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Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design (MC-UPUD)
Masters (Coursework)Year: 2024 Delivered: On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
Award titles |
|
---|---|
Year & campus | 2024 — Parkville |
CRICOS code | 105519G |
Fees information | Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date |
Study level & type | Graduate Coursework |
AQF level | 9 |
Credit points | 300 credit points |
Duration | 36 months full-time or 72 months part-time |
The Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design is a double degree, that will allow students to complete two professionally accredited graduate programs in a reduced timeframe.
The Master of Urban Planning is an accredited professional degree that focuses on Australian and international policy and planning pertaining to human settlements. Planners promote the establishment of economically viable, socially just, environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy human settlements.
As planners, we believe that this is a critical pursuit and perhaps it is never more timely than now as we adapt to global changes that impact our cities. These changes include climate change; deepening inequality that has often been associated with diminished local democracy and the rise of community advocacy; growing concerns for community health and safety; and the emergence of global city-regions that require innovations in governance and planning.
The Master of Urban Design at the Melbourne School of Design develops professionals who are capable of seeing the city from multiple viewpoints and who relish working with interdisciplinary teams.
The strengths of this course are the people it involves and the atmosphere they create. People who make urban design at the Melbourne School of Design what it is are the staff and students. Our core group of staff brings together experience and active involvement in current urban design research, design research and education. A broader teaching team with expertise in landscape architecture and urban planning adds diversity and richness. Urban design students contribute their own experiences, energy, new themes and aspirations and add to a multicultural complexity that make our courses special.
The Master of Urban Design encourages interaction and an appreciation of creativity and difference, which creates an atmosphere of collegiality and common endeavour.
Entry requirements
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• an undergraduate degree in Architecture or Landscape Architecture or Urban Design, with a weighted average mark of at least H3 (65%), or equivalent; and
• a portfolio of recent design work, submitted in accordance with the requirements of the Selection Committee; and
• a personal statement outlining relevant prior study and work experience, and motivation to undertake the course.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and
• the design portfolio and
• the personal statement;
3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.
Graduate Degree Packages for School Leavers
The University of Melbourne offers Graduate Degree Packages to high achieving school leavers, allowing them to secure places (Commonwealth Supported places for domestic students or International fee places) in the Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design provided that they meet certain requirements.
For a Commonwealth Supported Place or an International Fee Place, the applicant must:
• complete an Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2018 or later either:
— in Australia; or
— outside Australia and be an Australian citizen;
• achieve an ATAR (or notional ATAR) of at least 98.00;
• apply for a University of Melbourne Articulated Degree Pathway for commencement in the year following completion of Year 12 or IB via VTAC;
• enrol immediately or be granted deferral in the year following Year 12;
• successfully complete a Bachelor of Design (majoring in Architecture or Landscape Architecture) at the University of Melbourne including all the specified prerequisite subjects;
• achieve a minimum weighted average mark of H3 (65%) in their undergraduate degree; and
• commence the Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design within 18 months of completing the undergraduate degree.
Applicants eligible for entry via the Graduate Degree packages will not be required to complete a portfolio or personal statement as part of their application.
Applicants should refer to the University handbook for the additional entry requirements for the Bachelor of Design.
Guaranteed Transfer into Commonwealth Supported Place
Students with a fee place in this course who complete 100 points of the course with a weighted average mark of at least H2A (75%) and who are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place will be guaranteed a transfer to a Commonwealth Supported Place for the remainder of the course.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The Melbourne School of Design is the graduate school of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. It offers professional entry programs in Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Property and Urban Planning. It offers specialist development programs in Property Valuation, Planning and Design and in Urban Design.
The Melbourne School of Design welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is the University and Faculty (Architecture, Building and Planning) policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable students’ participation in degrees offered by the Melbourne School of Design (MSD).
A candidate for degrees offered in the MSD must have abilities and skills which include the following: observation; communication; motor; conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and behavioural and social. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however, particularly at Masters level, students need to be able to participate in programs in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.
(i) Observation: Candidates must be able to read text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. Candidates should be able to observe details at a number of scales and to record useful observations of environmental contexts.
(ii) Communication: Candidates should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing, presenting one's own work in front of a large group, receiving and responding to feedback about one's own work in a public setting. Assessment in studio subjects will involve 'crits' where students present their own work in front of a large group, where they will receive and respond to feedback about their work in a public setting. Crits are an integral part of working in the industry and are an inherent requirement of the course. The requirement to undertake public crits cannot be waived.
(iii) Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from environmental contexts. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites, urban, rural and/or remote environments. Candidates should have sufficient motor ability to prepare documentation of analytic texts, drawings and models of findings and for the reparation of proposals for environmental interventions via digital or other means. Candidates should have the ability to actively participate in appropriate site and/or design studio-based activities.
(iv) Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, synthesis and, importantly, the ability to interpret results of such work. Problem resolution, the critical skill demanded of graduates, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, given the disciplines pursued in the SD, candidates should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships in environmental structures of a wide range of scales – from smaller than the individual through individual buildings and urban spaces to large geographic areas. Further, graduate study entails learning to master one’s own abilities and skills and to deploy them strategically. This requires further developing skills in both reflective and reflexive thinking and being able to practice these skills.
(v) Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students. Assessment in studio subjects will involve 'crits' where students present their own work in front of a large group, where they will receive and respond to feedback about their work in a public setting. Crits are an integral part of working in the industry.
Students undertaking public crits are an inherent requirement of the course, and cannot be waived.
Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.
Intended learning outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design will demonstrate:
Knowledge:
- A high level of technical understanding of the processes of urban planning in local and international jurisdictions.
- An understanding of a broad range of theoretical and practical issues relating to the design, conduct and implementation of urban planning processes.
- Ability to research, evaluate and discuss planning processes in the light of contemporary planning ideals, ethics and debates, including debates surrounding the creation of equitable and sustainable human settlements.
- An understanding of the principles and practices of work in urban-planning project teams.
- Knowledge in urban design and related areas; enabling them to play an integrating role between the built environment disciplines, including architecture, landscape, and planning.
- An understanding of a broad range of urban design theories, and their practical application.
- Knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to urban studies.
- An understanding of recent developments in the field of Urban Design.
Skills:
- Technical skills to plan and undertake urban planning processes.
- Cognitive and creative skills to evaluate and research traditional and alternative planning methodologies.
- Cognitive, interpersonal, communication and technical skills that demonstrate the ability to synthesise complex information and apply this to urban planning processes.
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of knowledge or practice.
- Communication skills to present projects that contribute to professional practice or scholarship.
Application of knowledge and skills:
- The ability to think strategically and creatively in addressing key issues in the design and implementation of urban planning processes.
- The ability to work individually and collaboratively to establish, implement and evaluate planning processes, and to justify and interpret planning outcomes to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Ability to plan and execute a substantial individual research-based project relating to contemporary planning theory or practice.
- The ability to think strategically and creatively in addressing key urban design issues.
- The ability to work individually and collaboratively to establish and evaluate requirements and priorities in new project situations and effectively contribute to urban design projects.
Generic skills
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, and an ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences
- Critical and analytical skills to identify and resolve complex problems
- Ability to learn and use appropriate technologies
- Effective organisational, time management and planning skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and productively in groups
Course structure
300 points
All students must complete:
- 237.5 points core subjects in Urban Planning or Urban Design
- 62.5 points electives
Subject options
237.5 points core subjects in Urban Planning or Urban Design:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ABPL90061 | Urban Design Studio A |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
ABPL90130 | Planning Law & Statutory Planning | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90246 | The Economies of Cities and Regions | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90131 | Strategic Plan Making | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90132 | Urban Coding and Design | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90273 | Urban Design Studio B |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ABPL90134 | Planning Theory and History | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90135 | Analytical Methods | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90017 | Urban Design Theory | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90315 | Participatory Planning | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90064 | Urban Sustainability and Climate Change | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90389 | Urban Design Studio C |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ABPL90396 | MSD Minor Thesis Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
ABPL90376 | Urban Design Thesis |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
ABPL90397 | MSD Minor Thesis Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
62.5 points Elective subjects
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ABPL90316 | The Shaping of Urban Design | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90149 | Contemporary Digital Practice | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90263 | Constructed Ecologies | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90167 | Design Communications Workshop (P/G) |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90304 | Flexible Urban Modelling | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90319 | GIS In Planning, Design & Development | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90123 | Advanced Computational Design | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90272 | Regenerative Sustainability | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
MULT90005 | Partnerships for Sustainable Futures |
February (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
ABPL90354 | Robin Boyd Studio | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90374 | GeoDesign Models & Applications | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90320 | Building Resilient Settlements | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90305 | Design Research | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90086 | Environmental Systems | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90366 | Urban Informatics | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90377 | Design for Ageing | Term 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
ABPL90307 | MSD Vocational Placement |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
ABPL90341 | Urban Environmental Policy and Planning | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90283 | Ecology for Design | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
HORT90039 | Green Infrastructure for Liveable Cities | February (On Campus - Burnley) |
12.5 |
FOOD90041 | The Politics of Food | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90065 | Managing Global City Regions | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90279 | Cities Without Slums | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ABPL90055 | Planning Asia Pacific Cities Studio | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
PLAN90003 | City Leadership | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
PLAN90002 | Comparative Urban Planning | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90405 | Energy & Carbon in the Built Environment |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
ABPL90266 | Inclusive Cities | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90022 | Healthy Communities | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90280 | City Lights: Cities, Culture and History | Not available in 2024 | 12.5 |
ENST90002 | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
SOCI90011 | Foundations of Social Policy | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ABPL90384 | No longer available | ||
ABPL90441 | Planning Studio | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Further study
Graduates may progress to a range of other graduate coursework programs, as well as research higher degree programs including the Doctor of Philosophy.
Last updated: 30 January 2024