Master of Urban Design

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with a Master’s Degree course that is related to Urban Design. In this article, we will have an in-depth analysis of Master of Urban Design course.

  This academic program falls under domains such as Design and Planning. If you are interested in any of these domains, you may pursue this course and benefit from it!   As the name suggests, this is a Master’s Degree course. Technically, it is a PG level course. PG stands for Postgraduate.   Since this is a PG level course, you must be a graduate in order to be eligible to pursue it. Graduates hailing from relevant disciplines are eligible to pursue this Master’s Degree course.   Here is an overview of the academic program –

• Name of the course: Master of Urban Design
• Type of course: Master’s Degree
• Field: Design and Planning
• Duration: 2 years
• Eligibility: Completed B.Arch. program

What’s Urban Design all about? What’s it like to specialize in this field? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? You will find answers to these questions in the next section.

What is Urban Design

In simple terms, it is the process of designing and shaping the physical features of cities, towns and urban settlements. The designing and shaping is done is such a way that it ensures availability of municipal services to residents and visitors.   Urban Design involves aspects such as planning, designing and creating public spaces, buildings (group and individual) etc. The main aim of this discipline is to make urban settlements more attractive, functional and sustainable.   Sustainability of urban settlements and projects play an important role in modern Urban Design. Modern Urban Design professionals give adequate importance to this aspect!   Urban Design is a multidisciplinary field. It involves elements of multiple domains. Some of the popular domains it involves are –

• Design
• Planning
• Architecture
• Technology
• Civil Engineering
• Management

Besides that, in order to thrive in this field, one must also be knowledgeable about non-technical aspects such as economics, law and legal aspects, political aspects, municipal administration and real estate.   Our towns and cities need urban design professionals. They can help make our urban settlements more productive, sustainable, comfortable and efficient.   Urban Designers, through design and planning, can tackle issues related to water supply and management, transportation systems, municipal services, public space management etc. In short, they are capable of influencing our lives directly and indirectly.   Let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details about the course such as – duration, eligibility criteria, colleges, fees and admission process.

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Master’s Degree course. This academic program belongs to PG (Postgraduate) level.

Duration

The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is six months long. The entire academic program is made up of four such semesters.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum educational qualification required is – completed B.Arch. Degree or Equivalent qualification, recognized by the CoA. Minimum aggregate marks criteria may apply. If yes, it could be anywhere between 45-55% marks.

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 60-150K INR per semester.

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.

You may also check –

Master of Urban Infrastructure

Bachelor of Urban Design

Master of Urban Planning

M.Arch. course

Syllabus

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

• Design
• Planning
• Architecture
• Technology
• Civil Engineering
• Management
• Sustainable Development
• Urban Landscape Design
• Law and Legal Aspects

Career Prospects

After completing this course, one may find work at Government Agencies and Private firms. One may also become self-employed.   Some of the prime recruiters are –

• Government Housing Boards
• PWD
• Municipal Corporations
• Construction Firms
• Consultancies
• Design Studios

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.