Architecture (MA)

The Architecture MA incorporates a number of different study options including an extensive range of individual module choices and specialist pathways in Cultural Identity and Globalisation, History and Theory, and Digital Media.

If you are looking for our MArch (RIBA Part 2) course, please view this course page.

Situated in the progressive intellectual milieu of London, the Architecture MA programme offers a flexible programme of study and a unique opportunity to pursue advanced postgraduate research combining high-level theoretical investigation with innovative design approaches.

The Department of Architecture at the University of Westminster provides first-class facilities such as state-of-the-art digital design/fabrication equipment and a team of lecturers and researchers deeply immersed in the very latest developments in architectural design, theory, historical research, and technology. The Architecture MA is part of a suite of Masters offered by the Department of Architecture aimed at graduates looking to further their education and enhance their employability by acquiring new knowledge and skills. Focused on architectural research, the Architecture MA also offers a firm grounding for those seeking to pursue further research and/or an academic career.

The Architecture MA provides a course that is wide-ranging and flexible, facilitating alternative modes of study and a range of options, including the choice of either a written or design-based thesis. The programme also allows for specialism through its three designated pathways: Architecture (Cultural Identity and Globalisation); Architecture (Digital Media) and Architecture (History and Theory), or alternatively, you can also create your own pathway, under the heading Architecture MA, by selecting and combining relevant modules that meet your individual requirements.

The range of optional and specialist modules offered allows you to develop your individual learning trajectories through the in-depth study of specific subject areas, involving theoretical components as well as practical applications. A series of theory rich modules will stimulate you to analyse current trends in architecture, design theory and practice on the basis of your research and critical judgement, and use these insights to produce high quality written work in a scholarly manner.

In parallel, a set of design-oriented activities encourages you to develop your artistic, aesthetic and intellectual vision through the use of different media, in order to produce individual proposals with a high level of spatial, material and formal resolution. The course is taught within a dynamic learning environment that comprises seminar-based sessions along with studio-based activities, suitably integrated by a wide range of lectures, tutorials, site visits, research training sessions, and independent study periods.

Career path

The Department of Architecture is consciously international in its educational thinking and academic links, and its graduates are amongst the most sought-after anywhere in the world. The flexibility offered in the course is designed to extend each student’s creative abilities and enhance their employability and performance as design professionals.

Typical employment destinations for Architecture MA graduates include architectural practice but also other design disciplines, media and the arts. Depending on their pathways, graduates have found employment in a multitude of creative industries including computer visualisation, design research and consultancy. In addition, the course may form a platform for continuing study with a career in academia or research.

Visit the Architecture (MA) page on the University of Westminster website for more details!