Master of Architecture / Master of Urban Design

The M.Arch 2G / M.U.D. Dual Degree is an advanced course of study in the program of Architecture. Spanning traditional disciplinary boundaries, the degree fosters experimental architectural and urban design approaches in the study of contemporary urban phenomena. During their studies, students gain a broad range of skills, and courses integrate architectural design, real estate and public finance, urban governance, design culture, environmental stewardship, and the humanities. Building on those areas of inquiry, the design studio sequence curates the development of analytical, projective and speculative design work addressing complex urban dynamics, globally.

The M.Arch/M.U.D. Dual Degree combines the two-year/60-credit-hour (4 terms) M.Arch professional degree with the three semester/45-credit-hour (3 terms) M.U.D. post-professional degree. The resulting 6-term/87-credit-hour program of study, includes 18 double-counted credit hours. Graduates with the dual degree are highly qualified professionals who pursue careers in academia, at a wide range of private and public agencies and in non-profit organizations.

Course of Study

There are three paths for admission in the M.Arch / M.U.D. Dual Degree: (1) Students may be admitted to the M.Arch degree and then apply to the M.U.D. degree during the first year of M.Arch study; (2) Students may be admitted to the M.U.D. (with a previous professional degree) and then apply to the M.Arch degree during the first year of M.U.D. study; (3) Students may apply for admission to both the M.Arch and M.U.D. programs simultaneously and decide which one to start with (if students have a previous professional degree). Since the M.U.D. is a post-professional degree, the two degrees will be awarded concurrently.

Degree Requirements

The dual M.Arch / M.U.D. degree requires the completion of a minimum of 87 credit hours. Specifically, a student must complete:

• A minimum of 45 credit hours of required and core architecture courses: 24 credit hours of the studio sequence (ARCH 552, ARCH 562, ARCH 672, ARCH 662) and 21 credit hours of specific required architecture courses (ARCH 515: Sustainable Systems, ARCH 516: Architectural Representation, ARCH 527: Integrative Systems I, ARCH 528: Integrative Systems II, ARCH 537: Fabrication, ARCH 572: Architectural Theory and Criticism, ARCH 583: Professional Practice, and ARCH 660: Thesis Development Seminar).
• A minimum of 33 credit hours of urban design UD courses: 18 credits of the urban design studio sequence (UD 712, UD 722, UD 732), and 15 credit hours of required UD courses (UD 713: Histories of Urban Form, UD 714: Representation, UD 715: Theories and Methods in Urban Design, and the City and Urban Design, UD 716: Urban Economics, Finance, and City Making, UD 717: City as Thesis – Urban Design and Research).
• Sufficient urban design courses to satisfy the other distributional requirements for the M.U.D. program of study: a 3 credit hour elective on Sustainability Landscape or Ecology, and a 3 credit hour elective on Law, Policy and Institutions.

A total 18 credit hours may be double-counted toward the two degrees and students must earn a cumulative GPA of “B” in each unit. 

Sample Course Sequence

The following sequence presents a sample or representative array of courses that would satisfy the dual degree program of study. Applicants interested in undertaking the dual degree program of study should confer with the chair and director of the M.Arch and M.U.D. program degrees to discuss course options. Once enrolled in the dual degree program of study, the student is responsible for ensuring that all degree requirements have been met and should confer with academic advisors regularly during his/her studies accordingly.

Admission Requirements

Students must file separate applications to and be admitted by both programs. An application fee must accompany each application. Each program will apply its own standards in making admission decisions. Applicants may apply to both the M.Arch and M.U.D. programs simultaneously, or they may apply first to the M.Arch program and then, if admitted, apply to the M.U.D. program during their first year of M.Arch graduate study.