Bachelor of Urban Design

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with a Bachelor’s Degree course related to Urban Design and Management. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of Bachelor of Urban Design course.

  Technically, it is a UG course. UG stands for Undergraduate level. This UG level course can be pursued by students who have passed 12th standard or hold an equivalent qualification.   Looking from academic point of view, this program falls under the discipline called ‘Planning’. It is a multidisciplinary field. It consists of elements of technology, management, architecture, social work, legal aspects etc.   Here is an overview of Bachelor of Urban Design course –

• Name of the course: Bachelor of Urban Design (BUD or B.UD.)
• Type of course: Bachelor’s Degree (UG level)
• Field: Planning
• Duration: 5 years
• Eligibility: Completed 12th (Arts, Commerce or Science) OR Completed Diploma (3 years) OR Equivalent qualification

Bachelor of Urban Design course is also known by short names such as – BUD and B.UD. What’s Urban Design all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? What is it like to specialize in this field? You will find answers to these questions in the next section.

Urban Design: An Introduction

In simple terms, Urban Design is the process of designing and shaping the physical features of cities, towns and urban settlements in general for the provision of municipal services to residents and visitors.   It is a multidisciplinary field. It consists of elements belonging to disciplines such as –

• Planning
• Design
• Architecture
• Technology
• Civil Engineering
• Management
• Legal Aspects
• And more…

An Urban Settlement is not just limited to buildings and infrastructure! It is a complex system! An urban settlement consists of many systems that are present within it! These systems function independently and often overlap each other. In short, these systems influence each other directly and indirectly.   Here are some of the prominent systems that make an urban settlement –

• Infrastructure
• Sanitation System
• Water Management System
• Transportation System
• Working Spaces
• Residential Areas
• Open Spaces
• Green Spaces

Urban Design deals with all of the systems and aspects mentioned above. Not only does it deal with the design and development of parks, roads, pavements and parks, it also deals with municipal services (sanitation, water management etc), transportation system etc.

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B.Arch. course

M.Arch. course

  Urban Design deals with the planning, design and development of the above mentioned systems. For executing these activities, one needs to perform tasks such as –

• Planning
• Design
• Analytics
• Project Management

One must give attention to legal framework and aspects too! An Urban Designer is a skilled professional who has been trained in the above mentioned areas and disciplines. He/she usually works with other professionals such as – Architects, Urban Planners, Civil Engineers and Other Government Officials.   If you want to become an Urban Designer, BUD course will be of help to you. This course can be pursued after you complete 12th standard from a recognized board OR Diploma course (3 years long).   In order to thrive in this field, you must possess qualities such as –

• Good technical knowledge
• Planning skills
• Good analytical skills
• Management skills
• Ability to work in a team
• Creativity and ability to think out of the box

Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details such as – eligibility criteria, duration and fees.

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Bachelor’s Degree course.

Duration

The academic program is 5 years long (CEPT program). Some Institutes are known to offer 4 years long course too.

Eligibility Criteria

Completed 12th (Arts, Commerce or Science) OR Completed Diploma (3 years) OR Equivalent qualification.   Minimum aggregate marks criteria may apply too! This criteria may vary from one institute to another. Generally, it is around 45-55% aggregate marks.

Admission Process

Reputed institutes rely on merit based admission process. Such institutes make use of relevant entrance test to select deserving candidates. Some institutes are also known to conduct their own qualifying test in order to select deserving candidates.   Some other institutes are also known to conduct direct as well as donation based admission process.

Colleges

This academic program is offered by Planning Institutes across India. There are two such types of institutes in India –

• Government Institutes
• Private Institutes

CEPT is a very popular Institute offering this course in India. Government Colleges are known to charge relatively lower fees than their Private sector counterparts.

Fees

Fees charged for the academic program may vary from one institute to another. Course fees depends upon the following factors –

• Type of institute (Government, Private, Aided etc)
• Location of the college
• Status and rating of the college
• Scholarship status (of student, if applicable)

Government colleges are known to charge low fees. Average fees in private colleges could be anywhere between 60-120K INR per semester

Syllabus

Here are some of the important subjects present in the curriculum –

• Planning
• Design
• Analytics
• Project Management
• Infrastructure
• Sanitation System
• Water Management System
• Transportation System
• Landscape Design
• Legal Framework

Higher studies and PG courses

After completing this course, you may go for higher studies. BUD graduates have access to PG course formats such as –

• Master’s Degree courses
• PG Diploma courses
• PG Certificate courses

Some of the popular PG courses pursued by B.UD. graduates are –

• MBA
• PGDM programs
• Master of Urban Planning
• Master of Urban Design
• Master of Urban Transportation Management

Career Prospects

After completing BUD course, one will have access to the following types of jobs –

• Government jobs
• Private sector jobs
• Self-Employment opportunities

Here are some of the prime Government recruiters –

• Housing Boards
• Municipal Corporations
• PWD

Here are some of the private sector recruiters –

• Consultancies
• Architecture Firms
• Construction Firms

If you are interested in self-employment, you may try starting a consultancy. You may even start your own Design studio or enterprise.

Salary

Starting salary of Urban design professionals depends upon a number of factors. Some of the prominent factors are –

• Institute from which the candidate completed the course
• The domain he/she has chosen
• Job location
• Status of the employer

On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 50-80K INR per month. In case of a Government job, the salary will be as per the pay scale and grade.