Master of Architecture
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Duration
- 2 years full-time
- Start date and application deadlines
-
- Start date
- September 2025 September 2026
- Apply by:
- Starts on:
We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom.
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 Board of Architects Malaysia (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.
We’re proud to announce we’ve been awarded a Gold rating for educational excellence.
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.
Want to find out more about student life?
Chat with our student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
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.
95% of architecture students agree their main activity after graduation is meaningful.
(Graduate Outcomes, 2018-19.)
My qualifications are from United Kingdom.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Full-time place, per year - £9,535
Year abroad fee - £1,430 (applies to year in China)
Full-time place, per year - £29,900
Year abroad fee - £14,950 (applies to year in China)
The tuition fees shown are correct for 2025/26 entry. Please note that the year abroad fee also applies to the year in China.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support. Learn more about paying for your studies.
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.
Architectural education is based on active learning and thinking through making, therefore the making of models and the testing of drawings are inextricable part of the process. We reduce the cost of model-making by having an in-house arts store, where all materials are offered at suppliers’ prices. Printing costs are also reduced in our print media suite. Moreover, the equipment for digital fabrication in our workshops can be used at no cost. We also provide key software licences to all students and our computer labs give access a much wider range of specialist software.
In the second year of the programme, where students present their work in the form of an exhibition, we provide support with materials and printing costs. We estimate that additional course-related costs can be, for the first year, at £100 for model making, £50 for printing, and £50 for other materials and, for the second year, at £150 for model making, £50 for printing, and £50 for extra materials.
Finally, we try our best to secure funding for an international study trip in year one. When this is not possible, the trip is optional at a cost of a maximum of £400. In year two, international study trips take place only when funding has been secured.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition and living expenses.
If you’re a UK student joining an undergraduate degree and have a household income below £35,000, you could be eligible for a Liverpool Bursary worth up to £2,000 for each year of undergraduate study.
Apply for an Asylum Seekers Scholarship and you could have your tuition fees paid in full and receive help with study costs. You’ll need to have applied for asylum in the UK, or be the dependant of an asylum seeker, and be joining an eligible undergraduate degree.
If you’ve spent 13 or more weeks in Local Authority care since age 14, you could be eligible for a bursary of £3,000 per year of study. You’ll need to be a UK student joining an eligible undergraduate degree and be aged 28 or above on 1 September in the year you start.
Are you a UK student with a Black African or Caribbean heritage and a household income of £25,000 or less? You could be eligible to apply for a Cowrie Foundation Scholarship worth up to £8,000 for each year of undergraduate study.
If you’re a UK student identified as estranged by Student Finance England (or the equivalent UK funding body), you could be eligible for a bursary of £1,000 for each year of undergraduate study.
Do you live in the Liverpool City Region with a household income of £25,000 or less? Did neither of your parents attend University? You could be eligible to apply for a Nolan Scholarship worth £5,000 per year for three years of undergraduate study.
Are you a UK student with a household income of £25,000 or less? If you’ve participated in an eligible outreach programme, you could be eligible to apply for a Rigby Enterprise Award worth £5,000 per year for three years of your undergraduate degree.
Are you a UK student with a household income of £25,000 or less? Did neither of your parents attend University? You could be eligible to apply for a ROLABOTIC Scholarship worth £4,500 for each year of your undergraduate degree.
Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.
If you’re a young adult and a registered carer in the UK, you might be eligible for a £1,000 bursary for each year of study. You’ll need to be aged 18-25 on 1 September in the year you start your undergraduate degree.
Select the specific entry requirements you want to view below.
Have a question about this course or studying with us? Our dedicated enquiries team can help.
If you have any questions about the course content, please get in touch with the Programme Director.
Last updated 26 June 2025 / / Programme terms and conditions