Master of Architecture (MArch)

Cardiff University

United Kingdom, Cardiff

University RankQS Ranking

186

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Cardiff University

United Kingdom , Cardiff

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 14,725 / year(s)

Master of Architecture (MArch)

About

Master of Architecture (MArch)

Full time work-based

Why study this course

Continue your journey to become a qualified architect, confident in your ability to confront the challenges posed by a competitive and changing world. 

A leading school of architecture

Study in one of the top schools of architecture in the UK.

Access to leading expertise

Learn from our academic staff and experienced tutors from leading UK architectural practices with specialisms in a wide range of areas.

Work-based learning

Your first year is spent in architectural practice, helping you ground your theoretical learning in real-world applications.

Accredited by professional bodies

Accredited by RIBA (part II), ARB and the Board of Architects in Malaysia (LAM).

Architects Registration Board accredited qualification

The ARB has a number of mutual recognition agreements, including with Hong Kong, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Our two-year MArch will take you to an advanced level of architectural design. You’ll explore the full range of skills required to be an architect, while focusing on developing your personal outlook and professional experience.

The first year of the programme will be spent predominantly in architectural practice, on a placement which you will need to secure before you enrol. You will attend three short courses to help you reflect on the professional and legal aspects of the practical work you’re engaged in. Your second year will be spent on a dissertation and design thesis, immersing yourself in the dynamic and collaborative studio culture of our School. This combination of practical and theoretical gives you a unique opportunity to learn from and reflect on professional practice to develop your individual stance and professional perspectives.

We encourage you to practice ‘grounded creativity;’ your design studies across both years will involve imaginative engagement with real-world issues and global challenges such as climate change and the UN’s sustainable development goals within localised contexts. You will further your understanding of how architecture is made and how it performs, reflecting on how your technological choices can support the wellbeing of present and future generations.

To prepare you for the demands of the architectural profession, we build on and extend your existing understandings of the historical, theoretical, cultural, political, and geographical dimensions of the architectural discipline. With a focus on innovation, professionalism and commercial awareness, you’ll be encouraged to reflect critically on the wider significance of personal decisions and actions as an architect.

Your studies will be shaped by exposure to world-leading teacher-practitioners and researchers who will encourage you to develop new critical and creative approaches to design. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with design, take creative risks and expand your thinking.

The design studio is at the centre of our community, a place where you’ll mix with students, staff, and industry practitioners to address ethical, global, climatic and professional issues. The studio environment provides the ideal space for you to take your studies in a direction that reflects your own interests, through a process of creativity and discovery.

Following graduation from the programme you will need to complete a Part 3 programme, for example our Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture: Professional Practice, if you intend to become a registered architect in the United Kingdom.

Accreditations

Where you'll study

Welsh School of Architecture

We aim to make the world a better place through contextually sensitive, sustainable and beautiful architecture.

Get in touch
+44 (0)29 2087 4430
King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB

Disciplines

Welsh School of Architecture

Requirements

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for an offer for this programme you will need to meet all of the entry requirements. Your application will not be progressed if the information and evidence listed is not provided.

With your online application you will need to provide:

A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts which show you have achieved a 2:1 honours degree in architecture/architectural studies from a UK degree programme which is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Architects Registration Board (ARB), or the Malaysian accredited LAM (Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia) Architecture Degree; or a degree in architecture/architectural studies from a university overseas. If your degree certificate or result is pending, please upload any interim transcripts or provisional certificates.
A copy of your IELTS certificate with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or evidence of an accepted equivalent. Please include the date of your expected test if this qualification is pending. If you have alternative acceptable evidence, such as an undergraduate degree studied in the UK, please supply this in place of an IELTS.
A personal statement in which you will need to explain why you want to study on the MArch at Cardiff University, what excites you about it, and how you think it will help you develop in your career. Please describe your particular architectural interests and what design/research agenda you hope to develop through the MArch course.
A portfolio of your design work which may contain a balance of academic and professional work, but which should focus on final/graduation projects from your undergraduate architecture / architectural studies degree. Work produced within a practice context should be presented in a way that clearly identifies your individual contribution/ authorship. Other work may be included, for example, a design competition, life drawings or other creative outputs. We look for holistic approaches to design – projects that integrate analysis, conceptual thinking, creativity in spatial design and technical resolution. The portfolio should be A4 or letter-sized pages of content and uploaded to your application as a PDF document no larger than 10 MB in size.

Application Deadline

We allocate places on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend you apply as early as possible. Applications normally close at the end of August but may close sooner if all places are filled.

Selection process

We will review your application including your portfolio and if you meet all of the entry requirements, we will make you an offer.

Find out more about English language requirements.

Applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK must present an acceptable English language qualification in order to meet UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) requirements.

Criminal convictions

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to: