Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism + Master of Urban Design Dual Degree

Overview

The Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U) and Master of Urban Design are a 60 credit minimum program.

The interdisciplinary graduate program that combines coursework in real estate development, finance, market analysis, construction, architecture, urban design, law and entrepreneurship. The program draws on the strengths of the University of Miami's Schools of Architecture, Business, Engineering, and Law to create a world-class program that blends the fundamentals of real estate development with livable community design. Students are immersed in one of the world's most dynamic real estate markets through a rigorous curriculum enriched by a wide range of study tours, speaker series, the annual Real Estate Impact Conference, research initiatives and networking events. The prestigious MRED+U Advisory Board connects students with over 50 industry leaders who are directly engaged in the program as lecturers, mentors and advisors, providing internship and employment opportunities and access to dozens of cutting-edge projects from every real estate sector.

The Master in Urban Design provides students with a design experience investigating the guiding principles for building regions, cities and communities. The degree is STEM-designated which allows international students to apply for OPT for up to 36 months after graduation.

Guided by imperatives of sustainability and resilience, the program conceptualizes cities as an extension of the ecological transect across the natural to human habitat, providing students with a range of experiences from rural to urban.

Program Director Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, recognized for her foundational role in the development of the movement called the New Urbanism, leads the program that invites students to explore design, policy and management tools for place-making as a vehicle for improving quality of life in a variety of urban settings. The impact of the built environment on health, retrofitting the suburban landscape, real estate development as community building, adaptation to climate change, and urban growth and revitalization, are topics prominent in course offerings and faculty research.

The three-semester curriculum begins in the fall each year with foundation courses in urban design and real estate development, in an Interdisciplinary approach structured by environmental, social and economic goals. The spring semester intensifies students' engagement with contemporary urban challenges such as climate resilience, healthy community design, and repair of suburban sprawl. The summer semester provides a concluding experience that aggregates prior topics in an international setting that challenges goals of sustainability and resource conservation. As part of the curriculum, students participate in the National Charrette Institute certification course, a training in public outreach and participatory planning, and collaborate with real estate development students in two special projects: a national design and development competition, and a local community revitalization plan. These experiences and the course work shared with the Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism program provide a focus on implementation. The optional fourth semester of the Master of Urban Design program is a semester-long independent study design project or thesis. In recent years these have focused on topics such as greening a Brazilian City, socially integrated public housing in China, and an analysis of principles and metrics of Smart Cities and New Urbanism.

Other resources that enrich the urban design student's experience in the School include the Center for Community and Urban Design (CUCD), engaging students in community outreach projects in South Florida and The Caribbean, and the Archive of the New Urbanism, housed in the School of Architecture Library. The Archive is a growing resource of documents, with both texts and images that support research related to urban design. Also, Research Affiliates from around the world join the faculty annually to study the state-of-the-art in urban design and architecture.

Guiding the ever evolving program are faculty members Charles Bohl, Jaime Correa, Eric Firley, Jean Francois Lejeune, Victor Deupi and Joanna Lombard, internationally recognized in research, publication and design.

While the Master of Urban Design is a post-professional program, structured for students with a professional degree in architecture, those holding a degree in engineering, planning or landscape architecture may apply for admission. A preparatory summer course may be required for non-architects, to be determined by the admission process.

History of Program

Urban Design offerings at the School of Architecture emerged in the 1980's when a group of faculty members sought to have an impact on the urban growth of South Florida. The impetus was their study of Coral Gables, a Progressive Era new town, one of a series of Anglo-American Suburbs that can be found across the United States. George Merrick founded Coral Gables in 1923. He believed that for his city to be great it needed a university, and he set aside land for the University of Miami. The architects Merrick engaged in the building of Coral Gables founded the architecture program at the outset. Today, building on his legacy, the School of Architecture is renown for its dedication to preparing future professionals with an understanding of the larger context for their work in the environment and society.

In 1988, mentored by their city and their studies of its design, and by leading thinkers of the time such as Leon and Rob Krier, the faculty established a post-professional degree in urban design. The young faculty's design of Seaside, now an icon of new community design, challenged the planning and development conventions of its day. The new masters program established the precepts of Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) and of the Charter for the New Urbanism. The School's faculty and alumni are among the founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, and have been prominent contributors to the evolution of the movement, now a globally renowned approach to sustainable urban growth and revitalization.

Admission Requirements

Applications are generally considered for entrance in the Fall semester. Courses in the Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism and Urban Design program are sequenced to deliver a cohesive educational experience and students are expected to follow the established course sequence for their program. Students entering the program in Spring or Summer may not be eligible to enter the course sequence at that time, but may take electives or other required courses. This may extend the duration of the program.

Applications start on November 1 until June 1 for entry in Fall and October 1 until December 1 for entry in Spring. Admission to the Graduate Program is subject to the rules, regulations and procedures of the Graduate School as stipulated in the University Graduate Bulletin. It is the responsibility of each student to understand these requirements and to ensure that they are met.

Applications will be reviewed by the Architecture and Real Estate Faculty Graduate Admissions Committee only after fulfilling the below requirements and all of the following documents have been received:

1. 3.0 cumulative point average
2. Completed application form with an application fee. This fee is mandatory.
3. A letter or statement expressing your interest in the program and reasons for applying.
4. Official transcripts of all college and university courses taken, indicating the date your professional or other undergraduate degree was awarded. All transcripts must be sent directly from the institution’s registrar. E-scripts to download are also accepted. See more information on international transcripts below.
5. Three academic (and professional, if applicable) letters of recommendation. If you have waived your right for access to your letters, they may be sent directly from the recommender, or they may be included with your application in a signed and sealed envelope.
6. Resume 
7. Digital portfolio sent to email: SoAgradadmissions@miami.edu.                          

Please save the digital portfolio with your Lastname_Firstname. Digital portfolios must be no greater than 8 MB. You may also share a portfolio link to review your work.

Students applying for the Master of Urban Design must present a selection of their best architectural works during their pre-professional studies. In order to facilitate the waiving of courses and studios, examples must emphasize comprehensive skills including sketches, plans, sections and elevations, and graphics that exhibit conceptual and diagramming abilities, understanding of structures and of urban context, as well as any other skills (computer modeling, models, photography and film abilities, etc.). Examples of professional work are encouraged but must clearly identify and describe work done independently and as part of a team.

Additional requirements for International Students:

1. TOEFL of min. 80 or IELTS of min. 6.5 (please use University code 5815). 
2. Graduate international transcripts will be reviewed by one of the approved Evaluation Services:
3. Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Associates , (www.jsilny.org)
4. Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.ece.org)
5. World Education Services (www.wes.org)

For application review purposes, English translated official transcripts are sufficient. Once the applicant gets admitted, the international evaluation report is required. 

Please visit our website at www. mredu.arc.miami.edu and refer to our latest admission requirements here.

Curriculum Requirements

Suggested Plan of Study