Master of City Design

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program admission criteria:

  • Baccalaureate Field Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, and other creative fields. Relevant professional experience of two or more years strongly recommended.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
  • Tests Required None required for admission. 
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score
    • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
    • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required.
  • Personal Statement Required. The statement must address the applicant’s educational and career goals and previous pertinent work, volunteer, and/or academic experience.
  • Other Requirements Applicants must submit a portfolio comprising their most important and representative visual arts, design, research, and/or professional work such as an essay, academic paper or policy report, newspaper article, photographs, handmade sketches, computer generated graphics, design proposal, or project of which they are the sole author or designer. This material may be of an academic, professional, or personal nature, and must be submitted in a PDF format and include a description of the project as well as supporting documentation, which may include images or a video. Applicants must submit a resume as well.
  • Deadlines The number of students admitted is limited. Admissions are selective and competitive. Fall semester start only. Early submissions are encouraged in order to receive fullest consideration. The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
  • Coursework
    Required Core Courses
    CD 503
    		Urban Spatial Analysis & Visualization
    CD 504
    		Theories of Urban Design
    CD 511
    		Urban Edge Studio
    CD 512
    		Great Cities Studio
    CD 522
    		Chicago Charette I
    CD 523
    		Chicago Charette II
    UPP 508
    		Global Urbanization and Planning
    Selective courses
    Select any course from the following list with advisor's approval:
    UPP 550
    		Spatial Planning: Theoretical Foundations
    UPP 594
    		Topics in Urban Planning and Policy
    UPP 565
    		Transportation: Special Topics
    UPP 542
    		Metropolitan Housing Planning
    UPP 543
    		Planning for Healthy Cities
    UPP 535
    		Economic Development: Special Topics
    UPP 544
    		Urban Revitailization and Gentrification
    UPP 525
    		Globalization and International Planning: Special Topics
    UPP 553
    		Land Use Law
    UPP 558
    		Land Use Regulation and Planning
    UPP 533
    		Development Finance Analysis
    UPP 564
    		Public Transit Management
  • A minimum 3.00/4.00 GPA is required in all work taken in the major field, and in all work accepted by the university.
  • Comprehensive Examination None.
  • Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options: Coursework only. No other options available.