Master of Urban Design
College of Architecture and Planning
Overview
Degree: MUD
Classroom Type: On campus
The Master of Urban Design (MUD) is an advanced post-professional degree program for individuals who seek a career in urban design practice or for current planning and design professionals who want to enhance and expand their existing practice with urban design knowledge and expertise.
Program Details
Interest Categories: Architecture & Planning
Campus: CU Denver
The MUD program consists of nine courses. One studio and three lecture courses in the fall (again in the spring), and either a travel studio or capstone project in the summer. To earn the MUD degree, a student must complete all nine courses totaling 36 credits.
The MUD program is designed to be accomplished in a single calendar year as a full-time, immersive experience. Students with qualifying circumstances or those with a Overlapping Dual Degree option are offered a longer timeframe.
For acceptance into the MUD program, a master’s degree in architecture, urban planning, or landscape architecture is required. An accredited professional bachelor's degree in architecture, urban planning, or landscape architecture is also sufficient.
Students in CU Denver’s M Arch, MLA, and MURP programs may apply to the MUD program and begin earning MUD credits before they have completed their current requirements. This is done through the MUD Overlapping Dual Degree Option.
The MUD program trains students to become exceptional urban design practitioners. More importantly, it trains students to become leaders in their communities. MUD encourages collaboration to position thinking at the intersection of the city-building disciplines. Students will engage with the community to create great places that are sustainable, inclusive, fair, and healthy.
Why Master of Urban Design at CU Denver?
Professional Engagement
The Master of Urban Design (MUD) program is designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in urban design. The program covers various topics, including planning policy, zoning and development regulations, public realm design, mobility and transportation, economics, social equity and environmental sustainability, and community engagement. The curriculum balances theory and practice and includes input from practicing faculty members to ensure students receive a well-rounded education. By studying these topics and learning from experienced professionals, students in the MUD program gain a deep understanding of the role of urban design in city-building and how to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
Community Engagement
The MUD program focuses on creating partnerships with local communities and organizations to advance its goals, as well as the goals of urban design practice and the broader community. This is done through the exchange of ideas and exploration of creative design concepts. The program prioritizes the people-centered approach to urban design, recognizing that to design cities effectively, urban designers must engage with and listen to the community. These partnerships aim to create lasting positive impacts for people and places.
Environment and Equity
The Master of Urban Design program focuses on the connections between urban form and various aspects of public life such as public space, social equity, ecological systems, and public health. Students explore the complex infrastructure, social networks, and ecosystems that affect the built and natural environment and work to develop design solutions that address environmental degradation, climate change, and social and racial inequities. The program emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches and the importance of addressing social, economic, and environmental sustainability and resilience in cities and towns. It also highlights the role of urban design in addressing climate change, disparities, and displacement in marginalized communities and promoting public health and wellness.
Interdisciplinary Leadership
The Master of Urban Design program aims to train the next generation of civic and design leaders. It focuses on teaching students how to communicate effectively, work well in teams, and tackle complex urban issues. The program recognizes that urban design involves multiple professions, including architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, civil engineering, and public policy. Therefore, it seeks to provide students with a broad understanding of these disciplines and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams. The program is designed to advance the careers of those within the discipline and provide a comprehensive foundation for those starting a new career in urban design.
Curriculum Overview:
Curriculum Overview
THE CURRICULUM EMPHASIZES:
• the development of the critical, analytical, interpretive and creative abilities that are essential to engaging and effectively addressing the diverse bodies of knowledge that define architecture's realm and its practices
• the use of design thinking as a highly effective means for dealing with complex situations, and will ask students to respond to design issues and situations that are often in conflict through analysis, interpretation, reason, argumentation and proof with both precision and accuracy
• the ability to analyze, interpret, organize, arrange and manipulate various bodies of knowledge
• understanding and being able to apply appropriate methodologies
REQUIRED CREDITS:
120 MINIMUM CREDITS TO GRADUATE
• 49 credits outside the Architecture Program 37 required Core Curriculum credits 12 elective credits
• 71 credits in the Architecture Program 54 required 17 elective
FOUR AREAS OF STUDY
The curriculum is organized around four areas of study:
1. Design Studies - 27 credits Design studios assist students in developing their design thinking as applied to the complex process of analysis, interpretation, definition and conclusion of design problems. Undergraduate students take five studio courses.
2. Cultural Studies - 9 credits Historical and cultural studies courses present particular methodologies for analyzing, organizing, categorizing, interpreting and delivering information about the designed environment's past. Courses in this area are Introduction to Architecture and Urbanism, Architectural History I, and Architectural History II.
3. Technical Studies - 18 credits Technological studies investigate the science of building technology. Courses in this area are:
• ARCH 3130: Construction Practices I
• ARCH 3430: Construction Practices II
• ARCH 3330: Building Systems I
• ARCH 3130: Building Systems II • ARCH 3130: Theory of Structures I • ARCH 3130: Theory of Structures II
4. Architecture Electives - 12 credits Architecture electives allow students to focus their education in areas specific to their individual career goals. Recent electives include: Architecture Photography, 3D Design, Computation, & Prototyping, Architecture Digital Media, Biomimicry, and Survival Sketching. Students may also have the opportunity to take courses in landscape architecture and planning.
• the development of the critical, analytical, interpretive and creative abilities that are essential to engaging and effectively addressing the diverse bodies of knowledge that define architecture's realm and its practices
• the use of design thinking as a highly effective means for dealing with complex situations, and will ask students to respond to design issues and situations that are often in conflict through analysis, interpretation, reason, argumentation and proof with both precision and accuracy
• the ability to analyze, interpret, organize, arrange and manipulate various bodies of knowledge
• understanding and being able to apply appropriate methodologies
REQUIRED CREDITS:
120 MINIMUM CREDITS TO GRADUATE
• 49 credits outside the Architecture Program 37 required Core Curriculum credits 12 elective credits
• 71 credits in the Architecture Program 54 required 17 elective
FOUR AREAS OF STUDY
The curriculum is organized around four areas of study:
1. Design Studies - 27 credits Design studios assist students in developing their design thinking as applied to the complex process of analysis, interpretation, definition and conclusion of design problems. Undergraduate students take five studio courses.
2. Cultural Studies - 9 credits Historical and cultural studies courses present particular methodologies for analyzing, organizing, categorizing, interpreting and delivering information about the designed environment's past. Courses in this area are Introduction to Architecture and Urbanism, Architectural History I, and Architectural History II.
3. Technical Studies - 18 credits Technological studies investigate the science of building technology. Courses in this area are:
• ARCH 3130: Construction Practices I
• ARCH 3430: Construction Practices II
• ARCH 3330: Building Systems I
• ARCH 3130: Building Systems II • ARCH 3130: Theory of Structures I • ARCH 3130: Theory of Structures II
4. Architecture Electives - 12 credits Architecture electives allow students to focus their education in areas specific to their individual career goals. Recent electives include: Architecture Photography, 3D Design, Computation, & Prototyping, Architecture Digital Media, Biomimicry, and Survival Sketching. Students may also have the opportunity to take courses in landscape architecture and planning.
Required Credits for Completion:36
Admission Requirements
Urban Design description
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