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Urban Design Certificate
The Urban Design graduate certificate program is designed to equip Master’s candidates from the School of Architecture’s four departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Environmental Planning, and Architectural History with the expertise and skills to engage with multi-scalar issues facing urban environments, from urban and infrastructural development, to social equity and resilience. The program will provide students with practical spatial design strategies and analytical tools as well as foundational historical and theoretical knowledge supporting urban design and planning strategies. As a cross-disciplinary program of study, the Urban Design certificate effectively complements the school’s other graduate degree programs by preparing graduates that can join, and meaningfully contribute to, interdisciplinary teams concerned with the urban realm and urban spaces, whether in government, private practice, or in an institutional context.
Architects pursuing the Urban Design certificate will be prepared to join the making of an urban plan and deploy their design skills to create synergy between multiple buildings and the spaces between and around them. For landscape architects, the certificate will provide tools and strategies to prepare them to coordinate the needs of local and regional ecosystems with the needs of urban development. The Urban Design Certificate will build spatial skills and design thinking for students from Urban and Environmental Planning. Students in History will gain concepts and strategies to help ensure that historic buildings and districts maintain or renew their vitality in a changing urban context.
URBAN DESIGN CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM
The Urban Design graduate certificate is offered through 2 tracks depending on the student’s graduate program. Students in the Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or Urban and Environmental Planning program will enroll in track 1 with an emphasis on urban analysis and design. Students in the Architecture History program can enroll in track 2 with an emphasis on urban design history, theory, and analysis.
[Note: Students might be able to opt-in or out of their track. This, however, is understood as an exception and needs approval from the Graduate Director of Urban Design.]
Urban Design Certificate Track 1
Students in Track 1 are required to take two urban design core seminars (6 credits), one urban design research studio (6 credits), and one urban design elective course (3 credits) for a total of 15 credits.
In 2024/2025 students in track 1 can choose 2 seminars among 3 options that are addressing two critical aspects of the UDC core. One core course category is offered in history and theory of urban design providing through a range of seminars; a foundation in the historic, geographic, and cultural diversity of cities worldwide based on a comparative study of exemplary projects. The second core course category concentrates on urban design methods and provides design strategies required for analyzing urban processes and intervening in urban environments across multiple scales and temporalities.
Urban Design Core Seminars Track 1 Academic Year 2024/2025: ARCH/PLAN 5614 Urban Strategies, UD 8612 Urban Design History and Theory, or PLAN 5611 Barcelona Urban History for students who spend the fall term in the Barcelona program. Note: Additional UDC core fall classes might be offered and will be approved by the Graduate Director of Urban Design.
The urban design research studio is offered in the UD/ALAR 8010/8020 sequence and will be identified with a UDC *. Studios are addressing urban problematics through a variety of scales ranging from the neighborhood to the city and larger surrounding regions.
Electives will complement core courses by presenting advanced theoretical positions and practical skills in contemporary urban design. Courses will teach students to: carry out digital and analog analyses of urban areas at multiple scales; create a strategic development plan; analyze how ecological, economic, and policy issues affect the making of urban design plans; and understand how to work with stakeholder groups to build consensus and resilience.
Any exceptions will depend upon approval and must be discussed in advance with the Graduate Director of Urban Design.
Urban Design Certificate Track 2
Students in Track 2 are required to take two urban design core seminars (6 credits), one urban design analysis class (3 credits), and two urban design elective courses (3 credits each) for a total of 15 credits.
In 2024/2025 students in track 2 can choose 2 seminars among 3 options that are addressing two critical aspects of the UDC core. One core course in history and theory of urban design provides a foundation in the historic, geographic, and cultural diversity of cities worldwide based on a comparative study of exemplary projects. The second core course concentrates on urban design methods and provides design strategies required for analyzing urban processes and intervening in urban environments across multiple scales and temporalities. The urban data analysis seminar will introduce students to GIS software technology, mapping techniques, and other tools to conduct data analysis.
Urban Design Core Seminars Track 2 Academic Year 2024/2025: ARCH/PLAN 5614 Urban Strategies, UD 8612 Urban Design History and Theory, or PLAN 5611 Barcelona Urban History for students who spend the fall term in the Barcelona program. Note: Additional UDC core fall classes might be offered and will be approved by the Graduate Director of Urban Design. SARC 5400 Data Visualization will count as the analysis class. Students in track 2 should consult with the Graduate Director of Urban Design before enrolling.
Electives will complement the core courses by presenting advanced theoretical positions and practical skills in contemporary urban design. Courses will teach students to: carry out digital and analog analyses of urban areas at multiple scales; create a strategic development plan; analyze how ecological, economic, and policy issues affect the making of urban design plans; and understand how to work with stakeholder groups to build consensus and resilience.
Any exceptions will depend upon approval and must be discussed in advance with the Graduate Director of Urban Design.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Students should review course requirements and seek advice for course planning by meeting with the Graduate Director of Urban Design.
Urban Design Certificate classes are listed on the A School Website. Additional classes might count as UDC electives upon approval of the UDC Director. Inquiries should be addressed to the Graduate Director of Urban Design.
