Master of Urban Housing

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with an academic program related to housing and urban planning. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of Master of Urban Housing course.

  It is a Master’s Degree course. Graduates hailing from disciplines such as – Architecture, Civil Engineering, Planning, Social Works etc will benefit from this course!   Graduates hailing from the above disciplines have two options available in front of them (after graduation) – find a job or go for higher studies. Traditional courses like M.Arch., M.Tech. etc are very popular among graduates.   Master of Urban Housing is a relatively new entrant! This course has elements of architecture, construction technology, project management, social work, planning etc.   Here is an overview of the academic program –

• Name of the course: Master of Urban Housing
• Type of course: Master’s Degree
• Field: Planning, Architecture & Civil Engineering
• Eligibility: Completed relevant Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree course
• Duration: 2 years

What is Urban Housing all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? What is it like to become an Urban Housing professional? You will find answers to these questions in the next section. Here it is –

Master of Urban Housing: An Introduction

Urban Housing is a multidisciplinary field. It consists of elements of the following domains –

• Civil Engineering
• Architecture
• Construction Technology
• Planning
• Social Work
• Finance Management
• Project Management

In short, it involves technical, management as well as social work aspects. It combines all these aspects in order to solve urban housing and infrastructure problems. You may also check these relevant courses – B.Arch. & B.Tech. Civil Engineering.

What is Urban Housing?

Urban Housing combines disciplines such as – Architecture, Civil Engineering and Planning together. It deals with making the most of urban areas so that there is adequate space to live, play and work.   Take your city as an example. Is it well planned and laid-out? If yes, urban designers have done a commendable task of planning and designing your city!   Looking from Government’s point of view, Urban Housing is primarily about providing affordable housing to its residents. It also deals with allied aspects such as – rehabilitation, urban infrastructure, public amenities and planning.

Importance of Urban Housing

In a developing country like India, Urban Housing holds great importance. Our cities are overcrowded and poorly planned. There is a dearth of open space and land in metro cities.   Majority of people like in sub-standard housing setups. These setups are poorly planned. It is not uncommon to see mishaps in these setups during monsoon/other adversities.   Urban Housing, to an extent, can solve these problems. Through urban housing, it is possible to create affordable housing projects. It can also help redesign our cities and make them much more organized and planned.   Urban Housing is not just limited to construction and civil engineering! No, it is not just an entirely technical subject! Urban housing involves technical as well as non-technical elements such as –

• Policy Making
• Planning
• Design
• Project Management
• Construction Technology
• Architecture
• Landscape Management
• Urban Planning

Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Master’s Degree course.

Duration

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

Eligibility Criteria

Completed B.Arch. (or equivalent)   OR   Completed B.E. or B.Tech. in Civil Engineering   OR   Completed Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Technology   OR   Completed Bachelor’s Degree in Planning   OR   Completed Master’s Degree in Economics, Geography, Sociology   OR   Master’s Degree in Social Work (Like MSW)   Minimum aggregate marks criteria may apply. This criteria may vary from one institute to another. It is generally around 45-55% aggregate marks.

Syllabus

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

• Basics of Urban Housing
• Housing Strategy
• Project Development
• Urban Systems
• Urban Management
• Infrastructure Development
• Finance Management
• Housing Market
• Governance and Policy

Colleges

This academic program is offered by Engineering, Architecture and Design and 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.

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.

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 60-100K INR per semester.

Career Prospects

Urban Housing professionals have diverse job opportunities available in front of them. They have access to Government jobs, Private sector jobs and Self-Employment opportunities.   Here are some of the prime recruiters –

• Government Housing Boards (Central and State level)
• NGOs
• Construction Firms
• Architecture Firms
• Consultancies

You may even start your own consultancy, if you are interested in self-employment. You may also check out Bachelor of Planning careers.

Salary

Starting salary of an Urban Housing planner 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.