Master of Urban Design
The Master of Urban Design program at WashU introduces students to a range of urban conditions from local to global with an in-depth focus on sustainable urbanism. Through a core sequence of three studios and seminars, students develop the skills to make design proposals for a diverse range of urban conditions within the contemporary metropolitan landscape.
Urban design is approached through a full range of scales: from the mega-region to the district, from the district to the street, and ultimately, to the design of the public realm as the place of lively and vibrant community life.
WashU’s STEM-designated Master of Urban Design program was established in 1962 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki. Now chaired by Linda C. Samuels, professor and director of sustainable design and environmental justice, the one-year program is open to individuals who have a professional or pre-professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or planning.
Chair, Urban Design; Professor; Director of Sustainable Design and Environmental Justice
Fall 2026 applications are now open. Application fee starts Dec. 15. Apply by Jan. 3.
Admissions Events
Nov 5, 12:30 – 1:30pm • Virtual
Graduate Info Session: Landscape Architecture Portfolio Workshop
Nov 10, 12 – 1pm • Virtual
Graduate Info Session: Scholarship, Funding, and Job Opportunities
Nov 12, 11:30am – 12:30pm • Virtual
Curriculum and Student Work
- 1 year (2 semesters + 1 summer)
Degree program for individuals who hold professional or pre-professional degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, or planning.
Earn your MUD degree while pursuing a professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or social work.
Workshop Spotlight: Informal Cities
The Informal Cities Workshop provides students with an intensive, hands-on opportunity to grapple with frictions and interconnections that exist between the informal and the formal aspects of the city. It consists of a keynote lecture, which is free and open to the public, followed by a one-credit, weekend-long design charrette. Previous workshops have explored conditions in Varanasi, India; Lima, Peru; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; and Caracas, Venezuela.
Learn more about our annual workshops and events.
Featured student work
Faculty and Research
Faculty conduct field-leading, interdisciplinary research on urban design, spatial justice, social sustainability, and more.
student-to-faculty ratio in the graduate architecture programs
MUD faculty members
Travel and Opportunities
We work closely with practitioners and partners to bring diverse global perspectives into our studios. Our studios abroad are team-taught by local practitioners and Sam Fox School faculty. We also bring architects and designers from around the world to St. Louis, so your connection to them doesn’t end when your time abroad is over.
Over 92% of incoming graduate students at the Sam Fox School received a partial or full-tuition scholarship.
Faculty work with the Office for Socially Engaged Practice to offer dozens of courses, workshops, and projects that meaningfully engage with communities each semester.
Take our virtual tour, or schedule a campus visit! There’s no better way to get a feel for the program and what opportunities St. Louis has to offer emerging architects and designers.
Program Brochure
To request a print copy of the graduate architecture programs’ brochure via mail, click here.