Certificate Program
The Department of Architecture and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning offer a joint graduate program in urban design, and recognize the completion of this program by awarding a Certificate in Urban Design. The purpose of the urban design program is to provide the fundamental knowledge and special skills required to design urban and suburban environments. These abilities are rooted in architecture and planning. They combine this creativity and critical eye for quality of the environment usually associated with architecture, with the mastery of the process of decision-making among multiple clients that planners generally possess. Students who complete the program should have the skills to begin work as professionals in designing, regulating or managing the development of extensive environments.
Students in the Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science in Architectural Studies (SMArchS), Master in City Planning (MCP), or Master of Science in Urban Studies and Planning (MS) degree programs are eligible for a Certificate in Urban Design if they complete curriculum subjects drawn from the two departments. Students must, of course, complete the other requirements for their degrees, and may count subjects in the urban design curriculum toward the requirements for their degrees. For example, the Urban Design Studio may be counted toward the studio requirement for the MArch degree or towards the requirements for the MCP degree.
To earn the Certificate in Urban Design students must first be admitted and enrolled in the MArch, SMArchS, MCP, or MS degree programs and complete at least one subject in each of six curriculum areas. At least one subject must be at an advanced level. The Urban Design Seminar, covering key issues and trends in city design, is a required subject for all certificate students, providing a common experience and base of knowledge.
Students pursuing the Certificate in Urban Design will be expected to complete a thesis on a topic substantially related to urban design, and at least one member of their thesis committee must be a member of the City Design and Development faculty. Students’ thesis proposals must also be approved by the Certificate committee.
Students wishing to pursue a Certificate in Urban Design need to declare this at least two semesters before graduation, and must complete a program statement that indicates which of the Certificate subjects they intend to take. They are assigned a faculty advisor in the area, and through discussions with the advisor, make subject choices, modifying the program as necessary in the course of studies.
Curriculum
To earn the Urban Design Certificate students must complete at least one subject in each of six curriculum areas below. At least one subject must be at an advanced level, from among those identified by "*":
Urban Design History and Theory- 11.301J/4.252J Intro to Urban Design and Development
- 11.302J/4.253J Urban Design Politics
- *11.330J/4.241J Theory of City Form
- 4.663 History of Urban Form
- 11.337J/4.247J Urban Design Policy and Action
- 11.360 Community Growth and Land Use Planning
- 11.367 Law and Politics of Land Use
- 11.340J/15.658J Legal Issues in the Development Process
- 11.431J/15.426J Real Estate Finance and Investment
- 11.433J/15.021J Real Estate Economics
- 11.303J/4.254J Real Estate Development II
- 4.249 Urban Design Workshop
- 4.181-4.185 Architectural Design Workshops (with urban design content)
- 11.304J/4.255J Site and Urban Systems Planning
- 11.305 Landscape Ecology and Urban Development
- 11.332J/4.163J Urban Design Studio (or option approved by the UD Program Committee
- 11.333J/4.244J Urban Design Seminar
The urban design seminar provides the common experience for all students in the urban design area. It is based on case studies of significant urban design efforts, organized each year around a theme. The seminar is held during the spring semester, and students are encouraged to participate in the seminar in successive years.
Students are, of course, also expected to complete the required subjects for the degree they are pursuing. Subjects taken as part of the Certificate program may be counted towards fulfillment of those degree requirements. For example, the urban design studio may be counted toward the studio requirement for the MArch degree, and the subjects above may be counted towards the specialization requirement for the MCP degree.
Students pursuing the Urban Design Certificate are expected to do a thesis on a topic substantially related to urban design, and at least one member of their committee must be from the Certificate faculty. Students' thesis proposals must be agreed to by the Urban Design Certificate program committee.
Further information about the Urban Design Certificate program is available from:
Charlotte Liu, Room 10-485, Send e-mail
Quick Links
City Design and Development
CDD Program Statement
