MSc | Postgraduate Taught
Advanced Architectural Design
Entry year
2021
2021
Entry requirements
2.1
2.1
Duration
1 year (Full Time)
1 year (Full Time)
Places available
40 (Full Time)
40 (Full Time)
-
Overview
An innovative and personalised Master’s programme for enthusiastic students with an undergraduate degree in architecture who wish to explore future opportunities in architecture, urbanism, design and creative industries
COURSE CONTENT
This is an intensive Master’s programme for engaged students who would like to make the most of their time at Queen’s. The work produced throughout the year will be a collaborative effort between you, your year group, our academics and practicing architects. Because the course does not require you to meet prescription for qualification, it encourages you to work both within and beyond the realm of conventional architectural practice. We would like you to push the boundaries of your imagination and of architectural media.
You will work on modules including design, humanities and technology, questioning norms in architecture throughout. You will complete a major thesis project, the topic and methodology of which will be self-directed. You will be able to use the thesis as a means to experiment with new ideas, technologies and media.
The course encourages lateral thinking, problem solving, creativity and engagement with design in a self-critical process. It will address issues as diverse as our survival on the planet and alternative ways of thinking about what architecture can be and do.
WHAT WILL EXCITE YOU?
You will spend the year on our university campus celebrating its 175th year with people from around the world designing, collaborating and producing. Queen’s clubs and facilities including the Student Union, Queen’s Sport and Queen’s Film Theatre will also provide excellent opportunities to make friends outside of your discipline.
THE ENVIRONMENT
You will be based in Belfast, a growing city known for its industrial design heritage on one hand and its vibrant arts culture and creative industries on the other. You will enjoy a healthy staff to student ratio, good studios where you will have your own space and excellent workshops for physical and digital manufacturing.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION:
Now, more than ever, our societies demand innovative designers and creative problem solvers to propose solutions to the challenges we face in a complex contemporary world - health and well-being, climate change, forced migration, public safety and increasing urbanisation, among others. Our school is renowned for award-winning, innovative research and teaching that is academically rigorous, critically informed, design-led and interdisciplinary. In all of this endeavour we seek to develop architecture’s voice in addressing these challenges.
The MSc Architecture programme provides a scaffold for our students to develop their own personal position within the broad culture of architecture, and in doing so, contribute to the ongoing debate that shapes the profession and our world. Our concerns range from the scale of craft and construction, material intelligences and sustainable prototyping to the mapping and analysis of urban, territorial and global conditions. In all of this architectural media play a crucial role as does developing a self-critical understanding of how each individual works as a designer.
The MSc Architecture is a studio based programme, underscoring design and design processes as the core concerns, challenging our students to be experimental both in their design methodologies/analyses and their architectural proposals. The one year programme comprises of three semesters. The staff cohort is composed of a diverse spectrum of esteemed practitioners and innovative academics supported by external consultants beyond Queen’s, providing a further dimension to a rich learning environment. In this context, the students are encouraged to push the limits of the profession as well as their personal capabilities.Advanced Architectural Design highlights
A deposit will be required to secure a place.
Professional Accreditations
- Prestigious Master’s degree awarded in one year
- Personalised learning environment
- Opportunity to apply directly to MArch2 (the second year of Master of Architecture at Queen’s) to complete RIBA/ARB Part 2 that is the second step towards registration as an architect in the UK
- Studying in an international environment among native English speakers
- Personalised studio-based learning
Student Experience
- In this programme you will be working with several local and international students and academics who are established researchers and practicing architects. Both physically and culturally, Queen’s and Belfast are at the intersection of the UK and Ireland as well as America and Europe; therefore they offer a unique and memorable student experience.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Living-in-Northern-Ireland/Life-in-Belfast/student-experience/
Brexit Advice
Information on the implications of Brexit for prospective students.
NEXT
Course content -
Course content
Course Structure
Semester 1 - Design Studio 1, Technical Dissertation & Humanities Dissertation
Semester 2 - Design Studio 2, Technical Dissertation & Humanities Dissertation
Semester 3 - Thesis ProjectModules MSc Studio 1 (30 CATS), Semester 1
MSc Studio 2 (30 CATS), Semester 2
Humanities Dissertation (30 CATS), Semester 1+2
Technology Dissertation (30 CATS), Semester 1+2
Thesis Project (60 CATS), Semester 3 (Summer)Career Prospects
Employment after the Course
By completing the programme, you will graduate with an MSc Architecture degree within a year from a Russell Group university in the UK. Strong graduates will be eligible to apply to the MArch for direct entry into the second year, if they wish to complete Part II of the RIBA/ARB criteria leading to eligibility to sit Part III, the Professional Examination and registration as an architect in the UK. Therefore, the MSc is ideal for postgraduate students who have not chosen their career paths yet. If you would like to push the boundaries of your education and think outside-the-box, MSc is for you. WHERE MIGHT YOU BE IN FIVE YEARS? Anywhere in the world in one of many different disciplines. Our graduates have ended up designing skyscrapers in Hong Kong and the Middle East, emergency housing for refugees in Africa, film sets for Hollywood productions, computer game environments as well as working as urban planners, photographers, editors, illustrators, visual artists worldwide and teaching/researching in universities.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/Learning and Teaching
-
Academic writing
If you have not written scholarly texts before, do not worry, you will be supervised by experts and will become an expert yourself.
Design studio
You are already familiar with studio culture in architecture. In Master’s we will particularly emphasise creative solutions for the future, critical thinking and experimentation. The learning environment will be personalised as to your strengths and aspirations.
Technology and media
Depending on your interests, in this programme, you will be encouraged to use and experiment with a variety of media including filmmaking, animation, casting, performance and contemporary CAD/scripting software.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course, which will include individual and group work, are outlined below:
Project-based design work
Critical design reviews
Representation and media
Academic research
Scholarly essays
Dissertation
Facilities
15 Chlorine Gardens - architectural design studios and IT/printing facilities
David Keir Building - architectural design studios, lecture theatres, IT/printing facilities, computer labs, workshops for digital fabrication, architectural model making, timber, concrete, metal, etc. and student hub
McClay Library with immense individual and group study spaces with IT facilities
150-years-old Graduate School building shared with all Master and PhD students
Queen’s Sport (PEC) with a swimming pool, gym, tennis/squash courts, climbing walls, etc. - busy day and night
Prizes and Awards
- As a Queen’s student, you will be eligible to apply for a variety of prizes awarded by the university and external funders.
PREV
OverviewNEXT
Entry requirements -
Entry Requirements
Entrance requirements
Graduate
Applicants whose primary degree was/will be awarded in the UK:
1. Normally a 2.1 Honours degree in Architecture from an approved RIBA/ARB Part 1 course in a recognised institution. A 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University may be considered alongside a very strong design portfolio and relevant professional experience.
2. Normally an assessment of 60% or above in the final year major design project of their approved RIBA/ARB Part 1 course.
3. A demonstration of a critical awareness of the applicant's position relative to the profession and discipline of architecture. Such demonstration is typically (but not exclusively) achieved through experience in architectural practice in accordance with RIBA/ARB regulations for practical training.
4. Applicants must submit an architectural design portfolio. A three minute video may also be submitted to support their application (submission of the video is optional). Applicants may also be invited for interview.
Applicants whose primary degree was/will be awarded outside the UK:
1. A recognised qualification acceptable to the University which is equivalent to a UK 2.1 Honours degree in Architecture. A 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University may be considered alongside a very strong design portfolio and relevant professional experience.
2. Normally an assessment equivalent to 60% or above in their (first degree) final year major design project.
3. A demonstration of a critical awareness of the applicant’s position relative to the profession and discipline of architecture. Such demonstration is typically in the form of a personal statement.
4. International applicants must submit an architectural design portfolio. A three minute video may also be submitted to support their application (submission of the video is optional). Applicants may also be invited for interview.
Portfolio and Video Requirement for Application
As part of the application process you must upload a single pdf portfolio of your best architectural design (personal, non-group) work to date. The pdf should be no more than 5MBIn addition, you may prepare a three minute optional video in relation to one of the following questions: What is architecture for you? As a designer, what are you curious or ambitious about? What would be your dream project? Please upload your video on Vimeo or YouTube, adjust your privacy settings, and provide the link on the cover page of your portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio/video submission is to:
i. Identify indicators of commitment, excellence and achievement within the applicant’s academic or professional portfolio of experience.
ii. Evaluate the applicant’s critical awareness of the discipline and profession of architecture.International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in Speaking and Listening and a minimum of 5.5 in Reading and Writing, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last two years).
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
PREV
Course contentNEXT
Fees and Funding -
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Northern Ireland (NI) 1 £4,530 Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 £4,530 England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 £9,250 EU Other 3 £21,400 International £21,400 MArch (PGT)
1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled or pre-settled status, are expected to be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly Student Fees Regulations. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB are expected to be charged the GB fee, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.
2 It is expected that EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI will be eligible for NI tuition fees, in line with the Common Travel Agreement arrangements. The tuition fee set out above is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
For further information please refer to www.qub.ac.uk/brexit-advice/information-for-students.
All tuition fees quoted are for the academic year 2021-22, and relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
More information on postgraduate tuition fees.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Advanced Architectural Design costs
Students are responsible for additional costs for books, materials and software for drawing/model making and printing (including final portfolio). The amount for materials, equipment and printing will vary depending on how students decide to represent their work, but a budget of £1,000 for the course is appropriate. Students should also budget approximately £500 for an international field trip.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £10,609 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
More information on funding options and financial assistance.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-scholarships/.
PREV
Entry requirementsNEXT
Apply -
Apply
How to Apply
Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.
PREV
Fees and Funding