About This Program
Looking to shape the future of cities and communities? The Master of Urban Design degree will equip you with the tools and knowledge necessary to tackle the challenges of sustainable design, social equity and community engagement. From design studios to field experiences, the Urban Design program offers an immersive and hands-on educational experience. Pair this degree with the M.Arch. degree in Architecture for additional opportunities. Read more...
Contact Information
Program Delivery
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Architectural and engineering managers
- 2.6% slower than the average
- 198,100 number of jobs
- $149,530 potential earnings
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
- 5.1% faster than the average
- 8,500 number of jobs
- $90,880 potential earnings
Designers, all other
- -1.9% decline
- 13,600 number of jobs
- $63,750 potential earnings
Urban and regional planners
- 11.0% much faster than the average
- 39,700 number of jobs
- $75,950 potential earnings
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (starting with the fall 2026 admission term, a bachelor's degree in either design or urban-related studies is required)
- Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
- Official transcript(s)
- GRE scores (starting with the fall 2026 admission term, GRE scores will no longer be required)
- Goal statement (include intent and background information)
- Portfolio (design work should clearly indicate role in group projects)
- Three letters of recommendation, with one letter from a non-academic source
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
- Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
- Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
- Minimum 58 PTE score
- Minimum 110 DET score
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester
- Application deadline: February 1
All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to build abstract relationships and understand the impact of ideas based on research and analysis of multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural and environmental contexts. This includes the wider range of media used to think about urban and regional design, including writing, investigative skills, speaking, drawing and model making.
- Develop an ability to utilize the technical instruments of the urban design field, including legal instruments, urban systems and their organization; and the role of these varied elements in the implementation of design and their impact on the environment. This is inclusive of understanding and abilities at a range of scales from local to regional design and the implications of policy and design decision-making at these ranges of scale.
- Manage, advocate and act legally, ethically and critically for the good of society and the public. This includes collaborative, professional and leadership skills, especially in the public arena.
Dual Degree with M.Arch. in Architecture
Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.U.D. degree in Urban Design and the M.Arch. degree in Architecture. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page. Students in the M.Arch. degree must be declared in the Accelerated Track concentration to be admitted to the dual degree.
This dual degree program prepares students to enter the profession of architecture by stimulating the growth of technical knowledge and design creativity. It fosters the refinement of design skills acquired in undergraduate programs and offers a broad exposure to professional issues and knowledge related to urban design.
Dual Degree Requirements
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ARCH 60101 | GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO I | 6 |
| ARCH 60102 | GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO II | 5 |
| ARCH 60150 | PROJECT PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| ARCH 60301 | THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE | 3 |
| ARCH 60922 | METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES | 2 |
| ARCH 65001 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT | 2 |
| ARCH 65002 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: CONTRACT AND PLANNING LAW | 2 |
| ARCH 65003 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT | 2-3 |
| ARCH 66995 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE 1 | 1 |
| UD 55705 | FORCES THAT SHAPE CITIES | 3 |
| UD 60701 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO I | 6 |
| UD 60703 | URBAN DESIGN STUDIO III | 5 |
| UD 65101 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS | 1 |
| UD 65102 | URBAN SYSTEMS | 3 |
| UD 65632 | URBAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| UD 66896 | URBAN DESIGN PRACTICUM PROJECT | 2 |
| UD 66995 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN 2 | 1 |
| UD 66995 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN | 1 |
| 6 |
| 3 | 8 |
| THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
| URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
| ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| CARTOGRAPHY | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| SEMINAR IN TOPICAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| SEMINAR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC THOUGHT | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | |
| DESIGN VISUALIZATION | |
| LANDSCAPE HISTORY AND THEORY | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN | |
| |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 65 |
Full Description
The Master of Urban Design degree expands on traditional architectural, landscape architecture and planning education with an understanding of the processes of urban development, and with the skills required to the physical shaping of urban places. The program is aimed at students with a prior background in either design or urban-related studies. The degree seeks to develop knowledgeable specialists who possess significant ability to identify opportunities in the urban environment and the sensibility to provide design solutions to the most complex problems encountered.
Faculty work in close collaboration with students through rigorous curricula focused on the application of research in the design of layered and mutually reinforcing systems and public spaces. The degree culminates with either a final hands-on practicum component or a final independent design research project for eligible students.
Projects range from neighborhood plans to large-scale urban and regional initiatives engaging cultural and environmental concerns. Project locations are often in Cleveland and similar regional cities, but they address far-reaching global concerns. Students can engage in applied research in the re-design of “Cities Growing Smaller” systemic approaches to the development of urban environments, considerations of place and identity and the place-making potential of infrastructure. Further directions include the design of cities and neighborhoods that promote physical and mental health; studies of sustainable infrastructures that support sustainable ecological systems; the adaptation of traditional models of urbanism to changing conditions; and the future of urban economies as it relates to physical place-making.
