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Quick Facts

  • STEM-designated degree!
  • Delivery: Off-campus at CAP: INDY
  • Credits: 32 
  • No GRE required
  • One year (Fall, Spring, and Summer)
  • No letters of recommendation required

The Master of Urban Design (MUD) is a STEM-designated, one-year, post-professional degree, designed in the theory and practice of public-focused interdisciplinary design for cities, towns, neighborhoods, and places. The MUD degree is ideal for working professionals and recent graduates who want to expand their skills, continue their education and add a distinctive practice area to their portfolio. All classes are typically held on a schedule that allows candidates to maintain a part-time work schedule if desired.

Strategically located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, the MUD program draws from the richness of the urban downtown local communities and the interdisciplinary nature of the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP). Students learn to design urban form while innovatively addressing cultural and environmental concerns.  The MUD program offers immersive, hands-on   experiences with each student participating in studio and community-based projects, charrettes, and workshops led by an interdisciplinary team of professional practitioners from top Indianapolis firms and esteemed ECAP faculty.

The MUD graduate degree aims to hone a student’s capabilities in urban planning and design while encouraging development of further specialization. While the majority of our students come from design-based backgrounds such as architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning, due to the complex issues facing our communities and cities, we accept a limited number of students with other educational and professional backgrounds on a case-by-case basis.

MUD students don’t just learn about urban design, they do urban design. Studios and core courses focus on urban design for real-world sites in the Indianapolis area and beyond, often working with practicing professionals. From the urban design analysis studio, to the capstone project, you will become intimately familiar with a site, its stakeholders, its challenges, and opportunities, just as you will as a professional Urban Designer.  

SEE SAMPLE Curriculum (PDF)

Location

The MUD program is located at the BSU CAP: INDY Center at 25 North Pine Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis is the state’s capital and the nation’s 15th largest city. BSU CAP: INDY is an extension of the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University.

Learn more about CAP: INDY.

 

Master of Urban Design Information Sessions (virtual)

Do you wish to make an impact on a major city? In our program, you don't just learn about urban design, you do urban design! A one-year Indy-based Master of Urban Design (MUD) degree from Ball State University - College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) provides the skills to be an interdisciplinary leader in the design of our cities.

  • Register here for the upcoming Oct. 3, 2023 MUD virtual information session from 12-12:30 p.m. EST.
  • Register here for the upcoming Nov. 14, 2023 MUD virtual information session from 12-12:30 p.m. EST.
  • Register here for the upcoming Dec. 5, 2023 MUD virtual information session from 12-12:30 p.m. EST.
  • Register here for the upcoming Jan. 16, 2024 MUD virtual information session from 12-12:30 p.m. EST.

Ball State University's Master of Urban Design Program has truly established my love for urban design. Throughout the program, I was exposed to real world urban design problems where I was able to apply my acquired knowledge from the classroom and compose a series of solutions to address the needs of a particular space. By learning to analyze and combine all the interconnected elements such as buildings, streets, public spaces, landscapes, neighborhoods, and all other in-between spaces, I was able to holistically approach each project to create a more human-centered design to which emphasized the well-being of the users within.

—Beck Schultz '21
Master of Urban Design

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Take The Next Step

Want to learn more about our Master of Urban Design degree? Complete our online form or contact us for more information.

Ready to apply? Review our admission requirements and complete our online application. 

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