Studies & Degrees in Urban Architecture & Design
Urban Architecture & Design Study Programs
Urban architecture and design, usually called urban design, deals with the form of towns and cities: streets, squares, parks, blocks of buildings and whole neighbourhoods. It works at a scale between the single building, which is the architect's task, and the city plan, which is the planner's. Students learn to read a site and its social and environmental context, and to turn that reading into proposals for public space, housing, mobility and landscape.
Most of the teaching takes place in design studios, where students develop projects under the guidance of teaching staff. Studios are combined with courses in urban history and theory, planning law, housing, transport, ecology and climate adaptation, digital mapping (GIS) and drawing, and with work with residents and local authorities.
Qualifications and levels
Urban design is mostly a postgraduate specialisation. The usual route is a first degree in architecture, landscape architecture or planning, followed by a master's degree.
- Architecture degrees with urbanism. In many countries, urbanism is part of the architect's training. In Brazil the degree itself is called Arquitetura e Urbanismo, and the professional council is the Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (CAU). In Chile, the Arquitectura programme of the Universidad de Concepción lasts 10 semesters, and in the final cycle students can choose a track in urban and territorial projects (Proyecto Urbano Territorial) before obtaining the professional title of architect. In Spain, the degrees that give access to the profession of architect consist of a bachelor's degree (grado) of 300 ECTS credits and a master's degree of 60 ECTS credits, and their required competences include knowledge of urbanism and planning techniques.
- Master's degrees in urban design. Lund University in Sweden offers the Master's Programme in Sustainable Urban Design, which takes 2 years (120 credits) and is taught in English. Washington University in St. Louis has a Master of Urban Design that was established in 1962; it is open to holders of professional or pre-professional degrees in architecture, landscape architecture or planning and has a one-year track.
- Master's degrees in planning. Planning programmes are closer to policy and regulation but share studios with urban design. The Master of Planning of the University of Calgary is a two-year, course-based degree without a research thesis. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
- Doctorates. King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi in Thailand offers an international PhD in design and planning with a duration of 3 years.
Design schools also offer shorter courses and their own master's programmes in related fields. Before enrolling, ask the school what recognition the qualification has and whether it counts towards registration as an architect or planner in the country where you want to work.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 19 active schools for urban architecture and design. Brazil has the most (6), followed by Spain, the United States and Chile (2 each); Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Sweden and Thailand have 1 each.
The Brazilian schools are public universities such as the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, whose Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo e Design teaches the undergraduate course in Arquitetura e Urbanismo, and the Universidade Estadual de Maringá, which has a department of architecture and urbanism. Teaching there is in Portuguese. Programmes in Chile, Argentina and Spain are taught in Spanish. Master's programmes in Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia and Thailand are taught in English, so non-native speakers need to show the English level each university requires.
When comparing programmes, look at the balance between studio work and theory, the cities and sites used in the studios, the admission requirements (most master's programmes ask for a portfolio and a related first degree) and professional recognition.
Careers
Graduates work in architecture and urban design offices, municipal planning departments, regional and national agencies, housing and development companies, landscape and mobility consultancies, and research. Typical tasks are master plans for new districts, the redesign of streets and public spaces, urban renewal and climate adaptation projects.
Access to the professions is regulated in many countries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about two-thirds of US states require architects to hold a degree from an accredited architecture programme, and urban and regional planners typically need a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited planning programme. The Bureau projects that employment of both architects and urban and regional planners will grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between urban design and urban planning?
Urban design gives physical form to streets, public spaces and neighbourhoods and is taught mainly in design studios. Urban planning deals more with policy, land use and regulation. In practice the two overlap, and many schools teach them side by side.
Do I need a degree in architecture to study urban design?
For most master's programmes you need a related first degree. The Master of Urban Design at Washington University in St. Louis, for example, is open to holders of professional or pre-professional degrees in architecture, landscape architecture or planning.
How long does a master's degree in urban design take?
One to two years. The Master's Programme in Sustainable Urban Design at Lund University takes 2 years (120 credits), and Washington University in St. Louis has a one-year track.
In which language are the programmes taught?
It depends on the country: Portuguese in Brazil, Spanish in Chile, Argentina and Spain, and English in many master's programmes elsewhere, such as the one at Lund University.