The Master of Architecture (MArch) programme, validated by RIBA and accredited by the Architects Registration Board, is a design-intensive and research-led course tailored to respond to the contemporary challenges of the profession. In 2023, the Royal Institute of British Architects validation board commended the course for ‘equipping students with the skills and knowledge to question the broadening context of architectural practice, and in particular, a research-led approach to design.’ The programme is part of wide global and local architectural networks and is run by internationally-acclaimed academics and professionals. Keeping up with the prestige of being the first RIBA-validated architecture school in the UK, we are currently ranked 3rd in the UK for Architecture (The Guardian University Guide 2025).
The success of our programme is owed to the following three factors: a collaborative practice that engages students in teamwork with their peers and expert professionals; a research-driven curriculum that exposes students to a rich repertoire of themes and cultures; and an international outlook that widens their professional horizon.
Tutors with strong research and professional backgrounds instil competence and confidence in students to explore local and international issues in all areas of architecture. Working with real projects in the British context allows national stakeholders to inform the briefing and review process; tackling international issues provides students with a wider knowledge of cities and architectures and the skills to work in different contexts on site and remotely. Our successful international field trips, design competitions, collaborations with different universities, as well as our extensive exchange programme further support this vision. We also have a very generous offering of prizes for students performing strongly in areas of our MArch degree.
With its diverse research portfolio, a multi-disciplinary approach, and a strong professional network, the programme equips students with agency to develop their own agendas in all sectors of the built environment, offering more than one way to become an architect. Our graduates have an excellent record of employment in both internationally renowned offices and small-scale specialist practices.
Find out more about the design work produced by our most recent MArch4 students and MArch5 students.
The Master of Architecture (MArch) programme is accredited as a RIBA Part 2 and a LAM Part 2 award, and is a professional/undergraduate Masters qualification available to students with a BA/BSc in Architecture and RIBA Part 1 or LAM Part 1. This degree is validated by the RIBA and LAM, and prescribed by ARB as a Part 2 qualification towards access to the Architectural Profession in the UK.
Candidates should be aware that those who do not have RIBA Part 1 on joining the MArch here at Liverpool, may apply to the Architects Registration Board (ARB) upon MArch course completion to be considered for RIBA Part 1 (for a fee payable to ARB). The University of Liverpool has no say in this process, which is undertaken independently by the candidate.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Year one focuses on the relationship between architecture and the contemporary city. Working on a different city every year, the studio proceeds through four interlinked stages, facilitating critical architectural projects that traverse the full range of scales from the urban strategy to the technical detail. This is supported by seminars on drawing, representation, urban design, construction, and detailing. Taught modules on urban design, professional practice, research methods, and contemporary approaches to sustainability complement the work in the studio.
You will take entirely mandatory modules in your first year. These modules are classed as Level 6 (pass mark 40%) and will make up 30% of your final degree classification. Modules ARCH401, ARCH402, ARCH403 and ARCH404 are a consecutive related set of design projects.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Year two focuses on an independent line of study, helping students to explore their own architectural agendas. This process is supervised by the school’s research centres and expert professionals. The students’ chosen area of enquiry (based on a specific territory, a set of design questions, a programmatic exploration, a historical precedent, etc.) is identified and tested through a series of design experiments that establish design methodologies. Thesis Design becomes this major piece of work bridging the practical and theoretical aspects of architecture. It brings together materiality and concept, building techniques and atmospheres of spaces, and a thorough understanding of the ways in which we can build more equitable and sustainable future through the means of architecture. The dissertation develops the theoretical underpinning of projects, while the thesis sustainability and equity report addresses the technical aspects of design in a holistic manner.
You will be required to choose between either ARCH520 or ARCH523 for as your optional module in your second year. Your second-year modules are classed as Level 7 (pass mark 50%) and will make up 70% of your final degree classification.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| DISSERTATION (ARCH521) | 30 |
| THESIS DESIGN (ARCH522) | 45 |
| THESIS SUSTAINABILITY REPORT (ARCH524) | 15 |
| Optional modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| RESEARCH BY DESIGN STUDIES (ARCH520) | 30 |
| EXCHANGE STUDIES (OVERSEAS) 3 (ARCH523) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
You’ll assessed by coursework submissions of diverse formats, which include digital and physical portfolios, text-based reports and research essays, websites, and exhibitions.
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.
The Liverpool Curriculum framework sets out our distinctive approach to education. Our teaching staff support our students to develop academic knowledge, skills, and understanding alongside our graduate attributes:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
All this is underpinned by our core value of inclusivity and commitment to providing a curriculum that is accessible to all students.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide.
Take a semester of your second year of study at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Since 1933 the Liverpool School of Architecture has been based in 25 Abercromby Square, which on opening included a modernist building behind the Georgian terrace designed by the Head of School, Sir Charles Reilly, alongside other staff members. In 2019, an international competition to reorganise the school and to build an extension was won by the award-winning architectural practice of Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey. The building will be completed soon, and we are looking forward to using the new spaces in the spring of 2026!
All MArch students get desk space and model storage in our studios and have 24/7 access to the building. We also have extensive printing and workshop facilities providing access to both analogue and digital fabrication resources.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
The ambition the school of architecture has is unmatched by any other in the UK.
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The course gives students the freedom to develop their own academic and professional agendas based on their interests and ambitions. The aim is to prepare graduates for a wide range of professional paths, from practicing architecture in the UK and abroad (‘global citizenship’ being a core attribute of the Liverpool Curriculum Framework), to continuing their development via post-professional courses, to becoming researchers in architecture and its related fields. Our graduates have an excellent record of employment in both internationally renowned offices and small-scale specialist practices, as well as in research institutions.