General Information

Overview

Learn to create urban designs that allow modern cities to thrive with the Graduate Certificate of Urban Design. This course fosters creative and speculative design thinking while teaching you how to engage with people, data, and advanced technologies. We’ll teach you to address 21st Century design challenges that embrace 3D space, alongside economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of the city.

These challenges cannot be addressed using traditional twentieth century urban planning methods – new multi-dimensional approaches are needed by professionals that embrace three-dimensional space, big-data along with change over time, temperature, humidity, sun and shade, land-use, alongside economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of the city.

Study structure

Successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Urban Design requires students to complete units of study to the value of 50 credit points, two units of 12.5 credit points and one unit of 25 credit points.

  • Full-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study for one semester.

  • Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year.

  • One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)

  • See the course planner for an example degree structure.

  • Full-time study: 50 credit points across three standard units of study per year

  • One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)

  • See the course planner for an example degree structure.

Units of study Unit code
Core units
Design Research Studio A
Core unit, 25.0 credit points 		ARC70001
Dynamic Modelling of Cities
Core unit, 12.5 credit points 		ARC80001
Theories of Buildings and Cities
Core unit, 12.5 credit points 		ARC70004

Aims and objectives

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to apply specialised knowledge in Urban Design and will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on and apply knowledge of contemporary urban design theory and practice demonstrating comprehension of international and local planning theory and history, planning law and statutory planning, urban economics, sustainability, land use and urban design, and strategic planning
  • Apply analytical design research methods with an understanding of sourcing credible, relevant data to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and apply these to the broader social, economic and environmental urban processes
  • Apply creative spatial thinking and innovation approaches in a range of settings and scales while critically presenting design ideas and research results to explain, interpret and evaluate the impact of a specific complex Urban Design solution
  • Communicate clearly and concisely using a range of media to present, explain, and interpret design propositions, methodologies, conclusions, professional decisions and urban analysis to diverse audiences.

Career opportunities

Graduate will have skills and knowledge to make contributions in careers in private practices including urban design, and planning practices or well as local government positions in local city councils.

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Graduate Certificate of Urban Design is 25 credit points (normally two units).

Admission criteria

Information about Swinburne's general admission criteria can be found at Admissions at Swinburne - Higher Education webpage.

Interested in the Graduate Certificate of Urban Design?

From state-of-the-art facilities to opportunities to engage with industry – this course is designed with your future in mind. Let's get started.

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