Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design at The University of Melbourne

The Master of Landscape Architecture combined with the Master of Urban Design creates professionals who will have the knowledge and skills to help improve our built and natural environments through innovative design, and who understand the city as a spatio-temporally complex system. The program aims to provide you with: unique skills which bridge the arts and sciences, design and the environment; the ability to engage in core ecological, cultural and social issues in both urban and rural societies; foundation knowledge for the design of interconnected buildings and private and public spaces for our towns within social, environmental, aesthetic and economic contexts. At the Melbourne School of Design, our curriculum is underpinned by a strong grounding in design, ecology and urbanism. These strengths are paralleled by a comprehensive history and theory stream encompassing contemporary landscape architecture, architecture and urban design theory, and cross-cultural issues, including indigenous perspective for sustainable societies.

The Graduate Diploma in Built Environments allows you to develop skills by creating an individualised course of study. With the approval of the Course Coordinator, you can select subjects from across the broad range of disciplines offered by the Melbourne School of Design. The flexibility this course offers is of great benefit to students who: do not wish to specialise in one particular area are not yet certain where their interests and career aspirations lie possess a relevant existing qualification and wish to enhance their qualifications through advanced studies in areas of their choice.

The Master of Urban Design develops professionals who can understand the city as possessing both spatial and temporal elements that interplay in a complex system, and who can design for contemporary challenges such as mass urbanisation and changing climate demands. Differing from architecture, which focuses on individual buildings and structures, urban design looks at groups of buildings, street scapes, landscapes and the provision of municipal services, and aims to create harmonious, cohesive spaces. By working in interdisciplinary teams that encourage interaction, collaboration and collegiate working environments, our students are employment-ready for a challenging and rewarding career in Urban Design.