Master of Architecture (MArch)
- Duration: 2 years
- Mode: Full time work-based
Open day
Find out more about studying here as a postgraduate at our next Open Day.
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.
Admissions criteria
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, together with exemption from RIBA part 1, or an equivalent international degree. 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 should contain a balance of academic and professional work, with a distinct focus on final/graduation projects from your RIBA Part 1 (or equivalent) architectural studies. 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:
- access to computers or devices that can store images
- use of internet and communication tools/devices
- curfews
- freedom of movement
- contact with people related to Cardiff University.
Course structure
The MArch is a two-year full-time programme with modules varying in size from 10 to 60-credits. Each year consists of 120-credits that must be passed to progress into year 2 and to pass the programme.
The programme is organised as two distinct years that complement each other in your development as an architect:
1. A year of work-based learning in practice, spent predominantly in architectural practice, with short courses held in the School exposing you to the professional and legal aspects of an architect’s work. You must undertake a minimum of six months employment during the year in order to complete the associated modules, and will be required to travel to Cardiff to attend the short courses.
2. A year in the school on research-led studies focused on a Dissertation and a Design Thesis.
The programme is structured to maximise opportunities for the development of your own interests. You can choose to study specific topics within modules, including design studios in year 2.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum. Final modules will be published one month ahead of your programme starting.
Year one
Year One is primarily about reflective learning, conducted whilst working in professional practice. The placement year recognises that academia and professional practice play a joint role in the development of the architect. You will be expected to complete a full portfolio of academic work during the year.
The emphasis this year is on developing practice-based skills and reflecting on the nature of professional practice.
You will attend three week-long short courses, which will include briefings, tutorials, supervisor meetings and seminars. These are scheduled to provide timely opportunities for guidance and feedback and ‘protected’ time for study.
Between short courses, you will be engaged in studies including online tutorials, reviews and interim submissions around your employed work. The teaching team will stay in regular contact. Assignments will require you to ask colleagues questions about how practice operates, and to compare and integrate this with your own emerging ethical agenda. You will undertake a year long project to continue the development of your design skills and identity.
By reflecting on your experience of practice and comparing it with your own position, you will start to shape the direction and agenda of your design studies in the following year.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Design in Practice | ART901 | 60 credits |
| Reflective Practice | ART904 | 40 credits |
| Research Methods | ART907 | 20 credits |
Year two
Year Two is spent full time on campus within the school’s dedicated studio environment, and is structured around two key pieces of work: research through a written dissertation, and design research.
The aim of the Design Thesis is to extend your knowledge of architectural design by developing a complex design proposal to resolve a particular design problem or issue. The development of this design unfolds collaboratively and individually over the course of the year in response to challenges within a selected design studio. Your studies will be supported by consultancies on contract law, procurement and sustainable building economics and you will use these to consider how, as an architect, you might provide value to clients, users and wider society.
Year Two site, study and field trips will focus on your chosen studio and therefore studio brief and individual thesis. Trips may vary in location and length dependent on requirements within the UK or overseas.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Design Research | ART910 | 20 credits |
| Design Thesis | ART911 | 60 credits |
| Professionalism, Project Delivery and Value | ART914 | 10 credits |
| Dissertation | ART917 | 30 credits |
The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.
Learning and assessment
How will I be taught?
The MArch programme is focused on developing you as an ethical, creative, critical and curious learner and future architect. In Year One you will learn from professional practice; in Year Two this learning and reflection is brought into the research-led environment of the school.
Individual and small group tutorials and consultancies will provide feedback and feedforward on your work. Field trips and study visits provide an opportunity to experience architecture, places, and spaces first-hand, while site visits related to design projects provide opportunities to analyse contexts, culture and communities to inform your design studies.
Independent study is critical to success in your studies and can involve iterative design processes to understand and/or solve a design problem, make connections between subjects, and prepare written material and presentations.
How will I be assessed?
You will experience a range of different approaches to assessment, which allow you to demonstrate your learning across the subject and to gain valuable feedback which can be applied to future learning.
As with other creative subjects, much of your assessment will be through coursework. This may be subject specific such as a technical report or a portfolio of collated studies from one or more subjects. Through your design portfolio you will demonstrate your studio project work and include evidence of learning across the range of modules you have studied. Design Project Reviews, where you present your project work to a panel of reviewers, provide valuable feedback to inform your project work. Reflective portfolios will assess personal insight on knowledge, observation and experiences across subjects and the discipline.
How will I be supported?
You will be supported in a number of ways throughout your learning experience. We host regular year meetings for you and the rest of your cohort to discuss year-wide matters, and for us to listen and respond to your feedback. Module level support is provided by module leaders, and support for design projects and dissertations is provided by a Design Tutor. During your placement we encourage you to maintain contact with your fellow students, and you will be visited by a ‘practice links visitor,’ to support the experience you will be gaining in practice.
You will meet with your Personal Tutor regularly to reflect on your progress and development, and the University also has a student-led mentoring service to support you through your studies.
You will have access to all course materials, including lecture recordings, handouts, details of all assessments, assessment criteria and links to digital resources, via the Cardiff University Virtual Learning Environment.
Beyond the School, the University offers a range of services to help you with your career planning and runs events to help you manage your emotional, mental and physical health, support with financial issues, and support for students with disabilities.
What skills will I practise and develop?
On successful completion of your Programme you will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
KU 1 Systematically identify and integrate knowledge of sustainable building construction and performance within design projects.
KU 2 Appreciate the implications of architectural design on climate change, biodiversity, health and safety and the wellbeing for future generations.
KU 3 Critically appraise histories and theories of architecture, urban design and the related arts, technologies, and human sciences.
KU 4 Recognise the cost and value of design decisions for the life cycle of a project and its stakeholders.
Intellectual Skills:
IS 1 Design complex, sustainable and well resolved projects for and within the built environment developed from an original response to and critical awareness of current and contextual problems.
IS 2 Formulate a creative and rigorous design brief in response to a research question and/or practice problem.
IS 3 Interrogate and establish appropriate design research methodologies to systematically explore a design problem.
IS 4 Propose and develop creative ideas, concepts and strategies as a synthesis of individually and collaboratively identified constraints and opportunities from a diverse array of, often contradicting, parameters.
IS 5 Hypothesise and describe a research argument as part of establishing a critical position within the discipline.
Professional Practical Skills:
PPS1 Show commitment to social, polictical, environmental and economic factors within professional contexts while preparing architectural designs.
PPS2 Produce designs that consider the relationship between people and the environment, between buildings and their context, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs, inclusivity, user experience and scale.
PPS3 Critically assess design strategies and solutions that respond to physical and spatial environmental comfort qualities and conditions.
PPS4 Recognise and respond to ethical challenges and responsibilities to make informed decisions within architectural design, research and practice.
PPS5 Critically assess the role of the architect within collaborative professional relationships with regard to practice management, legal and regulatory processes.
PPS6 Contextualise your professional development through a year of education-in-practice.
Transferable/Key Skills:
KS 1 Communicate research, arguments, concepts, strategies, and designs using appropriate representation and presentation methods to diverse audiences.
KS 2 Present design, technical, theoretical and/ or historical research-led positions using verbal, visual, and written communication methods appropriate to the audience.
KS 3 Use reflective practices to develop personal and professional capacities/ resilience for complex and unpredictable situations.
KS 4 Practice a range of transferable, employability skills including working collaboratively and independently; managing resource and time; analytical, logical and lateral thinking to address complex problems; entrepreneurism; and listening, respecting and contributing to the opinions of others.
Tuition fees for 2025 entry
Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.
Learn how we decide your fee status
Fees for home status
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £4,625 | None |
| Year two | £9,250 | None |
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2025/26 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.
Fees for island status
Learn more about the postgraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Fees for overseas status
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £14,725 | £2,500 |
| Year two | £29,450 | None |
More information about tuition fees and deposits, including for part-time and continuing students.
Financial support
Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.
Additional costs
We will cover the costs of all essential aspects of study, including essential printing and plotting, software licenses and materials for basic and required model making. You may want to buy additional model making materials beyond what is deemed essential.
We also provide funding to cover the essential elements of study trips and site or field visits. However, sometimes optional modules or projects may incur additional costs beyond what the school covers. We will make sure these choices are always optional, with alternatives available without the higher costs.
Will I need any specific equipment to study this course/programme?
You will need basic stationery and materials for drawing and sketching throughout the course.
We provide a range of high-spec PCs for students to access, but we do recommend you acquire a laptop computer to be able to access digital learning materials and run specific software.
You might also find it useful to have a camera for photographing models and other work and for recording sites and field trips, and a a tablet or phone for recording sound or study-related activities.
Living costs
We’re based in one of the UK’s most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.
Funding
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.
Fieldwork
Next steps
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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.
