Master of Science in Urban Strategies

MUS is a one-year Master of Science in Urban Strategies program that focuses on cultivating fundamental knowledge about contemporary urban transformation and building necessary skills for the development and the implementation of urban projects.

Studying urban issues and strategies in Bangkok offers a unique learning experience with the city as a living laboratory for contemporary urban issues and solutions. From transit-oriented development projects and flood management efforts to community-based housing development and formalization of informal activities, students will gain insights into how social, economic, and political institutions that contribute to everyday urban transformations. Bangkok is also a regional hub for many international development agencies which are key connectors of students’ local experiences to the larger global applications.

We thrive to provide a student-centric and interactive education, where lectures go hand in hand with studio-based classrooms and real-life implications. The learning processes are facilitated by our faculty members who have extensive experience in teaching, research, consultancy, and advocacy in Thailand and abroad. The studios are based on real cases in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand to provide opportunities for further in-depth investigation.

Specific skills indispensable for developing urban projects are also emphasized, including data analytics, institutional analysis, strategic foresight, city branding and marketing, finance, and project management. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively in actual projects with partner organizations in Thailand or other countries of interest. Through such collaboration, students will gain first-hand experience in applying the knowledge and skills learned in classrooms to real-world implementation.

First Semester (15 credits)

In the first semester, students are required to take 4 foundational courses and an Urban Strategies Workshop, all of which will provide basic knowledge and skills necessary for the development of urban strategies.

• Urban Theories (3 credits)
• Urban Strategies (3 credits)
• Skills in Urban Strategies (3 credits)
• Seminar on Urban Strategies (3 credits)
• Urban Strategies Workshop I (3 credits)

Second Semester (12 credits)

During the second semester, in addition to Thesis Prep and Urban Strategies Workshop II, students may choose up to two concentrations of their interest: Urban Development and Mobility, Urban Living and Livelihoods, Urban Regeneration, or Urban Security and Resilience. All concentrations are offered as elective courses.

• Thesis Preparation (3 credits)
• Urban Strategies Workshop II (3 credits)
• Elective I (3 credits): Choose between the 4 concentrations
• Elective II (3 credits): Choose between the 4 concentrations

Summer Semester (9 credits)

Once all coursework is completed, students will write their master’s theses on their topics of interest as well as of relevance to their chosen concentrations during the two-month summer semester.

• Thesis (9 credits)

MUS is structured to be a direct and efficient learning track that will equip students with important theoretical background and practical skills through case studies from Southeast Asia and beyond. In addition to required foundational classes, MUS also provides four areas of concentration that students can choose for their electives including Urban Development and Mobility, Urban Living and Livelihoods, Urban Regeneration, and Urban Security and Resilience. Students will also write their theses based on the selected concentration.