M.Sc. in Urban Planning

Institute of Engineering (IOE), Pulchowk Campus

The Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at IOE started the M.Sc. in Urban Planning program in 1996. Its aim is to produce skilled professionals in urban development and planning. The course teaches planning as a theory, a technique, and a decision-making process. It also focuses on research and practical projects related to real urban issues.

Since the beginning, more than 350 students have completed this program. They are now working in government, private companies, and development organizations in Nepal. Some have also gone into teaching and higher education. Although the course has high demand and popularity, it was not updated for many years due to limited resources and technical reasons.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for this program, the applicant must:

• Have completed B.Arch, B.E. in Civil, or M.A. in Geography, or an equivalent degree.

• Have good academic performance at the bachelor level, as required by the IOE faculty board.

• Get the minimum score set by IOE in the entrance exam (or by a special entrance committee for foreign students).

Note: Equivalent degrees must be recognized by Tribhuvan University (TU).

Admission Process

Students who want to apply must fill out and submit an online application form within the given deadline.

Steps to apply:

1. Pay the entrance exam fee to the mentioned bank account. Fill out a voucher with your name and date of birth. Include the voucher number in your application.

2. Choose the correct entrance stream (Urban Planning).

3. Complete all fields in the form.

4. Upload a recent color photo and one of the following documents:

   • Citizenship Certificate

   • Passport

   • Last Exam Admit Card

For corrections:
If you need to correct your name, photo, or ID in the form, you must pay a correction fee and submit a request letter to the ICTC office with the payment receipt.

Selection

Admission is based on merit, meaning the total marks you score in the entrance exam.

Seat/Quota Distribution

• 1 seat in Regular and 1 seat in Full Fee are reserved for female candidates.

• 1 seat is reserved for IOE faculty:

  • First priority: Permanent IOE faculty

  • Second priority: Contract faculty with 5+ years of experience

  • If no applicants, the seat goes to the Full Fee category

• 25% of the Sponsored seats are reserved for foreign students

• Sponsored seats priority:

  • 1st: Government offices or government-owned companies

  • 2nd: Other organizations

• If there are no applicants in Sponsored/Foreign categories, the seats go to Full Fee applicants.

Program Structure

This is a 2-year (4 semesters) program with a total of 60 credits.

• Semester 1, 2, and 4: 16 credits each

• Semester 3: 12 credits

Courses by Semester

First Semester (16 Credits)

• Planning History and Theory (4 credits)

• Urban Sociology and Demography (2 credits)

• Infrastructure Planning (2 credits)

• City Planning and Techniques (4 credits)

• Regional Planning (2 credits)

• Urban Design and Conservation (2 credits)

Second Semester (16 Credits)

• Research Methodology (4 credits)

• Planning Studio I (4 credits)

• Elective I (4 credits)

• Elective II (4 credits)

Third Semester (12 Credits)

• Elective III (4 credits)

• Interdepartmental Course (4 credits)

• Planning Studio II (4 credits)

Fourth Semester (16 Credits)

• Thesis Work (16 credits)

Elective Courses

Elective I (choose one)

• Geospatial Technologies for Urban Planning

• Planning Legislation

• Urban Economic Theory

• Urban Housing and Real Estate Development

Elective II (choose one)

• Planning and Urban Resilience

• Energy for Sustainable Urban Planning

• Urban Modeling and Simulation

• Project Development and Professional Practice

• Energy-Efficient Housing

• Transport Planning

Elective III (choose one)

• Urban Governance and Planning Politics

• Urban Regeneration

• Urban Economics and Finance

• Urban Informal Sector

• Participatory Planning and Community Development

• Urban Ecological and Landscape Planning