Architecture, Urban Design, M.S.

Program Snapshot

30 Credits

The Architecture, Urban Design, M.S. program is at the forefront of urban design research focused on issues of urbanization through the exploration of social, environmental, and technological domains. Gain a global perspective on urbanism through the study of diverse urban metropolitan regions around the world.

Why Earn a Master’s in Architecture, Urban Design from New York Tech? 

Our M.S. in Architecture, Urban Design is a forward-thinking, two-semester post-professional program that delves into the intersection of urban forms, applied technology, climate resilience, ecosystems, and socio-cultural dynamics. Positioned at the forefront of urban design research, this program addresses the complexities of urbanization by exploring social, cultural, technological, and environmental domains. 

Our program explores urbanization from metropolitan to regional and global, with an eye to addressing climate change and promoting sustainability. You’ll explore the impact of social and cultural factors on urban spaces and leverage technologies in urban design. 

Located in the heart of New York City, the program draws from world-class faculty and active professionals, offering unparalleled access to public and private organizations. Students blend theory with practical experience through field studies around New York City and integrated global study abroad programs that have included Paris, Naples, Milan, and Shanghai. 

Our comprehensive curriculum prepares you to excel in an interdisciplinary field of urban design. You’ll engage in case studies and apply new theories and designs to challenges facing global cities, while mastering tools such as digital modeling, data-driven urban processes, resilient strategies, and environmental performance indicators. You’ll also explore the historical, physical, social, political, and philosophical contexts shaping urban environments. 

Choose from our advanced urban design studios that range in topics from exploring contemporary metropolis after relentless urbanization to researching the intersection of urban form, low-carbon cities, and climate to prepare future practitioners confronting a rapidly urbanizing world threatened by climate change. 

This full-time program requires 15 credits per semester, with some flexibility. Courses may be team-taught, depending on the project and collaborations with public agencies, civic organizations, and research entities. 

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What You’ll Learn

You’ll draw from world-class faculty, public and private organizations, working professionals, and New York City. The urban setting encourages you to combine theory with experience by living, working, and conducting field studies in a metropolitan area. Take your studies abroad, where you’ll investigate urban design scenarios in a global context. 

A student working on an urban city model project in a fabrication lab.

Customize Your Studies

A group of New York Tech Architecture students stands outdoors to pose for a photo during a Summer Abroad trip.

Summer Abroad Programs

Acquire a broad, global perspective of the role of architecture and related technologies. Whether in New York or overseas, you’ll learn from architects, designers, and industry professionals while observing various built environments. 

Four students work on their individual projects in a design workshop.

Design Workshops

Through workshops and collaborative experiences, students from across the School of Architecture and Design use their knowledge to actively assist communities in need due to ecological, social, or economic factors.  

A student working on a 3D printed model in a fabrication lab.

Fabrication Labs

Define your vision and deepen your creativity in two Fabrication Labs equipped with advanced tools for 3-D printing models, experimenting with AI, constructing virtual and simulated environments, and exploring the capabilities of robotics. 

Two student working with a model in a fabrication lab.

M.S. in Architecture, Computational Technologies

Harness the creative capabilities of emerging technologies—from new materials to data that refines your designs to robotic systems in fabrication. 

A student works on a laptop on a table with a model of a building.

M.S. in Architecture, Health and Design

Investigate the intersection of architecture, design, health, wellness, and the environment—from their influence on built environments to material selection and related prototyping and simulation technologies. 

A student working on a model in a classroom.

Masters in Architecture

Whether you have an undergraduate pre-professional degree in architecture or a bachelor’s degree in another area of study, the New York Tech Master of Architecture program offers a pathway to a professional degree.  

Stats & Rankings

#11

Best architecture colleges and universities in New York

Prepler.com

Top 17%

U.S. colleges for salary potential, based on alumni’s mid-career earnings

Payscale.com

#1

Most diverse student body among colleges and universities in the United States

24/7 Wall St., USA Today

Career & Salary Outlook

Job Growth

Employment of urban and regional planners is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032 with approximately 3,700 openings for urban and regional planners projected each year, on average (BLS). 

Employers & Internships

  • H2M Architects + Engineers
  • Spector Group Architects
  • Paul Russo Architect
  • Campbell Design and Construction

Career Options

  • Sustainability Planner
  • Urban/Space Planner
  • Architectural Designer
  • Architectural Technology Manager

Salary Projections

The median annual salary for urban and regional planners was $81,800 in May 2023, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $126,120 (BLS). 

Program Details

Learn more about the M.S. in Architecture, Urban Design program, including admission requirements, how to apply, and scholarship/funding opportunities. 

  • Professional architecture, landscape architecture, or planning degree from an accredited college or university approved by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB), or the equivalent if applying with a foreign degree from another country 
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 
  • No standardized tests (including GRE) are required, except TOEFL/IELTS for international students.

If you do not meet the above criteria, you may, at the discretion of the director, be admitted under a probationary period with an opportunity to demonstrate qualifications by achieving a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in your first three graduate degree courses. If your graduate academic record includes any failures in coursework, you may be dismissed from the program.

Application Materials 

  • Completed application and $50 nonrefundable application fee
  • Personal essay  
  • Copy of college diploma or proof of degree  
  • Two letters of recommendation 
  • Copies of undergraduate transcripts for all schools attended. All final, official transcripts must be received prior to the start of your first semester. 

Explore opportunities to offset program costs, including New York Tech scholarships, graduate assistantships, and federal financial aid. 

International F-1 students who successfully complete this degree program are eligible for an additional 24-month STEM OPT extension to work in the U.S. in an area directly related to their area of study immediately upon completing the customary 12-month post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Alumni Voices

Shiva Ghomi (M.S. ’15)

I was able to grow and expand my connections through the lectures and events that were set up for graduate students.

Shiva Ghomi (M.S. ’15)

Keep Exploring

Transform urban landscapes and shape the future with the M.S. in Architecture, Urban Design from New York Tech.