MILWAUKEE __ The School of Architecture & Urban Planning at UW-Milwaukee launched its eighth graduate degree program this fall, the studio-based Master of Urban Design (MUD). Architecture and urban planning faculty are now reviewing applications for the program’s inaugural September 2021 cohort. The twelve-month program responds to a growing demand for professional designers and planners who can develop urban spaces that support robust economic development, environmental stewardship, equity and livability.

The departments of architecture and urban planning jointly offer the accelerated, STEM-affiliated master’s degree program. Information about the new program and SARUP’s additional seven graduate programs can be found online.

“A professional design community trained specifically in urban design is essential to helping communities capably address climate change, aging infrastructure, income inequality and population growth,” says Department of Urban Planning chairwoman and professor Ivy Hu, who also serves on the governing board of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and is president of the International Association for China Planning. “These issues increasingly affect communities of every size, in every country. We felt compelled to create an intensive new curriculum that offers relevant research- and practice-based coursework drawn from our school’s architecture and planning expertise.”

Regional, award-winning sites that highlight the community and career opportunities possible through impactful and intentional urban design include:
• Downtown’s reconstructed Park East Corridor, which removed an elevated highway to reconnect neighborhoods to downtown Milwaukee through expanded riverwalks, pedestrian-scaled streets and public spaces.
• Westlawn Housing Project, a 75-acre modern, energy-efficient public housing community, featuring accessible units and a variety of gathering spaces.
• Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, with a focus on brownfield redevelopment, green infrastructure as public greenspace and modern light manufacturing architecture, bringing jobs within walking distance of the city’s diverse near south side.
• Oak Creek’s Drexel Square, a new vibrant city center in a traditional suburb, creating a mixed-use destination to live, shop and entertain.

Prospective Master of Urban Design students should have the following: bachelor’s degree in architecture, landscape architecture, design-focused urban planning or interior design; design-studio background; minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0; ability to submit an electronic design portfolio. The GRE is not required for Master of Urban Design applicants.

For more information about the Master of Urban Design and other graduate programs in the School of Architecture & Urban Planning, please visit the School of Architecture & Urban Planning online or contact Ivy Hu.