MSC URBAN PLANNING (SPECIALISATION IN URBAN DESIGN)
The MSc Urban Planning (specialisation in Urban Design) programme allows you to engage in applying design principles and techniques to address urban challenges in the changing contexts of Chinese and global environment.
September 2025
Full time
18 months
Suzhou
Design School
This programme leads to a University of Liverpool degree which is recognised by Ministry of Education, China.
Knowledge and skills
By the time you graduate from the MSc Urban Planning (specialisation in Urban Design), you will have:
- A comprehensive understanding of urbanisation in China, alongwith comparative insights into global urban development
- Knowledge of key urban planning and design theories and methodologies to create and articulate site-specific design solutions inmultidisciplinary
- Professional design skills in spatial analysis, representation techniques (mapping, modelling, filming), and conceptualisation (scenario building and visioncreation).
This programme will help you interpret and integrate key theories and technologies that underpin the operative role of urban design and apply them to address new challenges in the changing environments of China and the wider world. The research-by-design approach will engage you in situating practice-based projects within the co-production of knowledge and policy across different theoretical perspectives.
Dr Kon Kim
Programme director
Modules
*Programme modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
The university offers a broad range of activities aiming to enrich master students’ theoretical and experiential learning and professional development. Trainings, workshops and seminars, covering varieties of themes and topics, both generic and subject-specific, are often offered at both university and school/department levels. You may also be provided with opportunities to work as a teaching assistant, research assistant, or intern at XJTLU. Depending on the programme, field trips and company visits may be organized, and invited talks may be given by the industrial experts and professionals. Such activities will not only support you in your programme study, but also develop your personal and professional skills and enhance your overall employability.
This masters gives you a unique opportunity to learn about urban design from an international perspective but in a Chinese context. In the process of studying, I practiced my professional skills and presentation skills, applying the theory I learned into design practice. Also, I have made great friends with classmates and professors from around the world.
Yuan Xu
Student, MSc Urban Planning (specialisation in Urban Design)
Careers
This programme equips graduates for dynamic careers in urban design across both public and private sectors. Potential career paths are not limited to urban design but also encompass roles such as sustainability specialists, project coordinator, and professional consultant. In these roles, graduates leverage their expertise in land use planning, community development, urban management, and the revitalisation of infrastructure and facilities. These positions afford graduates a unique opportunity to actively participate in the crafting of sustainable, functional, and vibrant urban spaces.
Overview
The MSc Urban Planning programme (specialisation in Urban Design) enables you to apply design principles and techniques to address built environment challenges within the evolving contexts of China and the world.
The world has undergone unprecedented urbanisation in both speed and scale. One of the key challenges for future professionals will be how to reuse, transform, and regenerate the existing fabrics of cities, towns, and regions to create more sustainable and resilient places.
The programme is well-suited to students from design-related backgrounds, including but not limited to urban and rural planning, architecture, industrial design, landscape design and environmental design. Through the programme you will acquire the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills required to become a planning and design coordinator across public and private sectors, equipped to address emerging challenges and develop feasible solutions for the built environment.
The programme is continually updated to equip students with the skills required to address new challenges. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year*, the programme will introduce an updated core curriculum, followed by specialised tracks in Urban Regeneration, Urban Design, or Landscape Design. Graduates will be well-prepared for careers in fields such as sustainability consultancy, project coordination, and public advisory roles, with the ability to contribute to community development, urban and rural revitalisation, and public space design and management.
*Subject to final approval
Why should I study Urban Planning (Specialisation in Urban Design) at XJTLU?