Triangle

Course overview

Our Sustainable Urban Design MArch programme focuses on the design of the public and urban areas. The programme is designed to enable graduates to enhance the quality of cities around the world by bringing innovative design into a new relationship with the latest research.

You will learn about the structure of urban form, the way that cities function, and how people use them in order to create urban places that respond to the major opportunities and challenges facing society.

This programme covers all of the areas required of an urban designer in contemporary practice, including:

  • public and urban design theory and practice
  • urban regeneration
  • sustainable urbanism theory and applications
  • urban policy

You will acquire the knowledge and develop the necessary skills to face the contemporary cultural, historical, social, economic, and environmental challenges in terms of achieving holistic sustainability in those realms.

Each year we celebrate the project work of our students with an exhibition of their designs, showcasing some of the fantastic work of the next generation of architects and building engineers.

Why choose this course?

Top 3

architecture school in the country

 

Architects Journal (2020)

Collaborative links

strong collaborative links with professional organisations and international institutions 

Live projects

Work on real projects and with professional organisations

Professional Skills

Develop important professional knowledge and skills.

Top 10

Best Architecture schools in the UK

Course content

This programme covers place-making, public realm design, urban design theory and practice, urban conservation and regeneration issues, cities and the way that they work, and sustainable urbanism theory and application.

Modules

Advanced Design Project 1 30 credits

The purpose of this module is to develop architectural, urban design skills and awareness through the design of architectural and urban interventions at an appropriate scale and resolution, in response to a brief. Students are encouraged to engage with a specific design specialism, to adopt novel approaches to the generation of design concepts, and to develop these in detail in response to the circumstances of both the physical, cultural and intellectual context of the project.

This is a studio-based design module within a specialist design units (for example: architecture design, museum design, tall buildings, sustainable architecture design, architectural tectonics, sustainable urban design). The projects will involve the design of an architectural or urban intervention at an appropriate scale and resolution in response to an advanced design brief. The module provides higher-level skills and understanding necessary for postgraduate study within specialist streams and explores the integration and development of advanced specialist concepts, ideas, technologies and thinking within the architectural and urban design environment. Throughout the semester, students are expected to undertake in-depth conceptual development, design research, design testing and evaluation, and final presentation.

Advanced Design Project 2 30 credits

The purpose of this module is to develop advanced architectural and urban design skills and awareness through the design of architectural and urban interventions at an appropriate scale and resolution. Students are encouraged to engage with a specific design specialism, to adopt novel approaches to the generation of design concepts, and to develop these in detail in response to the circumstances of both the physical, cultural and intellectual context of the project.

This is a studio-based design module within a specialist design unit (for example: architecture design, museum design, design and build, tall buildings, sustainable design, architectural tectonics, urban design). The project will involve the design of an architectural or urban intervention at an appropriate scale and resolution in response to an advanced design brief. The module provides higher-level skills and understanding necessary for postgraduate study within specialist streams and explores the integration and development of advanced specialist concepts, ideas, technologies and thinking within the architectural and urban design environment. Throughout the semester, students are expected to undertake in-depth conceptual development, design research, design testing and evaluation, presentation and communication.

Urban Design Theory and Practice 20 credits

This module aims to introduce and analyse contemporary urban design theories and practice including their evolution from historical practice to develop a critical understanding of the contemporary city and how people engage with it. This will include an analysis of the visual, social, functional, perceptual and environmental dimensions of the practice of urban design.

This module is intended as an introduction to the current issues in the theory and practice of urban design, urbanism and the public realm. The module will enable an advanced understanding of people, places and cities.

Issues and challenges will be introduced by tracing the evolution of urban design including how its historical evolution informs contemporary practice. New and emerging phenomena within the urban design discipline will also be analysed to set the contemporary agenda.

Sustainable Cities 10 credits

This module introduces the key theories of how a city works and its impact on the environment.It makes the students aware that sustainable cities are a product of both spatial patterns and social realities. The module examines a range of issues and challenges with a particular focus on environmental impact (local -global integration).

Architecture and Urbanism Research 10 credits

This module enables students to acquire the core skills used in research and practice these through an exploration of a specialist subject relevant to architecture and the built environment.

This module covers the skills and resources needed to conduct independent academic research, including how to present findings effectively. It will cover choosing a research topic, how to shape research literature search techniques, including the use of the web. As a result, students will be able to conduct their own primary research, including quantitative and qualitative methodologies; data collection and simple statistical analysis. Opportunities to practice these skills will be presented through participation in a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops designed to introduce specialist subject areas relevant to the field of architecture and related disciplines.

Urban Design Management 20 credits

The Urban Design Management module is focused on learning from existing buildings and/or urban spaces through post-occupancy and performance monitoring and evaluation. The module offers opportunities for students to explore environmental design issues in depth, to further develop their preferred speciality and to develop academic writing skills.

Much of the work produced in this module has been published in international conferences or journals.

Architecture & Built Environment Dissertation or Design Thesis Project 60 credits

This module aims to enable students to plan, implement and write up a substantial piece of original research that will make a contribution to the intellectual life of the discipline.

Students can choose between a research dissertation or a design thesis project in the Summer term.

The dissertation module aims to enable students to plan, implement, and write up a substantial piece of original research that will make a contribution to the intellectual life of the discipline of urban design. The dissertation seeks to enable students to:

  • demonstrate and develop research skills in their chosen area of study;
  • select a topic of inquiry in consultation with relevant members of academic staff;
  • search and critically review the appropriate literature;
  • develop appropriate research questions for their chosen area of study;
  • consider the ethical aspects of their investigation;
  • select an appropriate methodology for their investigation
  • collect data;
  • rigorously explore and critically analyse data;
  • interpret findings against what is already known in the field of study;
  • critically evaluate and reflect on the study itself; and
  • make appropriate suggestions for further research.

The design thesis project module is a research and studio-based module that aims to further develop advanced level design skills and knowledge. The structured project within the module builds upon the design, practical, and theoretical modules in the Autumn and Spring semesters and involves the completion of a detailed thesis design solution that should reflect the investigative research that is conducted through a written design research report. The design thesis project will enable students to:

  • Define design research topic and identify challenges and issues which should be resolved during design practice;
  • Construct and conduct good research with rigorous arguments, and apply the research outcome into design practice;
  • Apply architectural and/or urban design principles within a design solution;
  • Understand the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale;
  • Clearly and effectively convey and critically appraise design ideas and proposals;
  • To form considered judgments about the contexts and qualities of a design;
  • To demonstrate an understanding of relevant design theory in relation to the design project;
  • To research and analyse context to inform design; and
  • To develop advanced research, analytical, and writing skills.
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Tuesday 23 July 2024.

Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Workshops
  • Design studio

We will use the best of digital technologies to support both your in-person and online teaching.  Our teaching is delivered through live, interactive in person sessions, alongside digital and pre-recorded teaching materials so that you can revise at your own pace.

How you will be assessed

  • Essay
  • Dissertation
  • Reports
  • Presentation

The programme consists of 180 credits over 3 semesters.

Contact time and study hours

Class sizes vary with the modules. Studios are generally undertaken in small groups, usually between 15 and 25. Other core modules such as Advanced Sustainable Design and Case Study Project have medium size classes (usually 25-35 students), which allow us to run workshops effectively. In Architecture and Urbanism Research you will join the whole masters cohort in a large group, which will allow you to meet others outside your course. 

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Undergraduate degreeA 2:1 or equivalent in an undergraduate course in architecture, urban planning, landscape design, landscape architecture, environmental design, interior design, or a similar subject. This must include design-based modules amounting to 25% to 50% of total credits.
Portfolio

Applicants to all MArch programmes are required to submit a portfolio of their design work with their application. The portfolio enables us to see that you have some of the core skills required to be successful on an MArch course and to see the range of skills and types of projects that you have completed in your undergraduate degree and during any professional experience.

The portfolio should be submitted with your admissions application and be in PDF format and less than 50Mb (please submit this directly onto the MyNottingham admissions system).

The portfolio should have:

  • a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 pages
  • a front cover stating your full name

The portfolio should contain:

  • examples of a few design projects that you have completed as part of your taught university education and/or professional practice experience
  • clear demonstration of your design skills, such as plans, sections, perspectives, physical and computer models, etc
  • images from any architectural, urban, planning or landscape projects that you have completed in your studies or professional practice experience
  • you may also include a few sketches, paintings, photographs, still life or life drawings to show your skills (maximum 2 pages)

Portfolios will be judged on whether you have the architectural design skills to enter a specialised postgraduate degree programme. We want to see a keen sense of judgement and spatial awareness in your work, and an ability to graphically display this.

Applying

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply

Fees

Qualification MArch
Home / UK £10,400
International £27,150

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you may factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses. You should be able to access most of the books (hard copy or e-copy) you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies or more specific titles which could cost up to £100 per year.

In addition to this you may spend up to £50 per on printing and up to £50 on model making and drawing equipment. Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.

All field trips are provided by the Department and are free for students.

Funding

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

Careers

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

Graduates of the MArch Sustainable Urban Design typically go on to work at the interface between urban design and architecture, urban planning, landscape design in architectural or multi-disciplinary practices and design institutes around the world. Many graduates also progress onto PhD study either at Nottingham or other leading universities.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates
" "Studying on the MArch Sustainable Urban Design is a great opportunity to develop high level urban design skills and knowledge whilst working under the guidance of leading academics. You will study in an exciting multi-disciplinary environment alongside graduates from different disciplines, countries and backgrounds" "
Professor Tim Heath, Professor of Architecture & Urban Design, and Director of Postgraduate Studies

This content was last updated on Tuesday 23 July 2024. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.