Master in Design for Development. Architecture, Urban Planning and Heritage in the Global South

The master is dedicated to design for development in Global South contexts, with joint attention to architecture, urban planning and heritage. The programme is divided into six modules covering the theory and tools of urban analysis, design labs, an intensive five-week workshop to be carried out in the field in the Global South, project work and the final thesis. The aim is to give participants methods to read complex territories, understand community needs and develop interventions that are appropriate from a social, cultural, environmental and economic point of view, taking into account the specificities of the places where they work and their tangible and intangible heritage. The focus on the Global South reflects the growing relevance of the themes of cooperation, rapid urbanisation and heritage protection in contexts with limited resources, in which design must deal with specific economic, cultural and environmental constraints and with the participation of local communities.

The programme lasts 18 months, is held full time in person in Milan and is delivered in English. The total workload is 1,500 hours, including lectures, workshops, field visits and individual study. Teaching therefore alternates theoretical and methodological moments with applied experiences: the labs make it possible to develop design proposals, while the field workshop offers direct engagement with real contexts. A compulsory 300-hour internship is planned with organisations operating in the Global South, an opportunity to experience professional work in an international setting and to build relationships useful for one's career. The page does not indicate the number of credits. Field experience, in both the intensive workshop and the internship, is a defining element, because it makes it possible to test methods and ideas in real contexts, to work with local partners and to develop adaptability skills that are hard to acquire through classroom study alone.

The aim of the master is to train professionals able to work in cooperation and international development by applying design, urban planning and heritage protection skills. Career opportunities include international organisations, public and private bodies, non-governmental organisations and architecture and urban planning firms operating on a global scale. Related professions are urban planner, architect specialised in sustainability, development consultant and sustainable construction designer. The qualification is aimed at those who wish to build an international and specialised professional profile, with training that combines technical knowledge, cultural sensitivity and direct field experience. The master is therefore particularly suited to those who wish to work in international cooperation or with organisations operating on a global scale, and to those who want to complement their basic training in architecture or urban planning with specialist experience oriented to emerging contexts.