Architecture Degrees Online

The Master of Architecture Program focuses on material innovation, research, application, and resourcefulness within a larger social and cultural context. While providing a well-rounded architectural education, the program engages physically and digitally with old, new, and emerging building materials and systems to explore architecture as a critical and evolving practice. Digital craft, design research, interdisciplinary engagement, alternative models, and global involvement and exchange are emphasized.

Designed for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in another field, the program is a three-year first professional master’s degree in architecture. It also accommodates students who have begun their architectural studies at the undergraduate level. Advanced standing may be granted to those who have some previous education in the field. Placement is based on a review of the portfolio and undergraduate transcripts.

CCA’s metropolitan setting enhances the educational experience it offers. The city of San Francisco serves as an urban laboratory, inspiring new ways to configure architecture and space. Small class sizes ensure access to a diverse faculty of practicing professionals. The program sponsors its own lecture series featuring architects and theorists from around the world who are working with a wide range of issues and ideas. Many of these guests stay on campus for several days to teach and review student work.

We believe that architects are cultural makers—leading and responding to social, economic, and ecological issues. Our goal is to graduate architects who will continue to produce real-world work that engages architectural theory.

The heart of architectural education is the design studio, where students learn to synthesize the wide range of ideas, issues, and technologies required for the conceptualization of architecture. It is also the place where some aspects of architectural practice are modeled and where history, theory, and technology are integrated into design.

The first three semesters introduce the culture of architecture and the nature of the discipline through rigorous studios that are open to graduate students only. In the following two semesters, students explore their own interests, choosing from a menu of elective studios that are taught by architects and focus on a broad range of practice strategies.

The final studio semester is spent executing an honors design thesis or an advanced studio using the student’s own research and focusing on his or her specific interests. A course on the intricacies of professional practice rounds out this cluster.

Running parallel to the studio courses is a sequence of courses in history and theory. These courses ground studio practice in the world of ideas. The first year includes an in-depth study of the history of architecture as well as a seminar course that places architecture in the context of culture, politics, technology, and philosophy.

In the second year, a one-semester seminar introduces architectural theory. The fall of the third year includes an intensive independent research lab, in which students explore their individual interests under the close supervision of a faculty member.

This work provides the intellectual framework for the concluding semester of studio work. Finally, each student selects two semesters of graduate level, topically based theory seminars from a menu of courses offered across all of CCA’s graduate programs.

A third parallel sequence of courses builds knowledge and skills related to technology and practice issues. Courses in sustainable building systems, building energy, structures, materials, and methods of construction form the heart of this sequence. Electives within the sequence include courses in deep-green building practices, advanced building construction, and digital craft.

The facilities on the San Francisco campus include dedicated studios with a wireless network infrastructure, a suite of fully equipped shops for various scales and media of fabrication, and four computer labs with the latest Macintosh hardware and software. The New Materials Resource Center offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary collection of samples and is the only library of its kind housed at an art school.

The program’s other resources include special summer studios, including travel studios. In August, just before fall classes begin, we offer incoming students a three-week Architectonic Intensive. This course is designed to give those with little or no making or drawing experience a head start.

The program also offers the 333 studio each summer. Based in San Francisco, this studio is three weeks long, with each of the weeks taught by a different internationally recognized architect. Instructors for 333 have included Nader Tehrani of Office dA, Thomas Wiscombe of EMERGENT, Rodolphe el-Khoury, and Lisa Iwamoto and Craig Scott of IwamotoScott Architecture.

Our Latin American travel studio alternates summers between Peru and Argentina. Each studio is led by a member of our faculty who is native to the country: the Peru trip is led by Sandra Vivanco, and the Argentina studio is taught by Leonardo Zylberberg.

Entry Requirements
All candidates wishing to sit for the professional practice examination are required to have successfully completed the School’s examinations at degree and diploma level in Architecture (or their equivalent), which give exemption from Parts I and II respectively of RIBA’s own examination.

In addition, and in accordance with RIBA’s practical training requirements, all candidates are required to have completed a minimum of 24 months full-time professional practice experience and development before being permitted to sit for the final examination.

Examination
The examination is structured in six parts;
4 week open paper on The Context for Practice
4 week open paper on Practice Management and Business Administration
Open book written paper on Construction Management
Records of experience in the form of PEDR sheets, CV and self-appraisal
Case study
Oral examination

All candidates are encouraged to liaise with the Course Director, especially during the twelve months within which the examination is to be taken.

Course Content

The professional practice course, which is run in association with West Midlands RIBA CPD, is structured to address key areas of both job and practice management.

The course is assembled as a thematic series of lectures and seminars delivered over a period of eight days in total. To assist candidates in practice, the eight day course is arranged in two separate blocks, each of three days’ duration, and a further single block of two days. The eight days can be taken in sequence either as

March 3 days
September 3 days
October 2 days

or

September 3 days
March 3 days
April 2 days

The grouping of the course dates in the calendar is arranged to enable two separate examination sittings to be held in any one twelve-month period, but the eight day course must be taken in full as part of the examination sequence. Attendance at the respective course dates should be agreed individually by candidates with the course director.

The course is presented by a range of external speakers, often specialists in their own fields. The core content is in the following modules :
The context for practice
Practice management and business administration
Construction management

The course concludes with an afternoon session with the examiners to take the candidates through their reasoning of the previous examination papers.

The lectures and seminars are delivered at the level of ordinary competence, and as such the course is promoted to, and attended by, local practitioners who wish to augment their continuing professional development programmes.

Birmingham City University School of Architecture’s (the School) professional practice course and examination are the concluding elements for candidates who have successfully completed their BA (Hons) Degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture, or equivalent awards holding recognition for Parts 1 & 2 respectively. The course and examination are both fully recognised and validated internally by the University (hence the above award), and externally by the ARB and the RIBA.

The course is open to all candidates, irrespective of age or background. Candidates who wish to sit for the course and examination should consult with the Course Director, normally twelve months in advance of the examination date being targeted.

Entry Requirements

Applicants for this course should show evidence of design aptitude and skill through a portfolio of work. An average tarriff point offer is 300 points and three A2 Levels.

Applicants with a BTEC NC in Construction with five merits at Level 3 or an HNC in Construction are also welcome to apply.

Appropriate GNVQs at Level 3 or above are also acceptable.

Mature applicants without the normal requirements should have relevant study and/or work experience (such as in engineering, fine art, etc.)

Applicants for the part-time course may be eligible for up to 60 credits Advanced Standing and are required to be employed in architectural practice or other appropriate design practice.

Suitable applicants are invited to open days.

Careers
Graduates will normally proceed to or continue with employment as an assistant in architectural practice as part of, or preparation for, the University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture which provides exemption from Part 2 of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ examinations. A BA (Honours) Architecture is also an excellent qualification for movement into related design fields, journalism, academia and further study at Masters level.

All candidates who fully meet with the School’s requirements, which includes the completion of the eight day course, and who then go on to successfully complete the School’s final examination, will be awarded the Birmingham City University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Practice.

Successful completion of the School’s Course and Examination enables application for registration with the Architects Registration Board, and application for full membership of the RIBA.

The architects trained by the University of Minho are entitled to pursue the work in Architecture, Urban, Urban Design, Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Buildings, Architecture and Interior Design Equipment. Can exercise it as technical staff in institutions and companies or as professionals and are able to develop activities related to design, urban management, higher education and research. They are also able to teach at various levels of education.

The training is based on practice and theory, exploring the methods of teaching / learning designated by the Bologna Declaration. The development of this set of skills involves learning to deepen a growing over curriculum, based on the work of the project, with support of the design as a tool for design and representation and the theory and history that stimulate reflection on architectural practice. It is intended that the training instilling in students the depth and creativity to generate innovative solutions to technical and functional level, acquiring sensitivity to the aspects of communication and to the specific socio-cultural.

It encouraged a proactive approach towards change, as part in the economic and environmental contexts. It stimulated the student the ability to communicate, so succinct and rational, the results of their work, demonstrating entrepreneurship, capacity for teamwork, citizenship and values of sustainable eco-action.

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree is earned through successful completion of a five-and-a-half year program at Norwich University. Graduates from other colleges are not accepted into the fifth year of this program. Transfers are accepted into the BS in Architectural Studies and are governed under existing university academic regulations (including 60 percent of credit hours being earned at Norwich).

The masters program builds on the experience of the undergraduate curriculum, preparing students to function as professional architects. The program emphasizes practical experience (through a practicum) as well as autonomy and rigor (through an architectural thesis and graduate seminars).

Admission into the fifth-year Masters of Architecture is not automatic. In their fourth-year, students must submit a portfolio of their studio work for review and approval by an architecture faculty committee. This threshold also requires a minimum university GPA of 2.50 and a GPA of 2.75 for all design studio courses; these thresholds are subject to change. The Masters year offers graduate-level professional electives as well as the opportunity to undertake a thesis, of one’s own choosing.

Perhaps the most exciting and innovative aspect of the masters’ curriculum is the requirement of an architectural internship in the summer between the fourth and fifth years. For this practicum, students will be required to locate and work in an architecture office (or in another design-related firm). The course work is completed using distance-learning techniques, which not only permit students to work in their hometowns (or other locations of their choosing) but also give each individual experience in digital communications and technologies which are major evolving aspects of architectural practice today.

The curriculum features the use of threshold points and portfolio reviews for each student in order to better identify individual career objectives as well as to assure the high academic caliber of every Norwich graduate.

Students have an opportunity to spend a semester in Berlin, Germany, in the School’s own study abroad program delivered by Lexia International.

The qualification aims to produce senior architectural technologists who will be competent to design at the intermediate level and with the aid of the latest electronic tools, perform and control the technical aspects of architectural practice at an advanced level.

While design forms an integral part of the course the focus remains on the practical/ technological aspects of architectural practice. This includes an emphasis on ‘green design’ and the particular needs of developmental communities.

Students who have completed this course may register for the MTech: Architectural Technology programme or may register for the 3rd year of the BAS programme in order to gain entry into the MArch (Prof) programme.