The MSc in Urban Planning is a two-year postgraduate program offered at Pulchowk Campus through the Department of Architecture under the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University.
The program carries 60 credits across four semesters. Its curriculum combines planning history and theory, urban sociology and demography, infrastructure planning, city planning techniques, regional planning, urban design and conservation, research methodology, planning studios, electives, an interdepartmental course, and thesis work.
A defining feature of the program is its studio-based progression. Planning Studio I appears in the second semester, Planning Studio II forms the project component of the third semester, and the fourth semester is devoted to a 16-credit thesis. This gives the degree a structure that moves from planning concepts and analytical subjects toward applied planning work and independent research.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | MSc in Urban Planning |
| Level | Master’s degree |
| Campus | Pulchowk Campus – Institute of Engineering |
| Department | Architecture |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Institute | Institute of Engineering (IOE) |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Academic structure | 4 semesters |
| Total credits | 60 |
| Studio components | Planning Studio I and Planning Studio II |
| Final academic component | 16-credit thesis |
| Admission framework | IOE postgraduate admission system |
MSc in Urban Planning is structured around the study of cities, regions, infrastructure, society, urban form, research, and planning practice.
The curriculum begins with subjects that establish the historical, theoretical, social, demographic, infrastructural, regional, and urban-design dimensions of planning. In the second semester, Research Methodology and Planning Studio I introduce a stronger research and applied-planning component alongside elective study.
The third semester continues specialization through electives and an interdepartmental course while making Planning Studio II the principal project component. The final semester is dedicated to thesis work.
The program is offered through the Department of Architecture at Pulchowk Campus – Institute of Engineering (IOE), within the academic framework of Tribhuvan University.
Pulchowk Campus began master's-level study in Urban Planning under the Department of Architecture in 1996 (2053 B.S.).
The Department of Architecture now supports undergraduate and postgraduate study across architecture, planning, energy-related development, and building-focused programs.
Its postgraduate portfolio includes:
These are separate postgraduate qualifications. Urban Planning has its own 60-credit curriculum centered specifically on planning theory, city and regional planning, infrastructure, urban design, studio work, and research.
The program runs for two years across four semesters.
The credit distribution is:
The complete program carries 60 credits.
The academic progression is structured so that the first semester establishes the planning foundation, the second introduces research and studio work, the third emphasizes applied planning and electives, and the fourth centers on independent thesis research.
| Semester | Main Academic Components | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Planning History and Theory; Urban Sociology and Demography; Infrastructure Planning; City Planning and Techniques; Regional Planning; Urban Design and Conservation | 16 |
| Semester II | Research Methodology; Planning Studio I; Elective I; Elective II | 16 |
| Semester III | Elective III; Elective IV Interdepartmental Course; Planning Studio II | 12 |
| Semester IV | Thesis Work | 16 |
The first semester contains six subject areas arranged within 16 credits.
Planning History and Theory carries 4 credits.
Its inclusion at the beginning of the degree establishes planning theory and historical development as a core foundation for the later studio, regional, city-planning, and research components.
Urban Sociology and Demography carries 2 credits.
The subject introduces the social and demographic dimension of urban planning within the common first-semester curriculum.
Its presence alongside infrastructure, city planning, regional planning, and urban design reflects the multidisciplinary structure of the program.
Infrastructure Planning is a 2-credit core subject.
It places infrastructure within the planning curriculum from the beginning of the degree and complements the program's study of cities and regions.
City Planning and Techniques carries 4 credits.
It forms one of the larger first-semester subjects and gives city planning a central position within the program before students begin Planning Studio I in the following semester.
Regional Planning carries 2 credits.
The subject extends the spatial scale of the course beyond individual urban areas and establishes regional planning as part of the core academic foundation.
Urban Design and Conservation is a 2-credit subject.
Its inclusion connects planning with the physical and design dimensions of urban environments while also placing conservation within the first-semester curriculum.
The second semester carries 16 credits and marks a transition from foundation subjects toward research, studio work, and specialization.
Students complete:
Research Methodology introduces a formal research component before the later Planning Studio II and thesis stages.
The course carries 4 credits and establishes research as a required part of the degree rather than limiting it to the final semester.
Planning Studio I also carries 4 credits.
The studio creates an applied planning component within the second semester. It follows the first-semester study of city planning, regional planning, infrastructure, urban sociology, urban design, and related planning foundations.
This studio structure is one of the distinctive academic features of the program.
Elective study begins in the second semester.
Students complete:
Together, these courses give elective and interdisciplinary study a substantial place within the program.
The broader academic scope represented in the course includes planning theory and methods, urban development, infrastructure and services, policy-related planning perspectives, and specialized planning applications.
The precise elective offerings may depend on the applicable academic arrangement.
The third semester carries 12 credits.
It contains:
This semester differs from the first year because all 12 credits are concentrated in specialization, interdisciplinary study, and applied planning work.
Elective IV is specifically identified as an interdepartmental course.
This gives the curriculum an interdisciplinary component and allows part of the student's third-semester academic work to connect with study beyond the program's core planning subjects.
Planning Studio II is identified as the project component of the third semester.
It follows Planning Studio I and represents the second major studio stage of the degree.
The two-studio sequence creates a progression from taught planning foundations toward applied planning investigation and project-based academic work.
The fourth semester is devoted entirely to thesis work.
Thesis: 16 credits.
The thesis is the largest single academic component in the program and accounts for more than one-quarter of the total 60 credits.
Its position after Research Methodology, two planning studios, and elective study means students reach the thesis after completing both analytical coursework and applied planning components.
The thesis gives students an opportunity to pursue a focused urban-planning topic through sustained postgraduate research.
The curriculum covers interconnected areas of urban and regional planning, including:
The academic framing of the program also encompasses planning methods, urban development, infrastructure and services, policy and governance-related planning themes, and specialized applications within contemporary urban study.
Planning Studio I and Planning Studio II provide a continuous studio sequence through the middle stages of the program.
The first studio appears alongside Research Methodology and electives in Semester II.
The second studio becomes the project component of Semester III.
This arrangement gives studio work 8 credits across the course and places applied planning activity between the foundational first semester and the thesis-centered final semester.
For students comparing planning programs, this studio structure is an important part of understanding how the degree is organized.
Research is integrated into several stages of the program.
Research Methodology appears in Semester II, followed by Planning Studio II as the project component in Semester III and a 16-credit thesis in Semester IV.
This sequence means independent research is preceded by both formal methodology study and applied planning work.
The degree therefore combines conceptual planning study with studio and research components rather than relying only on classroom-based subjects.
Admission operates through the postgraduate system of the Institute of Engineering under Tribhuvan University.
The process follows the applicable IOE postgraduate entrance and Pulchowk Campus admission framework.
Admission rules, academic requirements, entrance arrangements, and selection procedures are governed through the corresponding TU and IOE regulations for the program and admission cycle.
The Department of Architecture houses MSc in Urban Planning alongside Bachelor of Architecture and other master's-level programs.
Its wider academic environment includes facilities such as:
These are departmental facilities supporting the broader architecture and planning academic environment. They should not be interpreted as compulsory components of every Urban Planning course.
The department's combination of architecture, urban planning, energy-related development, and building-focused postgraduate programs gives students a multidisciplinary institutional setting for advanced study.
MSc in Urban Planning may be relevant to students whose academic interests involve cities, regions, infrastructure, society, urban form, planning methods, design, research, and development processes.
The curriculum is particularly structured around students who want postgraduate study combining:
The degree becomes progressively more research-oriented, with the fourth semester fully dedicated to thesis work.
The program runs for two years across four semesters.
The complete program carries 60 credits.
MSc in Urban Planning is offered through the Department of Architecture at Pulchowk Campus.
Urban Planning under the Department of Architecture began in 1996 (2053 B.S.).
Yes. Planning Studio I carries 4 credits in the second semester, while Planning Studio II is a 4-credit project component in the third semester.
Yes. The curriculum contains four 4-credit elective components across the second and third semesters. The fourth elective is identified as an interdepartmental course.
Yes. Research Methodology is a compulsory 4-credit course in the second semester.
Yes. The fourth semester consists of 16-credit thesis work.
The program operates under the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University.
