Letter from the Program Director

Today urban design is taught throughout the school. Former dean Gary Hack is a professional urban designer, and other urban design professionals teaching at Penn include Jonathan Barnett, Robert Yaro and James Kise in the department of City and Regional Planning, James Corner and Laurie Olin in Landscape Architecture, and Witold Rybczynski in Architecture.

Accordingly urban design at Penn is not a separate degree, but an interdisciplinary certificate program that students can combine with another course of study. Masters students in Architecture, City and Regional Planning, or Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning can receive a Certificate in Urban Design by completing the Certificate's required courses and studio as part of the course of study for their master's degree. With the right selection of courses it should be possible for students to complete both the Certificate and a professional degree within the time allotted for the professional degree itself. There is no additional tuition charge.

Architects, landscape architects, and city planners in mid-career can also be admitted to Penn to study for a Certificate in Urban Design if they already have a professional master's degree in architecture, landscape architecture or city planning.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you want more specific information about any of the urban design options or want to discuss your own personal situation. Requests for applications and questions about application requirements and financial aid should be addressed to Director of Admissions, Joan Weston, at weston@pobox.upenn.edu. We encourage you to submit your application and fee online. Please visit http://www.design.upenn.edu/admissions for further information.

Jonathan Barnett
Professor of Practice in City and Regional Planning
Director, Urban Design Program
barnett2@pobox.upenn.edu