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Architecture & Urban Planning

Coordinated Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Planning

Introduction  
An Overview
Program of Study
Urban Planning Program 
Architecture Program 

Introduction

In recent years there has been growing concern about the failure of traditional professional disciplines to address the development problems of new and existing urban areas. This concern has created the impetus for a new type of professional, the urban designer, who can combine both the design abilities and managerial skills that are essential to the successful development and implementation of new ideas in the urban environment. Increasingly, communities are turning to the urban designer for the expertise to meet this new challenge.

The faculties of both Departments see the Coordinated Degree Program as an opportunity for students to put together a set of skills which has traditionally been too time consuming for most students to assemble. The opportunity to receive two professional degrees -- a Master of Architecture and a Master of Urban Planning -- is an increasingly popular career option with expanding opportunities in both the private and public sectors. While the Coordinated Degree Program prepares students to pursue careers in either field, it also educates them to become part of a growing group of people dealing with physical problems of urban development in a wide variety of communities and organizations.

Architecture and urban planning have been traditionally viewed as allied fields. Indeed, in many universities both disciplines are placed together in one unit, as in our School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Still, during the last several decades the two disciplines have evolved in very different directions in terms of the skills they teach, the knowledge they seek, and the theories they develop. Until recently, professionals with experience in both fields have been viewed narrowly as urban design specialists.

In practice, however, the two disciplines remain strongly related and attitudes towards urban development are changing dramatically. Today, the nature of urban design calls for a broad set of skills from both fields to be applied to problems of historic conservation, neighborhood revitalization, downtown redevelopment, energy policy, movement and access, third world urbanization, urban issue communication and interpretation, urban policy research, and many other issues. The professional with expertise in both fields is no longer a specialist, but a highly skilled generalist who can understand, integrate and manage programs, policies, plans and who designs in an innovative and effective manner. It is this attitude that underlines the Coordinated Degree Program at the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning.


An Overview 

The objective of the Coordinated Degree Program is to educate architects and urban planners to assume responsible planning and design roles in both public and private agencies. The aims of the program are to build on students' existing capabilities by developing the skills and techniques necessary to address the special problems of the urban environment. In particular, students are taught to interpret and assess the qualities of the urban environment, to understand the behavior of critical individuals and organizations, to evaluate the impact of change and to manage strategies for the implementation of proposed solutions to complex urban problems.

The concept of the Coordinated Degree Program is a simple one. Students with a Bachelor's Degree in architectural studies or the equivalent who enroll in the program and complete its requirements receive both the Master of Architecture degree and the Master of Urban Planning degree. If students were to complete the architecture and planning programs separately, four years (96 credits) would be required. The Coordinated Degree Program can normally be completed in three years (72 credits). The program achieves this time saving by integrating coursework.

Students holding undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than architecture may also enroll in the Coordinated Degree Program. The additional foundation courses in architecture totaling 30 credits that are required of students without an architecture background increase the total credits for the Coordinated Program to 102 (normally 4-1/2 years of study, or 4 years with additional summer coursework).

The Master of Urban Planning degree is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) of the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The Master of Architecture degree is also fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Program of Study 

Four main areas of study within the coordinated program:

• Introduction to Urban Design Section: Develops a conceptual framework for urban design as public policy and leads to an understanding of the nature of urban change and urban problems, and the forms of societal action, planned and unplanned, that affect the development process. A 2-semester seminar series.
• Core Area: Two main components -- the distribution requirements for architecture and the core requirements, including a comprehensive examination, for urban planning.
• Elective Area: Allows the student to develop her/his individual expertise in areas of concern to the urban designer. At the same time the elective courses provide considerable flexibility in the overall structure of the program.
• Thesis/Master's Project: A requirement for the Architecture degree, the thesis concludes the program. It enables the student to bring together the experiences and skills gained from the course of study and to apply them to a complex urban situation.

Sample course of study for the 72-credit program .

Urban Planning Program 

The Urban Planning Program at UWM is a professional, skills-oriented, master's program designed to train students to perform a variety of planning-related jobs in either the public or private sector.

The program focuses on policy planning. Policy planning is a process of analyzing problems, designing alternative solutions, evaluating those alternatives and their consequences, making formal recommendations, and formulating strategies for their implementation. This process is central to all planning and is the basic analytical method used in both government and business. Its intent is to place policy issues in a planning perspective so that today's solutions do not become tomorrow's problems.

The core curriculum of the urban planning component of the program is normally distributed over the first two years of the Coordinated Degree Program. 

Each of these year core courses uses a hands-on approach to teach a wide array of planning skills, including a strong component of computer skills. In the second year, the core begins with Planning Policy Analysis. In this course students apply policy-analysis tools such as cost benefit, cost effectiveness, and fiscal impact analysis to the evaluation of alternatives for achieving policy and program objectives. Also included is a component that stresses communication and management skills for planners. The Applied Planning Workshop concludes the core with groups of students under faculty supervision being assigned to work with actual clients on real planning issues. 

Like all planning students, those obtaining their degrees through the coordinated degree program also must pass a comprehensive exam, given at the beginning of the third semester.

Architecture Program 

Directed toward the integration of social, technological, and aesthetic intentions in the building process, the M. Arch program is organized into four broad areas: (1) Technology, including construction, energy conservation, and structural and mechanical systems; (2) Theory, including both formal/compositional and social/behavioral design concepts and criteria; and (3) Professional Practice, including contractual and legal concerns, and methods for architectural programming and evaluation. (4) Studio instruction provides application of design skills and the context for integration of these areas in the design process. Students in the Coordinated Degree Program must complete required credits in Architecture, with a distribution of courses in the four areas.

Overview 

The Departments of Architecture and Urban Planning offer a number of graduate Teaching Assistantships and Project Assistantships each year. Teaching Assistants (TAs) assist in introductory lecture and studio courses and selected graduate level courses. Project Assistants (PA's) work on departmental research and administrative projects. Applicants are screened on the basis of overall academic achievement, previous education and experience, and departmental needs. TA's and PA's are usually appointed for a nine-month renewable contract at 33% (13.3 hrs/wk). For more information on assistantships and fellowships, see the Graduate School Bulletin 

In addition to the teaching departments, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning houses the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning Research, which administers several projects each year. A number of other research projects are also underway from time to time in the departments. Project Assistantships are offered through the faculty members responsible for each project. Awards are based on academic merit, previous education and experience, and project needs. The number of positions and period of appointment vary. Openings are posted in the Architecture and Urban Planning Building.

The School of Architecture and Urban Planning also provides scholarships to students ranging from $500 to $2000. For more information on scholarships available to students in SARUP, visit our Scholarships web page.

Employment

Finally, a number of students work part-time for local firms and agencies, and for faculty. Although it is difficult for a full-time student to also work part-time, better students may find that working 10 to 15 hours per week (and full-time during the summer) provides an experience that is of significant educational and professional value. The School's location in Wisconsin's largest metropolitan area affords students a wide range of outside employment opportunities.

Minnesota/Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity 

Minnesota residents may be eligible for special tuition rates as part of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Reciprocity Agreement. Minnesota students certified under this program pay tuition at a rate less than non-resident tuition. 
For further information, visit the Graduate Student Handbook.