Program Layout

M.U.D Curriculum

The curriculum focuses on research and knowledge applied to the design of layered and mutually reinforcing urban systems of infrastructures and public spaces. In projects ranging from urban spaces to large-scale infrastructural and regional initiatives, students learn to design urban form while innovatively addressing cultural and environmental concerns. Faculty collaborates to integrate studio work with rigorous seminars that provide a thorough grounding in urban history and contemporary theory.

Working in Cleveland and Beyond

Urban design students work in Cleveland, an industrial city that provides endless opportunities to study the formal and social changes created by economic restructuring. With the Cleveland experience as a base, students also look comparatively at the challenges of very different cities, particularly in emerging and developing economies. In recent years, students have visited Havana, Cuba, and future workshops will travel to Beirut and Medellin.

Fall 2023 Newsletter

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Annual Events

Two annual events allow students to test their skills in a professional context. In the Community Design Charrette, students join the professional staff of Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative for an intensive workshop addressing the challenges of a community in the Great Lakes region. In preparing entries for the Urban Land Institute’s Hines Student Competition, students work with faculty, the CUDC staff, and visiting professionals to develop financially, environmentally, and socially sound proposals for a challenge in a North American city.

Urban Design - M.U.D.

Looking to shape the future of cities and communities? The Master of Urban Design degree will equip you with the tools and knowledge necessary to tackle the challenges of sustainable design, social equity and community engagement. From design studios to field experiences, the Urban Design program offers an immersive and hands-on educational experience. Pair this degree with the M.Arch. degree in Architecture for additional opportunities.

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Program Information for Urban Design - M.U.D.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Urban Design degree expands on traditional architectural, landscape architecture and planning education with an understanding of the processes of urban development, and with the skills required to the physical shaping of urban places. The degree seeks to develop knowledgeable specialists who possess significant ability to identify opportunities in the urban environment an the sensibility to provide for design solutions to the most complex problems encountered.

Faculty work in close collaboration with students through rigorous curricula focused on the application of research in the design of layered and mutually reinforcing systems and public spaces.

Projects range from neighborhood plans to large-scale urban and regional initiatives engaging cultural and environmental concerns. Project locations are often in Cleveland and similar regional cities, but they address far-reaching global concerns. Students can engage in applied research in the re-design of “Cities Growing Smaller” systemic approaches to the development of urban environments, considerations of place and identity and the place-making potential of infrastructure. Further directions include the design of cities and neighborhoods that promote physical and mental health; studies of sustainable infrastructures that support sustainable ecological systems; the adaptation of traditional models of urbanism to changing conditions; and the future of urban economies as it relates to physical place-making.

Admissions for Urban Design - M.U.D.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • GRE scores
  • Goal statement (include intent and background information)
  • Portfolio (design work should clearly indicate role in group projects)
  • Three letters of recommendation, with one letter from a non-academic source
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: February 1

Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to build abstract relationships and understand the impact of ideas based on research and analysis of multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural and environmental contexts. This includes the wider range of media used to think about urban and regional design, including writing, investigative skills, speaking, drawing and model making.
  2. Develop an ability to utilize the technical instruments of the urban design field, including legal instruments, urban systems and their organization; and the role of these varied elements in the implementation of design and their impact on the environment. This is inclusive of understanding and abilities at a range of scales from local to regional design and the implications of policy and design decision-making at these ranges of scale.
  3. Manage, advocate and act legally, ethically and critically for the good of society and the public. This includes collaborative, professional and leadership skills, especially in the public arena.

Dual Degree

Dual Degree

Dual Degree with M.Arch. in Architecture

Student have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.U.D. degree in Urban Design and the M.Arch. degree in Architecture. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

This dual degree program prepares students to enter the profession of architecture by stimulating the growth of technical knowledge and design creativity. It fosters the refinement of design skills acquired in undergraduate programs and offers a broad exposure to professional issues and knowledge related to urban design.

Dual Degree Requirements

Major Requirements
ARCH 60101GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO I 6
ARCH 60102GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO II 4
ARCH 60103GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO III 9
ARCH 60150PROJECT PROGRAMMING 3
ARCH 60301THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE 3
ARCH 60922METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 2
ARCH 65001PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT 2
ARCH 65002PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: CONTRACT AND PLANNING LAW 2
ARCH 65003PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT 3
ARCH 66995SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE 11
UD 55705FORCES THAT SHAPE CITIES 3
UD 60703URBAN DESIGN STUDIO III 6
UD 60705MASTER PROJECT IN URBAN DESIGN PREPARATION 3
UD 65101COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 1
UD 65102URBAN SYSTEMS 3
UD 65632URBAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 3
UD 66995SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN 1
UST 623 Urban Development Finance (Cleveland State University) 24
Electives 311
Minimum Total Credit Hours:70
1

Special topics course in professional practice.

2

This course is offered at the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

3

These credits may be taken from the course offerings in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design; or from another Kent State college, school or department; or from at the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
ARCH 65001PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT 2
UD 55705FORCES THAT SHAPE CITIES 3
UD 60703URBAN DESIGN STUDIO III 6
UD 60705MASTER PROJECT IN URBAN DESIGN PREPARATION 3
UD 60798MASTERS PROJECT IN URBAN DESIGN 9
UD 65101COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 1
UD 65102URBAN SYSTEMS 3
UD 65632URBAN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 3
UD 66995SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN DESIGN 1
Electives 13
Minimum Total Credit Hours:34
1

Elective credits may be taken from offerings in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design; other Kent State colleges, schools or departments; or the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Cleveland

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Urban Design - M.U.D.

Architectural and engineering managers

2.6%

slower than the average

198,100

number of jobs

$149,530

potential earnings

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

5.1%

faster than the average

8,500

number of jobs

$90,880

potential earnings

Designers, all other

-1.9%

decline

13,600

number of jobs

$63,750

potential earnings

Urban and regional planners

11.0%

much faster than the average

39,700

number of jobs

$75,950

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Construction Management - M.S.

The Master of Science degree in Construction Management offers students a deep understanding of leading dynamic construction projects and organizations in the built environment. The program also offers a thesis or project option for those interested in a research and/or a future higher education role. Graduates of the program are prepared to lead at both the project and corporate level.

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Program Information for Construction Management - M.S.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Exhibit the planning, organization, execution and contract skills of a construction manager.
  2. Apply ethical and sustainability perspectives to construction management knowledge.
  3. Demonstrate the financial, managerial and risk management of a leader in the construction industry.
  4. Analyze how issues of cost, safety, quality, schedule and design impact project development and implementation.
  5. Evaluate the procurement and logistics processes of underlying construction systems and devise strategies to mitigate these complexities.
  6. Compare construction management technologies, innovations and processes, and how they relate to cross-disciplinary teams.

Admissions for Construction Management - M.S.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • GRE scores (starting with fall 2025 admission term, scores will no longer be required)
  • Curriculum vitae or résumé
  • Goal Statement
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: February 1
  • Spring Semester
    • Application deadline: June 1

Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
AED 60922METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 2
AED 60923EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 1
AED 60930APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 3
CMGT 51041ADVANCED ESTIMATING 3
CMGT 52105CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND LAW 3
CMGT 52107CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 3
CMGT 52110ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 3
CMGT 62080ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT 3
Major Electives, choose from the following:6
CMGT 62030
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
CMGT 62040
CONSTRUCTION METHODS IMPROVEMENTS
CMGT 62050
INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
CMGT 62060
NEGOTIATION IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
CMGT 62070
ENGINEERING ECONOMICS AND STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING
CMGT 67320
APPLIED SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Culminating Requirement
Choose from the following:8
Thesis Option
AED 66198
ADVANCED PROPOSAL WRITING
AED 66199
THESIS I
Project Option
CMGT 65099
MASTER PROJECT IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 1
Graduate Electives 2
Minimum Total Credit Hours:35
1

Students who select the master’s project are expected to demonstrate a summative understanding of their overall coursework. Students will be immersed in team settings and required to create a total company structure; estimate, schedule and complete risk assessment and sustainability goals for a proposed project; and develop a marketing plan and other expectations.

2

Students who select the master's project will complete additional graduate-level courses to meet the minimum required credit hours for the degree. The courses will be part of the student's approved plan of study and should contribute to the master's project and the student’s future goals. Students will be advised to take coursework in either construction management or a related field (e.g., architecture, business, healthcare design).

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Construction Management - M.S.

Construction managers

8.5%

much faster than the average

476,700

number of jobs

$97,180

potential earnings

Architectural and engineering managers

2.6%

slower than the average

198,100

number of jobs

$149,530

potential earnings

Cost estimators

-1.5%

decline

214,200

number of jobs

$66,610

potential earnings

Engineering teachers, postsecondary

8.6%

much faster than the average

44,600

number of jobs

$103,600

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Architecture and Environmental Design - M.S.

Seeking career expertise in the built environment? Our research degree (STEM accredited) can help you forge a powerful career in architecture and the environmental design fields by combining design and science. Working closely with national leading faculty, students immerse themselves in cutting-edge topics such as A.I., robotics, bioclimatics, living architecture, kinetics or other subjects. Join us in making new knowledge, discoveries and innovations.

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Program Information for Architecture and Environmental Design - M.S.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Science degree in Architecture and Environmental Design is a research-intensive program with one-year full residency requirement. The program is best suited for individuals interested in pursuing a specialization in the built environment. The program covers cross-cutting themes in sustainable buildings, smart systems and healthy settings.

Students in the M.S. degree have the opportunity to pursue research in the following areas:

  • Living architecture: Investigates vegetative integration upon and within buildings and structures in order to make cities more ecologically productive. Students master the conceptualization, assessment and examination of vegetative roofs, walls and related phytostructures for ecological service delivery through modeling and in-lab or field testing settings.
  • Bioclimatic architecture: Explores thermal comfort, energy conservation and building systems integration for sustainable design and human experience. Research in this area emphasizes computational simulation, physical modeling of natural phenomena, field/lab experiments and building information management.
  • Structural resilience: Investigates metaheuristic design principles for naturally efficient, durable, aesthetic and adaptable structural systems; performances of sustainable construction materials; and resilience of synergistically responding infrastructures.
  • Creative robotics: Revisits and explores the potential of cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, physical and digital computation; interaction and game design; X-R (augmented, virtual and mixed realities); app development; and UI-UX design as possible design mediums. Students work at the intersection of architecture, industrial design, robotics, computer since and media arts, developing applied design-research skills in response to contemporary design issues and through the lens of technology.
  • Kinetic systems: Investigates temporary (interactive) structures, specifically their typological, programmatic and material effects. Research includes the study of dynamic structural patterns and the role they play in the configuration of variable and/or flexible surfaces and enclosures.

The program may be taken as a dual degree with the Master of Architecture degree.

Admissions for Architecture and Environmental Design - M.S.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in a professional or pre-professional environmental design program1
  • Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • GRE scores (effective with fall 2025 admission term, GRE is no longer required)
  • Résumé
  • Goal statement (two pages) that includes an outline of a proposed study program
  • Portfolio for design and research work
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

Conditional admission may be offered to applicants with undergraduate and graduate degrees in related disciplines.

2

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: February 1

Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Investigate new relationships within the built environment.
  2. Gather, collect and analyze data.
  3. Co-author technical and scientific reports, summaries, papers, abstracts, briefs and/or the development of products and technologies that may lead to patents and intellectual property.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
AED 60922METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 2
AED 60923EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 1
AED 60930APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 3
AED 66098TOPICAL IMMERSION 3
AED 66198ADVANCED PROPOSAL WRITING 2
ARCH 60301THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE 3
Electives (50000 or 60000 level) 115
Culminating Requirement
AED 66199THESIS I 6
Minimum Total Credit Hours:35
1

Students select elective courses upon approval of their advisor.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Roadmap

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
AED 60922 METHODS OF INQUIRY IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 2
AED 60923 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 1
AED 66098 TOPICAL IMMERSION 3
ARCH 60301 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE 3
 Credit Hours9
Semester Two
AED 60930 APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN 3
AED 66198 ADVANCED PROPOSAL WRITING 2
Elective (50000 or 60000 level) 3
 Credit Hours8
Semester Three
AED 66199 THESIS I 3
Electives (50000 or 60000 level) 6
 Credit Hours9
Semester Four
AED 66199 THESIS I 3
Electives (50000 or 60000 level) 6
 Credit Hours9
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:35

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Architecture and Environmental Design - M.S.

Architectural and engineering managers

2.6%

slower than the average

198,100

number of jobs

$149,530

potential earnings

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

5.1%

faster than the average

8,500

number of jobs

$90,880

potential earnings

Calibration technologists and technicians and engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other

2.1%

slower than the average

91,600

number of jobs

$64,190

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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