University of Westminster

Urban Design MA

In an increasingly urbanised world, there is growing international demand for urban design graduates. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to participate in this rapidly expanding profession. Urban design involves shaping the physical setting for life in cities. The pace of urban change, and the challenge of making cities efficient, sustainable and meaningful, demands creative solutions to design and management. The urban design courses at Westminster provide a coherent approach to issues that face our cities, combining structured academic study with live design projects, allowing you to develop practical skills, a theoretical understanding and an informed approach to sustainable urban development.

Our Urban Design MA is one of the longest established in the UK. It enjoys an excellent reputation, and our graduates are highly respected in the profession. Our students are from a variety of professions and backgrounds, including architecture, landscape architecture and planning, from the UK, Europe, and across the globe. They range from recent graduates seeking to expand their skill base before commencing their career or those considering a shift from an allied profession to established professionals seeking to specialise or develop a more informed critical approach. Our central London location allows you to interact with a huge variety of practitioners and organisations, as well as draw on the city's huge range of resources; you'll be at the heart of the debate over the future of cities.

The course places a strong emphasis on design, practical outputs and a multidisciplinary approach. While focusing on UK examples, the lessons are applicable to a wide range of international and economic contexts. This flexible and student-centred approach is highly valued by former graduates and their employers. The course is delivered by staff with many years' experience in practice, education, training, research, and consultancy in the UK and overseas. Outputs from the course combined into a portfolio demonstrate your ability to deal with the complexities of urban design in a practical and informed manner.

Top reasons to study with us

• Excellent course reputation – Our Urban Design MA is one of the longest established in the UK and has an excellent reputation in the industry.
• Learn from experts – You’ll be taught by staff with many years' experience in practice, education, training, research, and consultancy in the UK and overseas.
• Central London location – Our central London location allows you to interact with a huge variety of practitioners and organisations, as well as draw on the city's huge range of resources; you’ll be at the heart of the debate over the future of cities.
• Live-design projects – The course theory and design modules utilise London and the southeast of England as an urban laboratory where projects are based on active development sites or set within current areas of change, typically experiencing development pressures or other development challenges, similar to work taking place in practice.

Why study this course?

• Central London location
  Our central London location allows you to interact with a huge variety of practitioners and organisations, as well as draw on the city's huge range of resources.
• Outstanding facilities
  We have vibrant design studios and a cutting-edge Fabrication Laboratory.
• Excellent course reputation
  Our Urban Design MA is one of the longest established in the UK and has an excellent reputation in the industry.

Professional Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the RTPI as a Specialist Course. This is effectively half of the accreditation required for eligibility to take the APC (Assessment of Professional Competency) for full membership of the RTPI.