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The University of Queensland

Brisbane , Queensland ,Australia

Master of Urban Development and Design

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, and combines project-based design studios with opportunities to develop expertise in either Infrastructure and resources, People and policy, or Economics and strategy fields.

You will study courses from across a range of disciplines including architecture, civil engineering, planning, policy, economics and business leadership to ensure you have the right skills to enter this transdisciplinary field of design.

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.

Campus Information

St Lucia

Situated on 114 hectares of Brisbane River-bound land, UQ’s main campus is a vibrant mix of majestic sandstone buildings and contemporary architecture, landscaped gardens and lakes. Fanning out from the heritage-listed Great Court, you’ll find modern teaching and research facilities, including laboratories, lecture theatres, and Queensland’s largest research library. The expansive grounds are also home to a variety of sporting facilities, museums, cafes, and those famous Jacaranda trees. The St Lucia campus is only seven kilometres from Brisbane’s city centre, making it an appealing place to study, work or visit.

Intakes

  • Feb
  • July

Application Processing Time in Days: 28

Application Process

Days

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

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

PSW Opportunity

2 years of Post-Study Work (PSW) rights to international students post completion of their respective Postgraduate.

 

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

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).
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
  • 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).

You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification

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.