What you will learn

Outcomes

Students who complete the certificate will:

• Recognize how to use design thinking and processes to define and address metropolitan problems.
• Be able to develop metropolitan design concepts and programs at a variety of scales from the block to the metropolis and region.
• Possess a basic knowledge of the history of urban/civic design and urbanization, including current trends.
• Understand how social, political, economic, ecological, cultural, and technological processes shape urban areas.
• Recognize the public character of urban design.
• Be at ease with a variety of techniques and methods of environmental analysis, graphical and written communication, design thinking, public involvement, implementation, and evaluation.
• Develop critical thinking and analysis skills pertinent to problems of metropolitan design and planning.

Curriculum

The certificate is a six or seven course sequence, with at least 21 credits (e.g. five seminar/lecture courses and one studio). These courses can contribute to the requirements for the base degree. The university requires a GPA of at least 2.8 for certificate courses. Model programs for students in the M.Arch., MLA, and MURP programs are available.

Download Checklists for Required Courses:

• Enrollment / Program Requirement Check List for M.Arch. and MLA students (57 KB)
• Enrollment / Program Requirement Check List for students in degree programs other than M.Arch. and MLA (56 KB)

Lecture/Seminar

• Arch 5711: Design Principles of the Urban Landscape (3 Cr.)
  An overview course introducing the student to urban design.
  • This course can be waived by the program director if the student can demonstrate similar material has been covered in coursework. Such a waiver will not affect the requirement to do at least six courses and 21 credits. This course is required in some degree programs and a waiver for the certificate will not affect those requirements.
  • If a student does the version of 5711 offered in study abroad--this affects MLA students--they need permission of the Certificate Director in order to count this version of the course. They may need to demonstrate that they have covered materials in other courses.
• Arch/LA 5721: Pro-seminar in Metropolitan Design (3 Cr.)
  An advanced course dealing with theory and case studies in urban design.
  • Prerequisite: Arch 5711 or permission of the instructor. This course cannot be waive

Studio/Workshop/Project

An approved urban design studio or workshop selected from a list of approved studio courses including approved versions of:

• Arch 825X Graduate Architectural Design (approval is by the certificate director and requires a copy of the syllabus.
• LA 8205: Urban Form Options
• LA 8555: Advanced Landscape Planning and Design on approved topic (6 credits)
• Arch 8777 Thesis on approved topic (9 credits)
• Other approved workshops, projects, theses, or project-based independent studies

This requirement may also be fulfilled by the course:

• LA 8741: Metropolitan Design Workshop (3 – 6 Cr.) An interdisciplinary 3 credit urban design workshop with optional 3 credit individual design for students enrolled in the M.Arch. and MLA.

Electives:

Three or four additional courses from approved lists. These approved courses are broken into two lists: (A) classes on economic, political, and social concerns, and (B) design history, theory, and methods. There will be two tracks depending on students' backgrounds. The track for those with architecture and landscape architecture backgrounds emphasizes economic, political, and social concerns. The track for non-designers emphasizes design history, theory, and methods. It is possible to take up to two courses not on the list, with the approval of the Certificate Director.

• Students enrolled in architecture and landscape architecture degrees will take:
  • Two classes from list A: e.g. classes on real estate, the politics of development, social geography, land use law, community development, transportation planning.
  • One or two other classes from list A or list B (termed the "unrestricted" elective, but it is restricted to one of the two lists).
  • At least two classes will be in a lecture/seminar format.
• Students not enrolled in architecture or landscape architecture degrees will take:
  • At least two classes from list B: e.g. classes on architectural and landscape architecture history, ecology/technology in design, design theory.
  • One or two other classes from list A or list B (termed the "unrestricted" elective, but restricted to courses on the two lists).
  • At least one elective class should be a studio/project/thesis/workshop (this is to ensure that the non-designers have significant exposure to studio/project work).
• For all students:
  • Only one independent study will be allowed but it will at the same time be encouraged if the student works with an affiliated faculty member.
  • For studio/project/thesis/workshop/independent study classes, the topic/product must be approved by the program director.
  • Classes not on the approved list, including those transferred from other universities, will need approval of the program director. There will be a maximum of two such courses.