Program Overview

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MA Urban Design

About this course

LJMU's Urban Design MA enables you to explore your creative potential to change the landscape of cities and urban spaces and our experience within them.

• Join a strong research-focussed academic community
• Develop your work in state-of-the-art workspaces and facilities within the RIBA award-winning John Lennon Art and Design Building
• 2022 Liverpool School of Art and Design MA online degree show
• Visit the School of Art and Design MA Microsite

In a world of rapidly rising and migrating urban populations, there is a palpable need for smarter, more inclusive approaches to city planning, adaptation and spatial design.

Study Urban Design in a resurgent, UNESCO recognised city of cultural significance and advance your skills to create spaces that solve modern problems in cross-cultural contexts. This programme has strong links with the RIBA North and the Liverpool Biennial which, every two years, delivers an international programme of exhibitions and projects that lead to a rediscovery of the city.

The programme is nourished by Liverpool School of Art and Designs burgeoning research in Urbanism and close association with the University's European Institute for Urban Affairs.

The curriculum has creative place-making at its core and we welcome applicants from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds such as architecture, planning, landscape architecture, art and spatial design.

Course modules

Discover the building blocks of your programme

This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.

Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.

Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.

Further guidance on modules

Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.

Core modules

• Final Major Project - Urban Design (60 credits)
  • This module guides students in creating a self-directed and substantial project aligned with their interests, improving their project management, critical engagement, and communication skills. While students initiate the study focus, supervisors may provide guidance for relevance, methodology, and structure.
• Sustainable Urban Design: the evaluation and reflective development of sustainable communities (30 credits)
  • This module provides students with an understanding of sustainable design principles and objectives, and why they matter. You will explore a range of contemporary best-practice case studies of sustainable urban design in an international context.
• Theory and Research 1: theoretical studies and research methods (30 credits)
  • This module will explore critical methods in Architectural and Urban Design and the connections of Art and Architecture. You will have the opportunity to define a research question and develop an understanding of different research methods appropriate for your subsequent specialist study.
• Urban Design 1: Creative urbanism and regeneration within an analytical and theoretical context (30 credits)
  • The module commences with a series of urban design lectures that manifest in a design theory essay. Concurrently, analytical studies and creative tasks lead into the group urban design project, proposing the regeneration of an urban area, which is underpinned by a theoretical position derived from the design theory exercise. An individual urban design study follows on, such that the whole module effectively delivers an entire urban design process of research, analysis, theoretical positioning, design at different scales, and communication.
• Practice and Legislation: Understanding the designer's role in the contemporary built environment (30 credits)
  • An exciting opportunity to reflect upon contemporary, ethical design practice and also to be directly involved in 'live' architectural projects within the North West region. You will be working, in groups, with real clients on a variety of projects identified by them with a member of staff as a mentor. You will act as a 'mini practice' and resolve and advise your respective clients on professional issues.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Assessment

An insight into teaching on your course

• Study hours
  • The majority of contact time takes place on Tuesdays, with sessions on Fridays and the cross-school Collaborative Practice module sessions at the beginning of semester one. This module culminates in an exhibition of student work in April.
• Teaching methods
  • Teaching is individually tailored to each student. Each week is divided between lectures, seminars, tutorials, studio supervisions and workshops.
• Applied learning
  • LJMU academics bring real world experience to the programme, working with nationally recognised urban design practitioners, local authority planning and urban design departments and international academic partners on urban projects, public exhibitions and related publications. These interactions help to ensure that our curriculum is kept up-to-date and that you secure the knowledge and skills required to succeed professionally on graduation.

How learning is monitored on your programme

To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.

Assessment methods on this programme include: a major project proposal report, practical project work, a major project thesis and a personal development plan. You will also be assessed for the quality of your drawings and model making.

Where you will study

The programme is based in the Liverpool School of Art and Designs John Lennon Art and Design building, part of the Mount Pleasant Campus. This purpose-built facility in Liverpool city centre encourages interaction between different disciplines and the sharing of ideas and expertise.

Career paths

Further your career prospects

LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.

As a graduate of this programme, a number of career paths will be open to you. Most aligned with your formal education is the practice of urban design work in specialist agencies or public sector bodies. These roles consider how structures and systems function within existing landscapes and how they can be manipulated to offer the best living and working solutions.

Many graduates have successfully secured employment at world-class practices throughout the UK and further afield, while others have remained in Liverpool contributing to its evolution by taking key roles in leading practices that have reshaped the city over the last decade.

For those interested in taking their learning to the next level, this programme also offers the opportunity to progress to PhD study and embark on a career teaching Urban Design.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Fee: £8,965

International

• Fee: £17,750

Fees

The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.

Financial Support

There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.

Additional Costs

In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:

• Accommodation
• Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
• Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

International Scholarships and payment plans

Liverpool John Moores University is committed to supporting international students by providing a range of scholarships and flexible payment plans to help students manage their tuition fees.

Scholarships

LJMU provides a variety of postgraduate scholarships to support international students. Scholarships are available to self-funded students who have accepted their offer and met all the conditions outlined in their offer letter. Students must also demonstrate that they can cover living costs, travel, and other expenses associated to studying at the university. Postgraduate scholarships include tuition fee reductions and are often offered in partnership with external funding organisations such as the British Council and Chevening.

All self-funded international students are eligible for an automatic scholarship worth up to £4,000. For more details and to view our full list of scholarships, visit the international scholarship webpages.

Deposit

All students must pay a £5,000 deposit before they can receive their CAS letter.

For more information view our deposit page.

Tuition Fee Payment Plan

After paying their £5,000 deposit, students have the option to pay their fees in full or in three equal instalments minus any internal scholarships and discounts. There are two payment options available for international students. You can either pay your tuition fees in full before enrolment or opt for a payment plan. With the payment plan, you can pay your fees in three instalments after making your £5,000 deposit. The first instalment is due before enrolment.

All payments should be made through Flywire. Full details can be found in the How to Pay Guide.

Early Bird Tuition Fee discount

We are excited to introduce a £500 Early Payment Discount to all self-funded international students. Eligible self-funded students who pay their fees by the required deadlines will get a discount which will be automatically deducted from the 1st year of tuition fees.

To see the required deadlines please visit the webpage

Entry requirements

Home

• Qualification requirements
  • a 2:1 degree in a related discipline
• Additional requirements
  • Interview required
    • a portfolio of work to be presented at interview
    • to attend an interview
  • Extra Requirements
    • a sample digital portfolio submitted at the point of application
    • a reference
    • In exceptional circumstances applications by mature graphic designers, illustrators and artists without sufficient qualifications will be considered
  • RPL
    • RPL is accepted on this programme

International

• IELTS English language requirement: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
• Extra Requirements
  • a sample digital portfolio submitted at the point of application
  • a reference
  • In exceptional circumstances applications by mature graphic designers, illustrators and artists without sufficient qualifications will be considered
• RPL
  • RPL is accepted on this programme

How to apply

Securing your place at LJMU

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.

Your application should demonstrate that you have a sufficient level of knowledge to embark upon the programme (including the required linguistic competence) and complete it within the time limits.

You will need to provide evidence of your learning capability at interview stage. You will also need to demonstrate your commitment to a postgraduate programme of study.

Your university life

From accommodation and academic support to clubs and societies. Find out what LJMU has to offer.

• Accommodation
• Postgrad life at LJMU
• Living in Liverpool
• Your campus
• Go Abroad
• Sports, societies and lifestyle

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