Master of Science in Human Settlements under KU

KHULNA UNIVERSITY

www.ku.ac.bd

Postgraduate Prospectus : Master of Science in Human Settlements

A. Program Title

Master of Science in Human Settlements (MScHS)

B. Program Description

The Master of Science in Human Settlements (MScHS) program develops professionals who are capable of investigating the human settlements from multiple viewpoints. The program is committed to both professional training and research. By proposing an expanded architecturallybased teaching-learning model, the post-professional program aims to enhance the capacity of professionals to engage in inter-disciplinary practice that negotiates between diverse actors in the development of sustainable human settlements. The key quality of MScHS program is its combined strength of multidisciplinary theory, design studio, workshop, thesis and project. Design studio and projects are approached as design-research exercises, where the program exploits the pedagogic potential of the studio as a form of design-based critical inquiry. It takes advantage of architecture’s traditional concerns for site specificity, spatial experience, functionality, morphology and physical form, while also engaging realms of knowledge associated with disciplines such as urban and rural planning, urban geography, anthropology, archeology, urban ecology, landscape design, environmental science etc. In this sense, the program is considered experimental, exploratory, and unorthodox relative to the established canons of the traditional architectural design studio. Grounded in theory, technical and social science research with focused subject matter, the thesis/design-research project culminates with a supervised independent research that allows each participant to frame problems relevant to their field of specialization.

C. Aim and Objectives

The MScHS program aims to develop participants' dexterities in design thinking and entrepreneurial approaches to development practices. It is committed to achieve following five specific objectives:

• Promote learning from cutting edge conceptual debates in human settlement design and development theories, and practices so as to identify, investigate and justify possible solutions to problems emerging out of the debates.
• Develop skills in gathering, organizing and using evidence and information from a wide variety of sources. This will be complemented by guidance on how best to manage workloads and obtain research materials.
• Develop analytical skills and inter-disciplinary knowledge in order to advance design communication beyond the generalist education of a professional degree.
• Provide with competency in developing reasoned arguments, finding commonalities and differences, and defending different solutions.
• Enable to explore context-bound approaches and relating these to the operational framework for policy, planning, programming, and design to promote development of more equitable and sustainable human settlements in urban and rural areas.

D. Course Structure

Master of Science in Human Settlements program is an intensive three terms (36 credit) full time professional course with a focus on design research. It includes minimum 18 credit of theory course and 18 credit of sessional course. The courses are delivered through lectures, seminars, workshop, field trips, and design studio. Student performance is assessed through reading, essay writing, individual and group project work, examination, seminar, jury, criticism and dissertation/project report.