The Master of Urban Design Program is transitioning to an electronic application process. Please read the instructions below and email the Graduate Admissions Assistant at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have any questions. Admission is for the Fall 2010 semester only.

Please visit the Graduate Division’s website for University admission requirements and useful tips on applying.

For a PDF version of this page, download the Detailed Application Instructions.

Application Deadlines

Applicants are required to submit both the Graduate Division Online Application and all supplemental materials.

Prerequisites

Admission to the Master of Urban Design program requires:

• A prior professional degree in architecture (B.Arch. or M.Arch.), landscape architecture (B.L.A. or M.L.A.), or city and regional planning (M.C.P., M.U.P. with a strong design background).
• Evidence of high-quality academic and professional work, including GRE and minimum TOEFL/IELTS score requirements.
• Two years of professional experience after completion of the professional degree is recommended but not required. Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality of their work.
• Recommended: A course in history/theory of urban form (comparable to City Planning 240). Students without this course will be expected to enroll in City Planning 240 during the program.
  
  

Application Instructions

Step 1:  Submit the UC Berkeley Graduate Division Online Application

• Statement of Purpose – State the purpose in entering the graduate program, your proposed emphasis of studies, and any special interest(s) in the field. Statements should be clear and focused. For tips on writing a statement of purpose please see the Graduate Division website.
  
  
• Three Letters of Recommendation – Submit the names of your recommenders through the online application. The recommender is to provide a personal impression of the applicant’s intellectual ability, aptitude in research or professional skills, character, and the quality of previous work and potential for future productive scholarship. ONLY online letters of recommendation are accepted.
  
  
• GRE - Domestic applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have their official scores reported to the Graduate Division by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Only GRE scores taken after June 2005 are valid. School code: 4833. Department code: 4406.
  
  
• TOEFL or IELTS - Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants who take the TOEFL or IELTS are not required to take the GRE. The TOEFL and IELTS must have been taken after June 2008. Minimum required scores are 570 for the paper-based test, 230 for the computer-based test, and at least 68 for the internet-based test (iBT). Minimum required IELTS score is a 7 on a 9-point scale. Foreign applicants who have baccalaureate degrees from educational institutions in which instruction was in English must take the GRE rather than the TOEFL. Contact the Graduate Admissions Office by phone at (510) 642-7405 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it regarding questions.
  
  

Step 2:  Mail Official Transcript(s) and Exhibit of Creative Work (Portfolio) to Program

• One set of official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended since high school.
• Portfolio of professional and creative work.
  
  

Materials must be postmarked by the admission deadline. Mail official transcript(s) and portfolio to:

Graduate Admissions Committee
Urban Design Program
University of California, Berkeley
202 Wurster Hall #2000
Berkeley, CA 94720-2000

Step 3:  Upload Supplemental Materials to the MUD Admissions Intranet

Applicants who have submitted the UC Berkeley Graduate Division Online Application by the deadline will be given access to the MUD Admissions Intranet. Applicants will receive a detailed email with instructions on how to upload all required supplemental application material. All documents including the design portfolio must be converted into PDF documents and uploaded into the departmental admissions system. File names must be all lower-case, must only use characters a-z, 0-9, hyphen ("-"), and underscore ("_"), and must be in the following format:

Example:

applicant-name_program_document-type
john-smith_mud_resume

Supplemental Application Materials

• Departmental Application:
  Interactive PDF Version | Microsoft Word Version
• Resume
• Unofficial Transcript(s) – Note: Before uploading your unofficial transcript please remove your Social Security number and date of birth.
• Portfolio of professional and creative work
   

Step 4: Confirmation of Submittal

The Graduate Division will send you an email confirmation after submittal of the online University Application. Please keep this confirmation for your records.

Once you have successfully uploaded all of your supplemental material to the MUD Admissions Intranet please notify the Graduate Assistant at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Your file will be reviewed and you will be sent an email confirmation when complete. Due to the volume of applications being processed please do not call the Graduate Office to confirm receipt of materials.

Visits to Campus

The department does not conduct admission interviews. However, visits to the Berkeley campus are strongly encouraged. We recommend you make appointments with the Student Affairs Officer and specific faculty members at least two weeks prior to your visit. The Student Affairs Officer may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . For faculty appointments please refer to the website for contact information. Faculty members manage their own calendars and it is not possible for departmental staff to set up appointments. Faculty members are available during the months of September, October, and November (fall semester) and February, March, and April (spring semester).

The University also has a Visitor Services Office that offers daily campus tours and other visitor related services. Please contact their office for more information.