Degree Requirements

To earn the MUD degree, students must complete one year (three consecutive semesters) in residence, 32 units of coursework, the core curriculum, and an Advanced Design Project or Master’s Thesis.

CORE CURRICULUM
Every MUD student must complete the following core curriculum:

ENV DES 201: Fundamentals Studio (Summer, 5 units)

ENV DES 251: Discourses in Urban Design (Summer, 3 units)

ENV DES 252: Thesis Research and Preparation (Fall, 3 units)

ENV DES 202: Advanced Urban Design Studio or equivalent (Fall, 5 units)

ENV DES 253: Thesis Studio (Spring, 5 units)

SECOND STUDIO REQUIREMENT
The MUD program offers a Fall urban design advanced studio (ENV DES 202), also open to selected advanced students from other programs. The other three departments occasionally offer studios with an urban design focus. Note: instructors and topics change every year. Options will be available at the beginning of the fall semester.

METHODS REQUIREMENT
LD ARCH 241/CY PLAN 241: Research Methods in Environmental Design (F, 4 units)
This course is cross-listed in both the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of City and Regional Planning; MUD students may enroll using either course number.

HISTORY/THEORY REQUIREMENT
Students must complete one of the following courses:

LD ARCH 250/CY PLAN 240: History and Theory of Urban Form (Sp, 3 units)

CY 249: Urban Design in Planning (Sp, 3 units)

LD ARCH 251: Theories of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (F, 2 units)

ARCH 279: Contemporary Urban Design (F, 3 units)

*Note: not all of these courses are offered every year.

ELECTIVES
Additional elective courses based on student interests. Students are encouraged to explore the broad range of courses available across the College and University to expand their knowledge base, skills, and interest in specific topics. Students must complete at least 4 units of electives to fulfill the degree's elective requirements.

FINAL PROJECT
Students have a choice of two different types of final projects: either an Advanced Design Project (Plan I), filed with the MUD Program or a Thesis-design Project (Plan II), filed with the Graduate Division.

Advanced Design Project/Thesis

The Advanced Design Project (Plan I) starts with a specific site, program or design problem. It is explored through extensive site analysis, review and analysis of relevant precedents, the development of design alternatives leading to a design proposition that addresses the challenges of the site and problem.

Requirements

Students must form a committee including at least two members. Advisors can be from the MUD program, other departments, or professionals with expertise in their project.

The work leads to an Advanced Design Project report, a document that includes all the drawings from the final presentation and a brief written description that describes the project and the design approach and concept, i.e., the design project. It is filed with the MUD program.

While conforming to proper scholarly conventions, the format and graphic design is up to the student.

Schedule

A preliminary design proposal is prepared during the fall semester (in ENV DES 251) and presented to the MUD faculty at the end of the semester. Students must have formed their committee and identified their Chair by the end of the Fall semester.

The work is finalized during the spring semester (in ENV DES 253) and students present their completed Advanced Design Projects at a final review with MUD faculty, local professionals, and alumni at the end of the Spring semester.

An electronic file of the Advanced Design Project is due at the end of the Spring semester.

Thesis Project (Plan II) starts with a topic or issue and a set of related questions. It is explored through a review of relevant scholarly literature, applicable case studies and logical analysis of the discourse in the topic area. The exploration leads to a design proposition (or thesis) that demonstrates how the exploration is transformative in the creation of urban places. It must demonstrate its impact through a design that engages the spatial and environmental analysis of a particular site and context.

Requirements

Students must form a committee with a minimum of three members of the Berkeley Academic Senate including at least two from the MUD program.

The thesis is a written document that along with the drawings presented at the final review is filed with the Graduate Division on their filing date and is archived in the CED Library.

The thesis must conform to proper scholarly conventions and satisfy the style guidelines of the Graduate Division.

Schedule

A preliminary thesis proposal is prepared during the fall semester (in ENV DES 251) and presented to the MUD faculty at the end of the semester. Students must have formed their committee and identified their Chair by the end of the Fall semester. They develop their thesis during the spring semester (in ENV DES 252).

The thesis is finalized during the spring semester (in ENV DES 253) and a finished draft must be completed and signed off on by each student’s Committee and filed by the end of spring semester.

Students present their final thesis project at a review with MUD faculty, local professionals, and alumni. The final thesis document must adhere to Graduate Division standards and be approved by the Graduate Division before a MUD degree can be awarded.