10 Best Urban Planning Master's Degree Programs in Italy for 2024

The 2-year practice-oriented and transdisciplinary study course is an educational framework for designers that aims to contribute to more sustainable, resilient, solidary, and just futures — both locally and trans-locally.

The English-taught MA provides education and training for internationally oriented architects, in accordance with the Directive of the European Parliament 2005/36/CE. It gives students excellent preparation for the changing demands of society, both in the technical-scientific area and the humanities. It teaches how to cope with present-day problems related to urban and natural landscapes. It focuses on the conservation and transformation of different architectural and urban contexts, with special attention paid to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. MA Architecture prepares students to tackle pressing architectural, urban, and environmental issues in the national and international scenes. It proposes updated visions of architecture and integrates them with ideas from global culture. It employs the most innovative techniques and methodologies to train generations of digital natives. This also means providing cross-disciplinary competences in – urban projects and theories on the city, with their related issues of sustainable growth and sustainable decrease – Italian cultural heritage and its conservation through regenerative projects that can be applied to other countries and contexts – interior and exhibition design – a global asset for today’s architects.

Iuav - University of Venice has long been recognised as one of the best Urban Planning Schools in Europe and across the world. It is the only university in Italy to provide thorough education and training in urban planning, architecture, design, visual arts, theatre and fashion.

Urban Vision and architectural Design are in Cities, territories, and rural and urban systems that make up the built fabric that connects people and places. This milieu is constantly shifting due to geopolitical and cultural trends; perceiving it and changing it is a complicated undertaking. Change comes about thanks to strategies that transform the landscape, methodologies that regenerate urban areas, and design concepts that delineate public and private spaces.

The Master's Degree in Architecture combines the theoretical in-depth analysis of some preparatory subjects for the professional activity with a strong technical design application cut.

The Master's programme offered is open to students coming from inside and outside of the European Union, who wish to obtain a Master's Degree in Architecture awarded by the School of Architecture in Florence, Italy. The courses are held in two languages: Italian and English. The aim of the Master's Degree course in Architecture is the training of an “Architect” according to the requirements of knowledge and skills as defined by the European Union Directive EC 1985/384 and subsequent 2005/36/EC.

The Master's program in Architecture-Urban Regeneration aims to provide a professional solution to the need for a new profile of fully-fledged architect, in cultural and professional terms and not merely formal, within the European context; a fast-shaping context in which the issues of urban regeneration play a role of particular relevance, also highlighted by issues identified in the European and international urban agenda, as well as, more recently, in the national urban agenda being defined.

The Landscape Architecture course pursues the objective of completing training in the field of Landscape Architecture. This integrates multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, useful at different scales of design, and also to acquire the ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.

The European master of 1st level, validated by E.A.B.H.E.S., lasting one year-long course is intended to provide a solid education to realize a green area, wisely disposing its elements and organizing each phase. At the end of the annual path, they are released 60 ECTS credits (European credits).

The Department of Architecture “dArTe” offers a five-year program (LM - 4) leading to the degree of Master of Architecture. This course is a limited entry with about 150 students each year (for entry to the five-year program students have to complete successfully an exam). The Department also offers independent research leading to the degree of Master of the 1st and 2nd level.