might affect one's professional judgement
A.2 Demonstrate ethical responsibilities of professional planners and urban designers and develop critical ethical thinking capability
A.3 Evaluate the history of disadvantage and inequality in societies (in an Australian context this would apply in particular to Indigenous Peoples. In addition to people disadvantaged by gender, disability, social class or ethnicity for example) and formulate a reasoned argument for how planners and urban designers should address significant social inequalities
C.1 Work effectively in teams of people with diverse professional and personal backgrounds
C.2 Communicate with people with a wide variety of cultural, social, economic, and political perspectives and interests using verbal, written, and visual media
C.3 Determine sources of conflict and apply conflict negotiation strategies appropriately
I.1 Develop creative solutions to complex problems based on research and evaluation
I.2 Apply urban design principles to develop creative solutions for urban problems
P.1 Investigate strategically the future of cities and regions and identify the drivers of change
P.2 Articulate how and why the roles of planning and urban design have evolved in response to new social, cultural, economic, and political forces
P.3 Apply a wide array of analytic tools (which may include spreadsheets, geographic information software, three-dimensional simulations, or negotiation tools) to determine constraints and opportunities
P.4 Prepare and critique plans and design solutions based on a broad understanding of urban and regional and environmental dynamics, and analyse (and develop) alternatives
P.5 Develop and apply the principles of urban design to analyse places
P.6 Determine the legal and policy context within which planning and environmental protection occurs, the nature of land rights and claims of Indigenous Peoples in Australian cities, and the role of various levels and agencies of government
P.7 Explore the principles of environmental, economic and social sustainability and apply them to analysing and developing plans and design solutions
P.8 Analyse dynamics driving land and property markets and articulate this to planning proposals
P.9 Apply an integrated understanding of environmental, social, and economic factors to inform an advanced level of urban design solutions
R.1 Determine risk assessment principles and apply them to simulating future courses of action
R.2 Design and conduct a research project to identify and evaluate alternative strategies to resolve a complex problem
R.3 Interpret spatial relationships and evaluate the spatial and physical impacts of proposals
R.4 Determine the sources, limitations and relationships of different data used to analyse problems and evaluate solutions
R.5 Develop coherent and logically structured arguments that use evidence appropriately

Admission requirements

Applicants must have completed a UTS recognised bachelor's degree, or an equivalent or higher qualification, or submitted other evidence of general and professional qualifications that demonstrates potential to pursue graduate studies.

Applicants with one of the following qualifications will be made an offer:

  • UTS Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design (at credit average or above); OR
  • UTS Graduate Certificate in Planning (at credit average or above); OR
  • UTS Graduate Diploma in Planning (at credit average or above); OR
  • UTS Graduate Certificate in Property Development (at credit average or above); OR
  • UTS Graduate Diploma in Property Development (at credit average or above); OR
  • UTS recognised bachelor's degree or equivalent or Master's degree.

Applicants without any of the above qualifications, but who meet the following criteria, may also be considered:

  • A Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma (at credit average or above) must be within one of the following disciplines: Architecture, Landscape architecture, Urban design and regional planning, Interior and Environmental design, Community development, Property economics, Property development, Planning, Geography, Geographic information science (GIS), Environmental science, Law, Economics, along with:
    • a CV (maximun 3 pages) outlining at least three year full-time, or equivalent part-time, work experience in one of the fields listed above; AND
    • a 300-word personal statement clearly articulating their work experience related to urban planning or urban design and their reasons to study the Master of Urban Design.

The English proficiency requirement for local applicants with international qualifications is: Academic IELTS: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0; or TOEFL: paper based: 550-583 overall with TWE of 4.5, internet based: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21; or AE5: Pass; or PTE: 58-64 with a writing score of 50; or C1A/C2P: 176-184 with a writing score of 169.

Eligibility for admission does not guarantee offer of a place.

Inherent (essential) requirements

Inherent (essential) requirements are academic and non-academic requirements that are essential to the successful completion of a course.

Prospective and current students should carefully read the Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement below and consider whether they might experience challenges in successfully completing this course. This Statement should be read in conjunction with the UTS Student Rules.

Prospective or current student concerned about their ability to meet these requirements should discuss their concerns with the Academic Liaison Officer in their faculty or school and/or UTS Accessibility Service on 9514 1177 or at accessibility@uts.edu.au.

UTS will make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional experiences, course related work experience and other course activities to facilitate maximum participation by students with disabilities, carer responsibilities, and religious or cultural obligations in their courses.

For course specific information see the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement.

Course duration and attendance

The course can be completed in a minimum of 2 years of online study, 1 x 6 credit point subject (or equivalent) per session over 12 x 7-week teaching sessions.

A 6-credit point subject requires an average of 15-20 hours of study per week. Students study 1 x 6 credit point subject per teaching session.

Course structure

Students must complete 90 credit points of core subjects.

Course completion requirements

STM91626 Core subjects (Urban Design) 48cp
STM91627 Urban Design (Tier 1) 24cp
STM91628 Urban Design (Tier 2) 18cp
Total 90cp

Course program

For more information, download a course guide and speak to a UTS Online Student Enrolment Advisor about fully online study and a possible study program.

A typical course program is provided below, showing the recommended study sequence to ensure completion of the course within the expected duration. Refer to the Timetable Planner for confirmation of availability.

Session 5 commencing, full time
Year 1
Session 5
17901 Property Development and Planning Process   6cp
Session 6
17902 Sustainable Urban Development   6cp
Year 2
Session 1
17903 Planning and Design Theory and Decision Making   6cp
Session 2
17904 Urban Design Fundamentals   6cp
Session 3
17905 Urban Analytics   6cp
Session 4
17916 Urban Design Studio 1: Urban Morphology   6cp
Session 5
17908 Planning and Environmental Law in Australia   6cp
Session 6
17917 Urban Design Studio 2: Place-making   6cp
Year 3
Session 1
17909 Local Strategic Planning   6cp
Session 2
17918 Urban Design Studio 3: Transit Neighbourhoods   6cp
Session 3
17911 Structure Planning   6cp
Session 4
17912 Development Negotiation and Community Engagement   6cp
Session 5
17913 Urban Redevelopment   6cp
Session 6
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
17919 Urban Design Studio 4: Special Project (Part 1) 6cp  
17921 Planning and Urban Design Professional Practice 6cp  
Year 4
Session 2
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
17921 Planning and Urban Design Professional Practice 6cp  
17920 Urban Design Studio 5: Special Project (Part 2) 6cp  

Articulation with UTS courses

This course is part of the articulated program made up of the Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and Design (C11343) and the Graduate Diploma in Urban Design (C06144).

Professional recognition

This program is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia.

Other information

Further information is available from the UTS Student Centre on:

telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS
UTS: Design, Architecture and Building