Master of Urban Planning
Execute your master plan for career growth.
Today’s rate of urbanization around the world is incredible, with a majority of the world’s population now living in cities. In 2016, Gulf News listed a career in urban planning as one of the “top ten careers for tomorrow.”
No matter your undergraduate major, you can advance your career as a skilled leader and professional in planning and managing urban development with our Master of Urban Planning (MUP) degree.
As the first professional program of its kind in the UAE, our program is led by dedicated faculty who offer you practical approaches to understanding and engaging with urban development trends and issues in the real-world. Learn how to address complex urban development issues effectively. Grow in confidence as a leader in policymaking and administration and influence sustainable change at a local and national level.
Take the multidisciplinary road to a successful future in urban planning.
Our program provides professional men and women like you with an outstanding, multidisciplinary graduate education. This will enable you to fill leadership roles in managing urban growth, prescribing urbanization policies and advancing social development.
With the highest commitment to our students and their education, we offer a high-quality educational setting that integrates theoretical principles of urban planning with practical applications.
As the premiere institution for graduate education in urban planning in the UAE, we aim to attract only the most qualified students with indisputable potential for leadership. MUP students in CAAD benefit from a professional network built upon our cooperation and partnerships with governmental bodies, professional and academic organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
Gain the skills you need to reach the top.
After completing your MUP degree, you will have the knowledge and skills to effectively engage in urban planning practice at local, national, regional and international levels. Many of our alumni are in leadership roles in planning administration and policymaking in the UAE.
With a solid foundation in urban planning theory and concepts, you will successfully deal with planning challenges in their local context without overlooking broader global dimensions. By valuing sustainability as a basic guiding principle, you will be better equipped to actively address these challenges in a way that creates positive impact and change.
Our graduates are successful urban planners who are making a difference in their communities. They influence urban development and policymaking in various sectors, from local government to consulting firms across the nation.
Advance your career path with a fully accredited graduate degree.
Choosing to advance your career in urban planning with CAAD means you will receive fully accredited qualifications, allowing you to secure leadership roles throughout the region and the world.
Our Master of Urban Planning (MUP) is fully accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Let our seasoned faculty be your guide.
As you work alongside our seasoned faculty, you will benefit from their experience and expertise as industry professionals. Your instructors are highly qualified and experts in their respective fields; they will take you through an interactive, interdisciplinary journey of learning and development.
Take advantage of our flexible study options.
Made up of a total of 11 courses, the MUP program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis, giving you the flexibility to choose a workload that suits your circumstances. Full-time students typically register for three courses each semester and complete the program in two years. Part-time students typically register for one or two courses each semester and complete the program in three or more years.
There’s no other university like AUS. Apply today.
What are our admission and program requirements? What courses are taught in our program?
The links below provide answers to these and other questions that you may have regarding our Master of Urban Planning degree and course descriptions:
Degree Requirements
The MUP degree is awarded after the successful completion of a minimum of 33 credits. Students must complete the degree requirements within five years from the time of initial enrollment in the program. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 is required.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate with an MUP degree, students must successfully complete the following minimum requirements:
- 18 credits in core courses
- 6 credits in a required capstone experience
- a minimum of 9 credits in elective courses
Core Courses Requirement (18 credits)
Students must successfully complete the following UPL courses:
- UPL 600 Planning History, Theory and Principles
- UPL 602 Computer Applications in Planning
- UPL 604 Urban Planning Research and Analysis
- UPL 621 Environmental and Land Use Planning
- UPL 623 Urban Design Principles, Processes and Skills
- UPL 625 Plan Making, Communication and Process
Required Capstone Experience (6 credits)
Students must successfully complete the program’s capstone experience:
- UPL 681 Urban Planning and Research Workshop I
- UPL 682 Urban Planning and Research Workshop II
This two-part workshop experience involves working individually and as a group on applying substantive urban planning skills. It involves fieldwork, hands-on analysis, policy formulation and plan making.
Elective Courses (minimum of 9 credits)
Students must successfully complete three elective courses for a minimum of 9 credits. Electives are selected in consultation with the program coordinator from the following list of courses:
- UPL 633 Urban Infrastructure Planning
- UPL 635 Urban Transportation Systems Analysis
- UPL 638 Urban Transportation Systems Planning Techniques
- UPL 639 Urban Planning and Housing Policy
- UPL 641 Urban Economics and Analysis
- UPL 643 Spatial Planning
- UPL 649 Environmental Planning
- UPL 651 Negotiation Strategies
- UPL 653 Planning Theory and Methods
- UPL 676 Transportation Systems Operations and Control
- UPL 686 Space, Society and the Public Realm
- UPL 694 special topic courses in urban planning
With the approval of the program coordinator, students may elect to take one course outside of the list, from any university graduate-level course not counted as a core or capstone course.
Academic Advising
Program advising procedures provide students with orientation and guidance on the program and the profession. Students meet with the program coordinator every semester to discuss curricular progress and changes in circumstances, if any, and to confirm course choices for the next semester.
Course Sequence
The following is a typical course sequence for a full-time student entering the program in fall or spring semesters (must take up to three courses per regular semester and one elective course in the summer semester):
Fall Semester Admission
Year 1 (Fall Semester)
- 600 Planning History, Theory and Principles
- 602 Computer Applications in Planning
- 604 Urban Planning Research and Analysis
Year 1 (Spring Semester)
- 621 Environmental and Land Use Planning
- 623 Urban Design Principles Processes and Skills
- Elective I
Year 1 (Summer Term)
- Elective II
Year 2 (Fall Semester)
- 625 Plan Making, Communication and Process
- 681 Urban Planning and Research Workshop I
Year 2 (Spring Semester)
- 682 Urban Planning and Research Workshop II
- Elective III
Spring Semester Admission
Year 1 (Spring Semester)
- 600 Planning History, Theory and Principles
- 621 Environmental and Land Use Planning
- 623 Urban Design Principles Processes and Skills
Year 1 (Summer Term)
- Elective I
Year 1 (Fall Semester)
- 602 Computer Applications in Planning
- 604 Urban Planning Research and Analysis
- Elective II
Year 2 (Spring Semester)
- 625 Plan Making, Communication and Process
- 681 Urban Planning and Research Workshop I
Year 2 (Fall Semester)
- 682 Urban Planning and Research Workshop II
- Elective III
For the course descriptions, click here.
