Master of Architecture (MArch)

    PhD in Master of Architecture (MArch) at Cardiff University

    PhD in Master of Architecture (MArch) at Cardiff University

    Study Master of Architecture (MArch) at Cardiff University, a PhD degree offered at its main campus in Cardiff, United Kingdom. This Full Time program is delivered on campus in English and takes approximately 2 year to complete. Students benefit from a structured learning experience designed to build both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The tuition fee is USD 39,596 / years, with the next intake scheduled for September 28, 2026.

    About PhD in Master of Architecture (MArch)

    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

    Career Opportunities after Completing PhD in Master of Architecture (MArch)

    Career prospects

    Our grounded approach to creativity and design, along with your year of education in practice, is the ideal foundation for employment at a more advanced and competent level.

    The MArch encourages you to become an independent and critical thinker. You will be well positioned to influence the future direction of the industry and your career. Previous graduates of the MArch have formed practices, not for profit community focused organisations, charitable foundations and professional collaborative networks within the field of architecture.

    Your year in practice is often a good starting point to finding your next step or returning to your placement year employer. You’ll learn and practice multiple employability skills during your placement.

    We’ll also provide you with opportunities to speak with and learn from active architects and industry consultants, many of whom regularly advertise for graduate positions in the school.

    Graduate prospects for students on the programme are strong, with the majority of our graduates going on to work in the architectural profession. It’s also a good foundation for entry into other creative and design disciplines, with some of our previous graduates going on to roles in web design, product design, automotive design, set design, graphic design or illustration, architectural journalism, photography, architectural history and craft/maker-based disciplines. Previous graduates have also embarked on further study including research degrees.

    We’re committed to ensuring you develop the six graduate attributes; skills that the University has identified are key skills valued by industry and employers. As a Cardiff graduate you will be:

    • Collaborative
    • An effective communicator
    • Ethically, socially, and environmentally aware
    • An independent and critical thinker
    • Innovative, enterprising, and commercially aware
    • Reflective and resilient

    Our emphasis on collaborative and ethical practice will encourage you to develop a personal stance on the impact and influence of architecture on a global society.

    Fee Information

    Tuition Fee
    39,596 / years
    PhD in Master of Architecture (MArch) at Cardiff University
    Cardiff University
    Cardiff University
    United Kingdom

    United Kingdom, Cardiff

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