M ARCH: Architecture
Course summary
In a world where established customs, systems and structures are increasingly unstable there is a need for a different kind of architectural thinking - one that identifies and exploits opportunities, and addresses the challenges of contemporary society.
The M ARCH: Architecture course is uniquely positioned at Central Saint Martins to draw on the dynamic design thinking and making skills from a range of art and design practices. It provides you with the second degree in the professional pathway toward registration as an architect – commonly referred to as Part Two.
This course is part of the Spatial Practices Programme.
Great reasons to apply
- Undertake the second degree in the professional pathway toward registration as an architect. The M ARCH: Architecture is prescribed by the Architects Registration Board and successful graduates of the Course will therefore achieve Part 2 of the professional qualification for architects in the UK
- Engage in professional practice: as part of your studies you are required to undertake 10 weeks of industry placement. Through this, you will have the opportunity to engage with and understand both existing forms of practice and to posit new ways of working
- M ARCH: Architecture has been designed to enable you to pursue your studies whilst also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities. You are expected to commit 30 hours per week to your studies; your taught input will normally be scheduled over a maximum of two to three days per week during term time
- Prepare yourself for entry into a changing profession the practice of architecture continues to go through changes, M ARCH: Architecture offers you the opportunity to engage with the challenges of the future now
- Work closely with communities, clients and social enterprise projects and opportunities on the Course will bring you into contact with communities, clients and social enterprises which seek to open up new approaches to your role as a future architect
- Collaborate with other professions architectural practice constantly requires that you are able to communicate and collaborate with other professionals. M ARCH: Architecture creates opportunities for students to work with other professions, both within the College and outside.
Open days
Scholarships, awards and funding
Jane Rapley Scholarships
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships:
Home/EU | International
Postgraduate loans of up to £10,000 are now available for eligible UK and EU students. A full list of eligibility criteria and information on applying can be found on the postgraduate loans webpage.
UAL International Postgraduate £25,000 plus International Student House (ISH) Scholarships
Student work
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Watts Chapel | 1:4 Replica, Construction in Detail (Credit: Takeshi Hayatsu) -
Watts Chapel | 1:4 Replica, Construction in Detail (Credit: Greg Ross) -
Volah Khadanovich | Triptych, Shopping for Relations in Tottenham (Credit: Volah Khadanovich) -
Neba Sere | Alternative Housing models in Lewisham (Credit: Neba Sere) -
Jennifer McPherson - Situated Chalk Mapping (Credit: Jennifer McPherson) -
Degree Show 2016 (Credit: Mikel Azcona Uribe) -
Degree Show 2016 (Credit: Mikel Azcona Uribe) -
Carla Motola | ‘Strike’, mid term presentation (Credit: Carla Motola) -
Carla Motola - Re-enactment of public rights (Credit: Carla Motola) -
Artiandi Akbar - Threshold Render (Credit: Artiandi Akbar) -
Artiandi Akbar - Building - Caring - Disprogramming - Royal College Barber - Camden - London (Credit: Artiandi Akbar) -
Alma Mpungwe - Situated Mapping of Kariakoo - Dar es Salaam - Tanzania (Credit: Alma Mpungwe) -
Alma Mpungwe - Khanga Drawing of Kariakoo - Dar es Salaam - Tanzania (Credit: Alma Mpungwe) -
Alma Mpungwe - Informal Infrastructures, Khanga Drawing of Kariakoo - Dar es Salaam - Tanzania (Credit: Alma Mpungwe)
M ARCH: Architecture on Instagram
Making Public : Explorations in Space, Architecture and the City Join us for a one-day festival on Saturday 2nd March, ...
Common Shifts: Learning Commons, the second session of this three-part lecture series which introduces models of commoni...
Dear Spatial Practices Students, Meet us this Wednesday, 13 February 2019 at 6.30pm in The Crossing at CSM for a Making...
Love letters (models) to Barking Power Station #makingweek...
Course catalogues
Architecture stories
Facilities
3D Large: Wood
Find out more about our 3D Large: Wood workshop
Wood
Find out more about the Wood facility at Archway
CAD
Find out more about our CAD facilities at King's Cross
Course details
The course is offered in an extended full-time mode over two calendar years. This means that your learning is timetabled over 80 weeks across two years. You are expected to commit 30 hours per week to your studies, within which your taught input will normally be scheduled over two/three days. The course has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue your studies, whilst also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities.
Course units
Unit 1: Methodologies for Architectural Engagement (60 Credits)
Unit 1 consists of a series of projects intended to allow you to experiment with multidisciplinary approaches, as a means to develop your own design process, and also to test methodologies which can engage the public in architecture and spatial practice: approaches that expand and challenge the conventional role of the architect. These are tested and refined through design propositions. Through this process you are introduced to a variety of research methods and issues relevant to the discipline, which are then directly implemented in the creation/realisation of design work. While developing work for Unit 1 you will be researching and securing an industry placement to be undertaken in Unit 2.
Unit 2: Design Research in Architectural Practice (60 credits)
The unit begins with your Industry Placement. Working with your advisor you will engage with your chosen practice in order to analyse the ways in which the nature of the practice informs their projects, as well as simultaneously researching and developing potential opportunities for your own self-directed design project. Following your placement, you will begin on your Major Project. You will define your own brief, based on research and analysis of a chosen site, and develop a schematic design proposal which will be resolved in Unit 4.
Unit 3: Constructing in Detail (20 Credits)
This unit provides an opportunity to explore technical aspects of making and construction in close detail, at large scale, and with your own hands. You will engage with the conditions and constraints of structural, constructional and material systems through direct physical experience in a constructional prototyping project. The Unit will involve research and testing, collaborative teamwork and constructional implementation, and will primarily involve working as part of a team.
Unit 4: Innovating in Architectural Practice (60 Credits)
Unit 4 is integrally linked to Unit 2. In this Unit you will continue to work on your Major Project, resolving it as an architectural proposal and, if appropriate implementing aspects of this proposal on site and/or with collaborators and partners.
Unit 5: Reflecting on Professional Practice (40 Credits)
This unit is a culmination to the course, and following the completion of your major project, will rehearse the integration of key areas of subject knowledge by asking you to engage in professional reporting. This Unit is integrally linked to Unit 2 Design Research in Architectural Practice and will ask you to apply the technical and professional knowledge and understanding that you have gained so far, demonstrating your understanding of the complexity of practice through a retrospective reflection on the detail professional context of your own major project.
Industry collaborations
Working with paying clients on live briefs will give you valuable commercial experience which may mean your work being taken forward for production or, if so desired, in the purchase of your intellectual property. All paid projects are conducted within a carefully developed legal framework, which includes student agreements to protect your work and help you realise its commercial value.
Recent client projects in the Spatial Practices programme include: London Borough of Camden | National Trust | Arup | Mindfolio | New World Development | Grange Hotels | Oasis | Hot Spots Movement | Redbridge Council | Southbank Centre.
Once you’ve graduated, you may be picked as part of a small team to work on a live creative brief, organised by our Business and Innovation department, under the supervision of an experienced tutor. This can be a valuable first step in working professionally in a chosen discipline and has resulted in graduates being hired by clients.
Staff
Andreas Lang
Course Leader, MA Architecture
Mel Dodd
Programme Director, Spatial Practices
Jeremy Till
Head of Central Saint Martins and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of the Arts
Greg Ross
Stage 2 Leader, BA Architecture
Unit Leader: Jayden Ali
Course Tutor Unit 3: Carlotta Novella
History and Theory Tutor, Units 1 and 2: Tom Dyckhoff
Studio Tutor Unit 1: Verity-Jane Keefe
Studio Tutor Unit 1: Sven Mündner
Studio Tutor: Diana Ibáñez López
Studio Tutor Unit 2: Ulrike Steven
Associate Lecturer: Liza Fior
Associate Lecturer: Takeshi Hayatsu
Associate Lecturer: Julia King
Associate Lecturer: Mathew Leung
How to apply
Opportunities for all
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
Entry requirements
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
* An upper second class honours degree from an Architects Registration Board (ARB) prescribed course in architecture OR
* An equivalent EU / international qualification OR
* A professional qualification recognised as equivalent to an Honours Degree
AND normally at least one year of relevant professional experience.
If you do not have ARB/RIBA Part 1 and are offered a place it will be your responsibility to gain Part 1 directly from ARB. More information on this is available on the ARB website.
English Language Requirements
IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English Language requirements webpage).
Selection criteria
We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:
- Having a clear research agenda, related to the aims of the course
- Analysing a design problem from a number of perspectives, and generate a range of design responses to a particular problem
- Showing an understanding of technology, environment and professional practice and how they relate to architectural designs
- Showing that your personal and professional aspirations are compatible with the aims and objectives of the course
- Making appropriate choices about the way in which you communicate your design ideas, process and proposals
- Possessing appropriate levels of skill in drawing, model-making, 3D/CAD, as well as written and verbal presentation skills
- Demonstrating the necessary fluency in your design process to be able to benefit from the course.
Making your application
For EU applicants concerned about Brexit, please see our dedicated page: Brexit Information for Students.
You should apply by clicking on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
Start your application now
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
General information
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Personal Statement
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course (between 300-500 words) and should include:
- What are you doing at the moment educationally, professionally, personally?
- Why do you wish to study on this course?
- What is your relevant experience?
- Do you have any relevant skills?
- Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for acceptance?
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
Application deadline
We recommend you apply by the end of May to avoid disappointment. We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the deadline above subject to spaces available.
There are two ways international students can apply:
- One of our official representatives in your country
- A direct application.
If you are applying directly you click on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
Start your application now
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
General information
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Personal Statement
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course (between 300-500 words) and should include:
- What are you doing at the moment educationally, professionally, personally?
- Why do you wish to study on this course?
- What is your relevant experience?
- Do you have any relevant skills?
- Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for acceptance?
Immigration history check
Whether you are applying online or through a UAL representative you will need to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. If you do not complete the check we will not be able to proceed with your application.
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
Application deadline
We recommend you apply by the end of May to avoid disappointment. We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the deadline above subject to spaces available.
After you apply
Communicating with you
After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents or book an audition, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.
What happens next
Initial application check
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a portfolio through the UAL Portal.
Portfolio Review
You will need to submit a digital portfolio of up to 20 images with supporting work illustrating your previous experience and practical skills. Following the review of the portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to an interview.
Interview
Following the review of your application and portfolio, we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to interview, either in person or by skype.
The interview typically lasts approximately 20 minutes. As part of the interview you will be asked to choose and present one of your projects from your portfolio.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Portal.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU fee
£8,170 per year (2019/20). Please note that fees for second year of study will be subject to inflationary increase.
£500 per annum discount for all students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
International fee
£17,060 per year (2019/20).
£500 per annum discount for all students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
Additional costs
In addition to tuition fees you are very likely to incur additional costs such as travel expenses and the cost of materials. Please read the information on our additional costs page.
Accommodation
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
Careers and alumni
M ARCH: Architecture prepares graduates for employment in architectural practice, urban design, planning, development, and public consultation. In addition, the course provides a solid grounding for continued academic development toward research and PhD study.
Drawing upon extensive industry links within the Spatial Practices Programme, the Course seeks to offer students a unique learning opportunity to engage with live projects and real clients, developing innovative approaches to public engagement and a radical reconsideration of architectural practice.
"In 10 years we probably will not call ourselves an architecture practice, it will be something else entirely" (Architect, Small London-based practice)
From "The Future for Architects", Building Futures, RIBA, 2010.
Change is inevitable and being prepared for change is a challenge. M ARCH: Architecture encourages students to take a radical approach to architectural practice; seeking ways in which the architect of the future can work across the industry and beyond. The course is predicated on the reality that the practice of architecture is changing. There are increasing pressures on the profession from shifts in the way that projects are developed, as well as the changes to the global economy. How will we practice in the future?
"The invasion of the architect's role shouldn't be seen as a threat but as a natural change that can be exploited - we must find our new opportunities and education should shift to accommodate that." (Architect, Large global practice) From "The Future for Architects", Building Futures, RIBA, 2010.