Urban Design

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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The Master of Urban Design (M.U.D.) is an initial, interdisciplinary program of study that focuses on contemporary challenges of urbanism at local, regional and global scales.  Courses are taught by faculty from Architecture, Community and Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture; with an understanding that urban environments should be engaged through an integrated design process that includes ecological, social, material, economic, and urban policy factors.

The urban design degree reflects a deep commitment to resilient urban environments within the context of an increasingly concentrated, connected and, diverse urban world. Accordingly, the coursework engages emerging urbanization topics including:

  • The formation of more adaptable, flexible and resilient cities;
  • the exponential growth of megacities and steady decline of investments in traditional urban economies in the twenty-first century;
  • The transformation of Industrial landscapes, particularly within the Midwestern context, and the global impact of transnational economic operations.
  • the spatialization of informal economies, practices, and services across the south-north global divide;
  • and, a reexamination of the potentials of hard and soft infrastructures, principles of the circular economy and a reframing of the urban-rural divide.

The program consists of 30 credits, typically distributed over three semesters (fall, spring and summer), however, students may choose to distribute these credits over four or five semesters. The degree is geared toward students with professional degrees in architecture (BArch, MArch), landscape architecture (BLA, MLA) or planning (BSCRP, MCRP, MUP). Graduate students can also pursue the following double degrees in the College of Design: M Arch/MUD, MCRP/MUD and MLA/MUD. 

Requirements:

URB D 501Urban Design Local Studio6
URB D 502Urban Design Global Studio6
History/Theory/Criticism6
Technology/Methods12
Total Credits30

List of Courses:

History/Theory/Criticism - 6 credits from the following list

ARCH 527History, Theory, and Criticism of Chinese Architecture3
ARCH 528AStudies in Architecture: Culture2-3
ARCH 575Contemporary Urban Design Theory3
ARCH 597Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory3
ARCH 598Seminar on the Built Environment IV: Topical Study3
ART H 501Issues in Visual and Material Culture Seminar3
ART H 587Nineteenth Century Art3
ART H 588Modern Art and Theory3
ART H 592Art History in Europe3
ART H 594Women/Gender in Art3
ART H 595Art and Theory Since 19453
ART H 596History of Photography3
ART H 597Green Art: Earthworks and Beyond3
C R P 529Planning in Developing Countries3
C R P 561Planning Theory3
C R P 563Planning the American Metropolis3
L A 578DTopical Studies in Landscape Architecture: History/Theory/Criticism2-3
URB D 511North American Urbanization3
URB D 521Foundations of Urban Design3
URB D 522Contemporary Urban Design Practices3
URB D 531Methods of Urban Design Workshop3
URB D 533Urbanism Theory and Methods3

Technology/Methods - 12 credits from the following list

ARCH 432Advanced Computer Lighting and Rendering3
ARCH 434Advanced Computer-aided Architectural Design3
ARCH 533Digital Fabrication3
ARCH 534Topics in Computer-aided Architectural Design3
ARCH 536Advanced Design Media3
ARCH 558Sustainability and Green Architecture3
ARTGR 573Multimedia Design3
ARTGR 578Graphic Design Advanced Web Design3
ARTGR 579Wayfinding Design3
ARTIS 408Principles of 3D Animation3
ARTIS 493CWorkshop: Computer Art and Design1-3
ARTIS 507Principles of Character Animation3
ARTIS 508Computer Aided Animation and Visualization3
ARTIS 509Computer/Video Game Design and Development3
ARTIS 548Digital Textile Design3
ARTIS 556Relief Printmaking: Digital/Traditional3-4
ARTIS 557Intaglio and Monotype Printmaking: Digital / Traditional3-4
ARTIS 558Lithography: Digital / Traditional3
C R P 551Introduction to Geographic Information Systems3
C R P 552Geographic Data Management and Planning Analysis3
C R P 553Analytical Planning/GIS3
C R P 556GIS Programming and Automation3
C R P 595Seminar in GIS Applications/Research1
DSN S 501Introduction to Research Design3
IND D 640Advanced Digital Technologies3
L A 558Web Mapping and Spatial Data Visualization3
L A 578GTopical Studies in Landscape Architecture: Graphics2-3
L A 578KLandscape Architecture: Computer Applications2-3
L A 578LTopical Studies in Landscape Architecture: Ecological Design2-3
URB D 532Urban Design Media Workshop3

 
First Year
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
Select from History/Theory/Culture List3URB D 5016URB D 5026
Select from Technology/Methods List3Select from Technology/Methods List3 
Select from Technology/Methods List3Select From History/Theory/Culture3 
Select from Technology/Methods List3  
 12 12 6