The Masters in Urban Design in UCD is a research based Masters aimed at developing the body of research in Urban Design in Ireland, to strengthen future policy and practice in Urban Design.
Structure:
The course is a 4 semester, full-time, research masters. The main emphasis of the course is on the development of the thesis. This independent research work is initiated through studio in the first two semesters and completed through independent research in the final two semesters. Taught modules are also offered in semesters 1 and 2. The course begins in September in each year, runs through the summer, with completion in January, 16 months after commencement.
Studio:
At the core of the course is the Urban Design Studio. The studio is aimed at developing both practical and analytical skills to engage with urban design issues. There are two 12 week Urban Design Studios; one in the first semester, and one in the second is. The focus of the first semester's studio is on skills, methods and analysis relevant to urban design. The second semester builds on these skills and begins to address design proposals, developed from the previous semester's research. Design can then be developed independently in semesters 3 and 4 to contribute to the independent thesis. The studio is sited in a specific location each year. In 2009/10 students focused on peripheral development in Dublin and we will build on this research in the 2010/11 academic year.
Modules:
Supplementing the thesis and studio are a number of taught modules. There are 3 taught modules in each of semesters 1 and 2. These include: urban design theory, fieldwork, history of the designed environment in Ireland, GIS, research methods and case studies. Some modules are shared with MUBC students and the wider post-graduate community in the school of architecture. The GIS module is run by the school of Geography, Planning & Environmental Policy. These modules combined equate to 30 credits (ECTS) out of the total 120 ECTS for the course.
Thesis:
The thesis is an independent piece of research carried out by each student that builds on their earlier course work and is developed through supervision with an individual thesis supervisor. It represents the culmination of the students' four semester research. The topics for research are developed in the first two semesters through the students' work and in consultation with staff. Semesters 3 & 4 are exclusively for independent work on the thesis. The thesis equates to 90 out of the 120 ECTS awarded for the masters.
