Master of Urban Development and Design
Overview
Study our Master of Urban Development and Design and put yourself at the forefront of reimagining our urban fabric.
We address the design of cities from multiple perspectives to give you a contemporary and integrated view on how to make them better places to live and work.
Our aim is to redefine urban design to go beyond solving problems, towards understanding cities in creative ways and imagine different futures. We want to inspire the right minds to lead the way.
The majority of the world’s population live in cities, and with limited resources and significant climate change, there is a growing demand for urban designers specifically trained to understand and look at cities strategically and holistically.
Urban design is a term often borrowed by other specialists as an add-on to their core service. At UQ, we see urban design as its own expertise that includes the ability to engage with decision-makers and lead change.
This is a new degree for a new kind of designer, taught by leading academics and industry professionals. It combines project-based design studios with opportunities to develop expertise in the field of Infrastructure and Resources, People and Policy, or Economics and Strategy.
To ensure you have the right skills to enter this transdisciplinary field of design you'll study courses from across a range of disciplines, including architecture, civil engineering, planning, policy, economics and business leadership.
Wherever you are positioned in your career, you’ll look at urban development and design from a different angle and be uniquely placed to design creative solutions to make our cities more efficient, sustainable and meaningful.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Online study
- Peer-assisted study sessions
- Studios
- Workshops
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Urban Design: Urban Futures
- Contemporary Urbanism Theory and Practice
- Urban Design: Responsive Environments
- Managing Organisational Behaviour
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Urban designer
- Community engagement consultant
- Landscape architect
- Urban strategist
- Design advisor
Mid-career salary
Urban Designer
payscale.com
Average annual salary range
Urban Planner
seek.com.au
Achieving quality urban environments requires strong skills in leadership and advocacy, supported with a sophisticated knowledge base spanning normally siloed disciplines and information fields. Graduates with this solid cross-disciplinary grounding will gain a distinct advantage in their short and long-term careers.
Achieving quality urban environments requires strong skills in leadership and advocacy, supported with a sophisticated knowledge base spanning normally siloed disciplines and information fields. Graduates with this solid cross-disciplinary grounding will gain a distinct advantage in their short and long-term careers.
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), or
- a graduate certificate or graduate diploma or master's degree in a relevant discipline (see below).
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), plus 6 months full-time equivalent relevant post graduate work experience in an urban design environment (see below).
* Please note that if a graduate certificate (or graduate diploma) from the same program suite is used as the basis of entry into the program and you do not have a degree in the relevant discipline, you will not be eligible for credit towards the Masters program
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), or
- a graduate certificate or graduate diploma or master's degree in a relevant discipline (see below).
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), plus 6 months full-time equivalent relevant post graduate work experience in an urban design environment (see below).
* Please note that if a graduate certificate (or graduate diploma) from the same program suite is used as the basis of entry into the program and you do not have a degree in the relevant discipline, you will not be eligible for credit towards the Masters program
Relevant disciplines for previous qualifications
Relevant disciplines include architecture, architectural design, design, landscape architecture, planning, regional and town planning, and urban planning.
Relevant work experience
Relevant work experience includes work: in architecture, architectural design, design, landscape architecture, planning, regional and town planning, and urban planning related roles. This will need to be supported with evidence.
Evidence of relevant work experience should include a letter from your employer (and/or previous employers) clearly stating the following:
- That you work (or worked) within the specified organisation
- The nature of your work, detailing any relevant duties and responsibilities to the entry criteria above
- The length of time you were in your role/s (i.e demonstrating minimum length for entry) and whether this was full-time, part-time, or casual
- Any further bespoke conditions listed by the entry criteria
Letters will typically be expected to be presented on company letterhead and signed by a manager or HR representative. A CV or resume is not a sufficient document on its own, and must be accompanied by a supporting letter as described above.
All applications based on work experience are subject to an individual assessment.
Related programs
Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider
one of these related programs:
English language requirements
IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL iBT (including Paper Edition) - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.
PTE Academic - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.
BE - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.
CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.
OET is not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Master of Urban Development and Design are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$11,099
2024
Fee information for 2025 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2024.
$11,099
2025
Approximate yearly cost of full-time tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
AUD $47,200
2024
Fee information for 2025 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2024.
AUD $47,200
2025
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
HECS-HELP
Domestic places in the Master of Urban Development and Design are Commonwealth Supported. This means the cost of your education is shared between you and the Australian Government.
Instead of tuition fees, Commonwealth Supported students pay what are called student contribution amounts.
HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their student contribution amounts.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.
Scholarships
You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent in your country.
The program code for the Master of Urban Development and Design is 5722.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Master of Urban Development and Design is 5722.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 2 - May 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in Semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in Semester 2 - June 30 of the year of commencement.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying – or if you have any questions about university life – get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.
Explore other programs
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