Master of Urban Management

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

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

  It is a Master’s Degree course. Graduates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree course are eligible to pursue this course.   Here is an overview of the course –

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

It is an ideal PG level course for Graduates hailing from relevant disciplines. If you want to build a rewarding career in Urban Management sector, this is the best Master’s Degree course available in front of you!   Urban Management – what is it all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? What is it like to become an Urban Management professional? You will find answers to these questions in the next section.   Here it is –

Urban Management: An Introduction

Urban Management is a multidisciplinary field. It primarily deals with urban settlements, problems arising in such a setting, development of urban settlements, functionality of such settlements etc.   In simple terms, it deals with applying principles of management in order to solve problems arising in urban settlements.   Urban settlements include towns and cities. Indian towns and cities are expanding at a rapid pace. With each passing year, a large number of new entrants enter these towns and cities (usually from rural areas) with the aim of finding work and gradually settling down!   Our towns and cities and not well planned and structured. They are not capable of accommodating this sudden influx of people! Due to this, there arises many problems in urban settlements across India.   Presence of slums and sub-standard living settlements, transportation problems, drainage problems, water shortage – all these issues are directly or indirectly related to urban management (or lack of it).   Urban Management’s main aim is to improve the condition of an urban settlement. Looking from an urban management professional’s point of view, there are three main aspects to a town/city’s improvement. They are –

• Functionality front
• Financial front
• Technological front

Transportation, water supply system, drainage system, availability of affordable housing solutions, availability of open spaces, availability of places for work & education – these things fall under functionality aspect.   Technological aspects include – communication network, internet connectivity, E-Governance systems etc. Financial aspects include – availability of funds for facilitating development programs.   The main task of an urban management professional is to deal with human habitats. His/her main tasks include –

• Creating affordable housing solutions
• Maintaining existing habitats
• Improving urban services

They also deal with other aspects such as – financing urban settlements (for development and maintenance), improving functionality of an urban settlement and managing conflicts taking place in urban settlements.   Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details such as – duration, eligibility criteria, syllabus etc. Here it is –

Course Details

Type of course

It is a Master’s Degree course. Here is a relevant Master’s Degree course – M.Arch. 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. A student will face external examination at the end of each semester.

Eligibility Criteria

Completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course from a recognized University/College.

Syllabus

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

• Urban Infrastructure
• Project Management
• Finance Management
• Conflict Management
• Organizational Behaviour
• Governance and Policies
• E-Governance
• Contract Management
• HR Management
• Social Utilities and Work

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.

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. You may also check – Entrance exams in India.   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 60-150K INR per semester.

Career Prospects

Urban management professionals have diverse job opportunities available in front of them. They have access to multiple job profiles and opportunities such as – Government sector jobs, Private sector jobs and self-employment opportunities. You may also check – Master of Urban Housing.   Some of the prime Government sector recruiters are –

• Housing Boards
• Municipal Corporations
• Urban Development Agencies
• Planning Agencies

Some of the prime private sector recruiters are –

• NGOs
• Construction Firms
• Consultancies
• Architecture Agencies

Salary

Starting salary of Urban management 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.