Study Master of Architecture at Liverpool, this RIBA accredited programme promotes creativity, innovation, imagination and experimentation. Look into the heart of the Urban Landscape and understand just what is possible.
Introduction
Our MArch Programme provides an environment for intellectual discussion about current architectural and cultural discourses. We promote creativity, innovation, imagination and experimentation in our studios, where we integrate research by design methods, hands-on seminars and the inclusion of various new technologies, media and formats in the design process.
Our tutors have strong research and professional backgrounds, which grants our students competence and confidence in all areas of the profession and scales of intervention, from urban design to the technical development of the building. Our design schemes explore both local and international issues. Working with real projects in the UK context allows input from national stakeholders to the briefing and review process.
By tackling international issues we reinforce global citizenship, acknowledge the international nature of our cohorts and develop the skills to work in different contexts on site and remotely. Our successful international field trips, design competitions, collaborations with different universities and the diverse range of our exchange programme further support this vision.
What you'll learn
Urban Design: Theory & Practice
Growing influences of the contemporary city
The importance of practice management
Requirements of contract law
Sustainabilty in practice
Working towards a tectonic resolution.
Course content
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Year one
The programme builds towards the Dissertation and Design Thesis, where students will produce a major piece of work in response to their own brief and personal interests. The broad range of design investigations provides a stimulating and highly rewarding learning experience, and the freedom allowed in the programme enables the student to develop a personal perspective towards design, which frequently informs their professional career. We’ve a very generous offering of prizes for students performing strongly in areas of our MArch degree.
Focusing on the relationship between architecture and the contemporary city. Architectural design is supported by lectures, seminars and carefully planned individual and group work.
Modules will cover urban design, professional practice, research methods and contemporary approaches to technology to also complement the work in the studio.
Compulsory modules
DESIGN A (ARCH401)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
Architectural Design Studio – Critical Position
DESIGN B (ARCH402)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
Architectural Design Studio – Urban Response
DESIGN C (ARCH403)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Architectural Design Studio
DESIGN D (ARCH404)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Architectural Design Studio – Detail
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT & CONTRACT LAW (ARCH405)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
Students are encouraged to participate and discuss their experience of the relevant issues in relation to architectural practice, from which feedback is also sought as a contribution to original data utilised for scholarship purposes (which is then incorporated into next years syllabus). The message of the module is that running an efficient office provides more design time.
Sustainability in Practice (ARCH410)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
For this module students will evaluate the implications of construction and management in sustainable design. More specifically they will be taught how construction and management now form an essential element of sustainable design for real world scenarios. In this module students will be required to attend a weekly 2-hour lecture . Each lecture will be held in lecture theatres and will be a mixture of formal presentations and group based exercises.
Humanities and Research Methods (ARCH480)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Research methods training for M.Arch dissertation
URBAN DESIGN: THEORY AND PRACTICE (ARCH406)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module aims to help students develop in-depth knowledge on urban design and enhance their design skills to address the complex urban challenges of our age. It intends to prepare students to become creative and problem-solving professionals. To do so, this module will introduce students to a wide range of urban design theories, design principles and processes which underpin the discipline of urban design. Students will have the opportunity to study and debate key issues in urban design, the disciplinary foundations of urban design, various topics about public spaces, the application of urban analytical techniques and methods for practice, as well as urban design governance in relation to the planning system. The module will draw examples or case studies from both the local and international contexts and encourage students to think critically about possible design interventions in different urban environments towards sustainable development and place-making.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Year two
Students begin their second year with a design project led by the their own interests, brief-making and a personal exploration of a wide range of media & resources as part of the design process. You will be strongly supported by seminars and guest lectures delivered by world-class tutors, academics, practitioners and Honorary Professors. These included Ian Ritchie and Hans Van De Heijden in 2020/21.
Students may take Semester 1 of Year 2 abroad at one of our approved exchange Schools of Architecture in China, Australia or Europe.
Compulsory modules
Dissertation (ARCH521)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
The dissertation module follows on from ARCH480 Research Methods, requiring students to select (with guidance) a suitable architecture related research topic and prepare a significant illustrated written document based on their investigations and analysis.
Thesis Design (ARCH522)
Credits: 45 /
Semester: semester 2
The Thesis Design Project is an individual or group project resulting in a detailed urban or building design that is an exposition of the skills they have acquired during their architectural education. The project begins at the end of semester 1 when students select their topic, though it begins in earnest in semester 2. Students attend formal critiques and meet regularly with an assigned tutor throughout the duration of the module.
Thesis Sustainability and Equity Report (ARCH524)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
The Thesis Sustainability and Equity Report is prepared in conjunction with a major piece of design or research work (which is the Thesis Design project for all RIBA Part II route students) and aims to present the architectural and intellectual content of the design project with a particular focus on its sustainability and equity strategies. The report is meant to be a self-contained piece of work that also acts as supporting material to the design project, covering aspects of it that cannot easily be presented in the design submission. It is intended to have a reflective element, where students should articulate their position and decision-making process in writing. Strategies employed in order to address sustainability (environmental, social, economic) and equity issues, as well as other issues that are relevant to each project are meant to be explored in this module.
Optional modules
Research by Design Studies (ARCH520)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
The module explores in detail a changing current issue in architecture by investigating and designing a building design project led by visiting tutors engaged in innovative professional practice or academia.
Exchange Studies (Overseas) 3 (ARCH523)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
Exchange studio module
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
How you're assessed
You’ll be examined and assessed by studio presentations and coursework submissions.
Liverpool Hallmarks
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
Course options
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
Day-to-day teaching takes place in the School of the Arts, an ornate Georgian property located on the historic Abercromby Square. Students will also have the chance to thrive in our Royal Institute of British Architexts (RIBA) award-winning studio spaces that stimulate creativity and reflect the working environment of architects in practice.
Our graduates have an excellent record of employment in both internationally renowned offices and small-scale specialist practices.
95% of architecture students agree their main activity after graduation is meaningful.
Graduate Outcomes, 2018-19.
Recent employers
Arup
BDP
Foster + Partners
Hampshire County Council
Hodder + Partners
Rosenbergs Arkitekter, Stockholm
Shedkm
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Union North
Wilkinson Eyre.
Preparing you for future success
At Liverpool, our goal is to support you to build your intellectual, social, and cultural capital so that you graduate as a socially-conscious global citizen who is prepared for future success. We achieve this by:
Embedding employability within your , through the modules you take and the opportunities to gain real-world experience offered by many of our courses.
Providing you with opportunities to gain experience and develop connections with people and organisations, including student and graduate employers as well as our global alumni.
Providing you with the latest tools and skills to thrive in a competitive world, including access to Handshake, a platform which allows you to create your personalised job shortlist and apply with ease.
Supporting you through our peer-to-peer led Careers Studio, where our career coaches provide you with tailored advice and support.
Fees and funding
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Fees stated are for the 2022-23 academic year and may rise for 2023-24.
Additional costs
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This includes costs for model making, printing and materials. From year two in our BA programme to year five in our MArch programme, there are also optional international fieldtrips that incur additional costs ranging between £100-400.
To be offered a place on the programme, you will normally need to have a BA or BSc degree (with Honours) in Architecture at 2.1 level or above. Candidates who do not meet these requirements will be considered on their individual merits and should discuss their particular circumstances with the Programme Director and the Admissions Officer.
All applicants must have RIBA Part 1 as a pre-requisite. Applicants from non-accredited schools must have a 1st Class classification and submit a portfolio consisting of 10 pages of images from their final year project.
International qualifications
Many countries have a different education system to that of the UK, meaning your qualifications may not meet our entry requirements. Completing your Foundation Certificate, such as that offered by the University of Liverpool International College, means you're guaranteed a place on your chosen course.
Alternative entry requirements
If your qualification isn't listed here, or you're taking a combination of qualifications, contact us for advice
