Universities and Online Degrees Guide

University of the Witwatersrand

Master of Urban Studies in Urban Management

The Master of Urban Studies in Urban Management in Architecture is offered by University of the Witwatersrand.

Program Length: 1 YEAR.

Master of Urban Studies in Urban Management offered by the University of the Witwatersrand

The Master of Urban Studies in the field of Urban Management (by coursework and research) is interdisciplinary, requiring 65% average in an honours degree or equivalent.

The MUS (UM) is a one year full time or two year part time degree. It responds to challenges associated with rapid urbanisation process by providing practice-oriented knowledge and innovative skills to graduates who have a drive for urban transformation. This programme introduces the field of urban management through four crucial and cross-cutting dimensions:

• Politics and policy of the urban
• Understanding complex urban systems
• Managing change processes
• Coproducing knowledge between theory and practice

Addressing, analysing and responding to these four dimensions is significant for engagement with the urban. MUS (UM) seeks to educate and train planning or built environment practitioners, researchers, scholars and policy makers who can integrate the knowledge of and skills in urban policy, development and management and the planning, urban and social sciences in general, in order to foster transformative urban strategies that enable cities to function more efficiently and effectively.

In line with global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New Urban Agenda as well as other global agendas which tackle developmental and urban challenges in a cross-sectorial manner, the MUS (UM) stresses the interdisciplinary diagnosis/analysis and prognosis of urban issues across all scales. It provides graduates with an interdisciplinary theoretical, methodological and practical base from which to approach the diverse issues involved in urban development. It promotes an understanding of the complex urban processes and effective interventions that can contribute to the development of well-managed sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities.

Curriculum

The MUS (UM) consists of coursework and research. The coursework, which has the same credit weighting as the research component, is designed to complement the research enquiry. The elective course allows for individual specialisation beyond the essential urban management competencies taught in the compulsory courses. The degree is structured as follows:

• 4 compulsory Category A courses (70 points)
• 1 elective from Category B (20 points)
• Research Report (90 points)

Students who lack particular skills are asked to take an additional course: ARPL7052A Technologies and Techniques of the Built Environment (20)