The need for urban designers is urgent. Worldwide, the cities of both developing and developed countries are struggling with problems of managing rapid growth. Urban design professionals are as necessary in cities of developing countries, where infrastructure and land use patterns are being established, as in developed cities, where historical continuity and the reuse of existing sites are major issues.

The Master of Urban Design degree program is an advanced, interdisciplinary program of study with a concentrated time for completion. The program's goals are to further train designers who are able to work effectively in teams across a large range of scales and with a well-developed understanding of urban places and the interdependencies of the fabric of buildings, landscapes, public ways, and the social interactions that shape them.

The College of Environmental Design offers several other urban design options: 

• Urban design concentrations in each of the professional degree programs: Master of City Planning (2 years), Master of Landscape Architecture (2 years), and Master of Architecture (1-3 years).
• A concurrent degree program in urban design offering both the M.C.P. and M.Arch. degrees (2-4 years).
• A concurrent degree program in urban design offering the M.L.A. and M.C.P. degrees (3 years).
• The Ph.D. programs in the Departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, and City & Regional Planning, which allow specialization in urban design topics.