How to get an architect's education abroad. Does an architect need a master's degree? Admission upon graduation from school in Russia

Studying at school abroad

The path to leading universities in most cases lies through training at a foreign school with an artistic focus.

For example, the key requirements for admission to the Faculty of Architecture at University College London for an undergraduate degree are:

• exam results of A Levels (British school program) or International Baccalaureate (international high school program). As a rule, only excellent students enter;
• an international certificate confirming the level of English language proficiency;
• passing an interview where you need to present a portfolio of artwork.

Admission upon graduation from school in Russia

You cannot enter universities in most Western countries with a Russian certificate. In order to prepare for studying at a foreign university, you can enroll in the Foundation program. The average duration of this program is 1 year. Training usually takes place at the university where the student plans to enroll. The student studies English and those subjects that he needs for further studies.

There are also preparation programs for entry into British, American and Australian universities INTO and Navitas. Both of these programs guarantee admission to one of the participating universities. Upon completion of Navitas, the student immediately enters the second year of university.

Universities where you can enroll in the Faculty of Architecture through the INTO program:

Great Britain

• Queen's University, Belfast
• The University of Manchester

Universities where you can enroll in the Faculty of Architecture under the Navitas program:

Great Britain

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Birmingham City University
• Plymouth University
• University of Hertfordshire

One of the greatest arts mastered by mankind. It is architects who create an artificial spatial environment in which people can live and work. It is impossible to downplay the importance of architecture to the modern world and history, which is why progressive young architects strive to receive the best possible education.

At the same time, a master's degree is one of the most important steps towards obtaining a professional architectural education.

We have compiled a list of the 5 best institutions in the world for a master's degree in architecture. Find out where it is worth studying various branches of architecture abroad to become a real specialist!

Program: Design (Architectural Design Management) MA

Duration: 1 year

Cost: £11,440 (693,809 RUB/year)

This program is designed for students who wish to obtain a general contemporary architectural education. Architectural and landscape design is taught here, as well as the use of modern methods of marketing and management in the field of architecture.

Covering a wide range of not only creative but also commercial disciplines, the program prepares its graduates to build successful careers in the field of architecture and design, taking into account modern realities.

Program: Master of Architectural Design and Urbanism

Duration: 2 years

Cost: $45,610 (1,648,742 RUB/year)

The program is suitable for serious young architects wishing to further their education and gain new knowledge in the fields of classical architecture and traditional urban design.

The program includes a theoretical semester, during which students study architecture, urban design principles, general architectural history, and the history of Roman classical architecture, as well as a practical studio semester (can be taken in Rome) and a semester of individual design work.

Unitec Institute of Technology,New Zealand

Program: Master of Architecture

Duration: from 18 months

Cost: NZ$21,800 (RUB 667,071/year)

Students in this program deepen their knowledge and skills through study of modern architectural and design technologies, as well as practice in visually presenting their projects to an audience.

Honing their architectural skills, young professionals here learn to look at design and architecture in a new way and create unique projects in accordance with modern trends.

Delft University of Technology,Holland

Programme: MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences - Architecture

Duration: 2 years

Cost: €12,650 (612,756 RUB/year)

The architecture program at Delft University of Technology covers a wide range of disciplines, including: design and appearance of the built environment, high-quality residential urban development, architectural strategies and management, development of new building materials, etc.

Students in the program learn to create contemporary architectural designs from a scientific perspective and consideration of structure, form and function.

Universiti Sains Malaysia,Malaysia

Program: MSc Master of Science in Architecture

Duration: 1 year (2 semesters)

Cost: RM 10,600 (RUB 119,363/year)

This master's study program involves specialization in a variety of disciplines, such as: architectural and interior design, theory and history of architecture, construction safety, building materials and technology, design and construction of high-rise buildings, architectural pedagogy, management, etc.

Classes involve intensive acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a relatively short time (1 year). In addition, young architects here learn to work professionally in specialized computer programs (for example, CAD) and present their own projects to an audience.

Year the school was founded: 1863
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - 3300 euros
Language of instruction - bachelor's and master's degrees

The Milan School of Architecture, whose graduates include Renzo Piano and Aldo Rossi, is considered the largest in Italy. Education is conducted in English for all five years. The bachelor's degree consists of three courses. Every year, 7-8 subjects are taught on the fundamentals of architecture - history, graphics, design, urban planning and heritage conservation. Moreover, from the first year you can choose between general architectural, shadow engineering and urban planning directions.

The master's program, admission to which is possible only after completing a bachelor's degree and completing a six-month internship, offers several different areas: heritage conservation, interior architecture, technology and construction, urban planning and environmental protection.

Polytechnic University of Turin,Italy

Year the school was founded: 1925
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - 2600 euros
In English - bachelor's and partly master's degrees

The local Faculty of Architecture, where teaching is also conducted in English from the first years, calls its main goal to study the connection between architecture and context: nature, historical buildings, economic and social aspects. Just like at the Politecnico di Milano, the curriculum is not overloaded. For each year of the bachelor's degree, 7 subjects are studied. It is interesting that in the first year the history of modern architecture is immediately studied, and the heritage of past years is mastered in the second and third years of study.

Year the school was founded: 1867
Duration of study - 3 years (master's degree only)
(745 euros for non-EU residents)

The Institute of Architecture at the Vienna University of Applied Arts stands apart from other schools in Europe. Firstly, here training is conducted only in the master's program, which lasts three years, and secondly, all three design studios are headed by real stars of modern architecture: Kazuo Sejima, Greg Lynn and Hani Rashid. Taking into account the names mentioned, it is obvious that the main direction of the school is the search for new experimental architecture.

The three-year master's program was created in order to give students the opportunity to consistently work in all three studios during their studies, but it often happens that someone remains in one for the entire term. Moreover, each studio organizes its own recruitment of students based on a portfolio and subsequent interviews. Following the parametric bias, the institute is equipped with a 24-hour prototyping workshop equipped with industrial lasers and 3D printers. The world fame of the teachers allows us to annually invite the best modern architects to give lectures.

UniversityBauhaus, Germany

Year the school was founded: 1860
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - free

Continuing the Bauhaus tradition, the University of Weimar is considered one of the largest in Germany, with 22 different departments. Following the historical concept of workshops, the Faculty of Architecture is closely linked to other areas: construction, art and design. Laboratories for prototyping, experiments with photography and working with light are equipped for students.

English is taught only in master's programs in several non-standard courses. The School of MediaArchitecture was founded as a response to the increasing importance of the mutual influence of media and architecture. Among the topics to be studied are, for example, “Dramaturgy in the design of interactive space” and “Architecture as a multicomponent environment: machine perception, body technology, physiology of space.” Two master's programs in urban planning are also available - European Urban Studies and Advanced Urbanism. The first course is built on the tradition of studying the formation of European cities and graduates specialists in the field of urban planning. The second is organized jointly with Singapore's Tongji University (the second year of study takes place there) and is devoted to more general and large-scale issues of urban planning.

Technical University of Munich,Germany

Year the school was founded: 1868
Duration of training - 4+2 years
Tuition fee - free
Studying in English - several master's departments

The Munich Faculty of Architecture (like the German school as a whole) is famous primarily for its focus on the study of construction technologies. Much attention is paid to structures, details and the use of new construction techniques. Students work in laboratories with industrial robots and do joint projects with other engineering departments. At the same time, the university remains one of the few schools where hand-drawn graphics are encouraged. The Master's program offers courses in English: Energy Efficient and Sustainable Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Building Conservation and Restoration.

LeuvenskthCatholic University, Belgium

Year the school was founded: 2012 (1862)
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - 0-890 euros
Studying in English - Master's degree

The Faculty of Architecture of the University of Leuven was created in 2012 on the basis of the two oldest architectural schools in Belgium, which, however, were never united under one roof. The first branch is located in Brussels, the second in Ghent. And if the bachelor's degree is taught according to an identical program in both cities, then the master's degree is different. In Ghent, architecture is studied in the context of sustainable development through the course “Architecture: Resilient and Sustainable Strategies”. In addition to experimenting with modern designs, topics such as adapting existing buildings, using limited resources, recycling, etc. are discussed. In the master's program of the Brussels department, the city itself largely becomes the object of study. The course is called "Urban Projects, Urban Cultures" and is devoted to the phenomenon of the city, as well as the design of medium-scale urban ensembles.

Year the school was founded: 1872
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - free
Studying in English - Master's degree

The Faculty of Architecture at Aalto University is traditionally known for its in-depth study of timber architecture. If you go to the university campus, the architecture department will be very easy to find - the building is surrounded by various small architectural forms made of wood. In addition to the master's degree in English, the department offers a separate school, the Wood Program, dedicated exclusively to working with wood.

In the master's program, in addition to direct work with wood, several lecture courses are given - for example, Wooden Town, where the issue of using wood in the design of modern cities is discussed. Eight subjects are devoted to urbanism. Also, a separate module is allocated for the restoration of buildings. Elective courses include Architect Project Manager, Shop Drawings and Documentation, or User-Centered Spatial Design.

Florentineuniversity,Italy

Year the school was founded: 1936
Duration of training - 3+2 years / 5 years
Tuition fee - 2425 euros (depending on family income)
Studying in English - Master's degree

The University of Florence bears the burden of being an heir to the Renaissance, so it tries not to deviate from tradition. In addition to the Bologna 3+2 system, the faculty also conducts training according to a unified five-year program. This course was recognized as the second best curriculum in Italy in 2014. Unfortunately, teaching is conducted only in Italian, but you can transfer from the two institutions mentioned above, having mastered the local language there in the first couple of years.

At the University of Florence, only a master's degree is available in English, where special importance is attached to design studios (Design Labs). Unlike other schools, where graduate students usually immediately choose a specific direction, in Florence each semester is devoted to a different topic: “Architecture and Structures”, “Restoration”, “Green Technologies” and “Urban Planning”.

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Year the school was founded: 1919
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - 2000 euros (bachelor's degree) / 3000 euros (master's degree)
Language of instruction: Croatian

Although the Zagreb School of Architecture does not offer any courses in English, we felt it necessary to include it in the list as well. The similarity of the language with Russian allows you to get used to it in a few months, which is also facilitated by the specific architecture with the predominance of graphics over text. Therefore, even with only knowledge of English, it is quite possible to continue studying in the Balkans without lengthy preparation.

Like the country as a whole, the University of Zagreb has historically been heavily influenced by Austria. The program of the Faculty of Architecture is built on the basis of the universities of Vienna and Graz, with which partnerships have been established. The uniqueness of the Zagreb faculty is that there is no other full-fledged architecture school in the country. Therefore, the University of Zagreb is also the center of architectural life in Croatia. All departments are taught by the country's leading practitioners, who constantly maintain connections with Europe and organize international seminars on architecture.

The school shares one building with the civil engineering department, which allows for joint projects. Master's studies are available in four areas: “Architecture” (with an emphasis on modern housing), “Urban Urbanism”, “Urban Planning” (where they study the planning of territorial development strategies) and “Structures”, where students are engaged in detailed design and issues of modern technologies construction.

Year the school was founded: 1846
Duration of training: 3+2 years
Tuition fee - 3000 euros
Language of instruction: English or Serbian

The University of Belgrade has a long history of relations with Russia, including with the Moscow Architectural Institute, which allows you to count on a simple transfer from a Russian university, for example, from the second or third year. In addition, in 2014, the Belgrade Faculty of Architecture was certified according to British RIBA standards, which will help recognize the diploma in the UK. The school is in close cooperation with the universities of Delft, Zurich and Graz, which organize annual student exchange programs.

As in Florence, here, along with the new 3+2 system, a five-year full-fledged course has been preserved, which is largely similar to the Russian tradition of education. Master's degrees are offered in two areas - architecture and urban planning, but there is also a developed postgraduate system where you can take courses in Energy Efficiency of Buildings, Heritage Conservation and Cities in the New Millennium.

Photo architecture.aalto.fi, facebook.com, i-o-a.at, arch.polimi.it

Students International works with dozens of universities, many of which teach architecture abroad, including offering graduate programs.

But in order for you to have a clear idea of ​​this specialty, we decided to talk in more detail about only two universities and took 2 fundamentally different countries for comparison - USA And Malta.

1
Master's in Architecture in Malta

In Malta, this prestigious specialty at the master's level can be obtained at the University of Malta.
There are 3 different programs offered:
. Master of Science in Conservation of Decorative Architectural Surfaces
. Master of Architecture (Architectural Design)
. Master of Architecture (Architecture and Urban Design)

For a more, let’s say, authentic option, consider the Master of Architecture (Architectural Design) program.

The duration of training is 4 semesters (2 academic years).
To obtain a Master (Master) degree, you need to complete 120 credits.
These last 2 years of the program complete the entire cycle of training an architecture specialist, which, in accordance with the Bologna standard, consists of 3 stages:
1. Diploma in Design Foundation Studies (1 year)
2. B.Sc. (Hons) in Built Environment Studies (3 years)
3. the master’s program itself (2 years)

In accordance with Article 46 of the European Union Directive 2005/36/EC on the training of architects, the curriculum is designed to balance theoretical knowledge, practical work and the culminating final independent project of the graduate.

Basic entrance requirements for admission to the master's program:

1. The first higher education must fully correspond to the specialty. Moreover, the admissions committee will study in detail the academic plan of the applicant’s university. They need to make sure that the minimum set of required items in the first cycles of training for architectural specialists has been completed. If some subjects are missing, the applicant may be offered to study them additionally in the Preparatory Program.

2. Proficiency in English at IELTS 6.5 level

Cost of education: 26,800 Euro (13,400 Euro per year).

Prospects after studying:
A graduate of this program fully meets the requirements for conducting professional activities in Malta, and can also (in accordance with DIRECTIVE 2005/36/EC) work throughout the European Union.

Academic program plan:

Training begins in October. Documents are accepted for quite a long time. The deadline for submitting documents expires in the summer.

2
Master's in Architecture in the USA

In the USA, we will look at master's degree programs in architecture using the example of one of the country's top universities. The University of Idaho (UI) is ranked 90th in the ranking of Best Public Universities in the United States according to US News and World Report. The annual amount of university funding for scientific research exceeds 100 ml. dollars!
Graduates of the University of Idaho are among the TOP 20 highest paid graduates among all US universities (payscale.com rating).

Ethnic composition of students for 2018: 72% - white Americans, 18% - other Americans, 6% - did not indicate their ethnicity, 5% - foreign (international) students.

Program: Architecture (M.Arch.)

Entry requirements:
1. First higher specialized education with an average GPA of 3.0 (or at least 4.0 on our 5-point scale). Direct admission (without a prerequisite course) will require official document validation from World Education Services, Inc. https://www.wes.org/
2. Portfolio
3. Proficiency in English at IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 79 level
4. Resume, 3 letters of recommendation and motivation letter
Separately, we note that there is no requirement to take the GRE exam!

Start of training: August

Cost of education: A 2-year training program will cost approximately 60-65,000 USD depending on the number of subjects/credits chosen. Tuition is paid not for the entire program, not for the year, but by semester: how many subjects you take for the next semester, that’s what you pay for.

As it becomes obvious from the description above, admission to the master's program in architecture at the University of Idaho is an extremely complex and long process... Especially for foreign applicants, there is a preparatory program, the Graduate Global Student Success Program (GSSP), which not only simplifies the admission process, but also allows you to enroll with slightly lower entry requirements.

A few words about this GSSP preparatory program,
so you can feel its benefits:

1. You can’t speak English at 6.5 on IELTS, but 6.0 is enough
2. The duration of study at GSSP is 2 semesters, however, many subjects that are studied at GSSP count toward the main master's program, so you will have to study less for the master's program - not 2 years, but one and a half.
3. Start of training at GSSP twice a year - in August and January.
4. After completing the program, you can automatically transfer not only to the master's program in Architecture, but also, if desired, to Landscape Architecture.
5. The cost of training at GSSP is 17,940 USD per year + a one-time university registration fee for using the university campus infrastructure of 1,199 USD. Please note again that since later in the master's program you will need to study fewer subjects, you will need to pay less for the master's course.

We hope that the information presented above about studying for a master's degree in architecture abroad was useful to you. Students International, as an educational agency operating since 1992, has extensive experience working with applicants and students. We will select for you a program that best suits your interests and academic ambitions.

We will enroll you in the chosen university, help you book your accommodation and provide visa support for obtaining a student visa.

For detailed advice and practical assistance, you can contact any Students International office.
OR WRITE YOUR QUESTIONS IN THIS ONLINE FORM:

Belarusian Tatiana Shimanskaya has no time: the student is in a hurry to finish a project for presentation at the Architectural Marathon in Cologne. The stress level is off the charts. Before she had time to finish, a message arrived from her classmates: they decided to change the design of the joint exhibition. This means that there is another sleepless night ahead - the work will have to be redone.

The girl has been living in constant time pressure for a year now - since she entered the master's program "Design and Construction Strategies" at the Cologne University. However, she is glad that after five years of working at the Minsk Design Institute, she went back to study. “Here they provide a very wide range of knowledge, both from a creative and technical point of view. We study urban planning and spatial theories, architectural physics, analysis of real estate markets... So, despite my work experience, I constantly learn something new ", says Tatyana.

Master's degree is a prerequisite

The profession of an architect is very popular in Germany: 129 thousand specialists are members of the Federal Chamber of Architects. Of all European countries, the number of architects per thousand inhabitants is higher only in Italy.

By and large, it is possible to work in the field of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and urban planning without a master's degree. But in order to officially be called an architect and sign project documentation, you cannot do without a master’s degree in Germany, emphasizes Christof Rose, press secretary of the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The fact is that such a right is granted only to those who are members of one of the 16 (by the number of federal states) professional associations. "In particular, to become a member of the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia, you need to study for at least eight semesters. Bachelor's programs usually last only six. Six semesters are not enough to study the full range of tasks facing architects," explains Rose.

By the way, architects from the CIS who received their education in their homeland can also become members of the association. Moreover, in these countries training usually lasts even longer than the eight semesters required in Germany. However, in this case, you will first need to go through the diploma recognition procedure.

Architects with good German

But let's return to the master's degree. Considering the popularity of the profession in Germany, it is not surprising that there are as many as 80 master's programs in architecture at universities in Berlin, Aachen, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Brandenburg, Kiel and many other cities.

According to Tatiana Shimanskaya, studying at a German university is structured completely differently than at the Belarusian university from which she graduated. “During the semester we study only five subjects, but in great depth,” says the girl. “In addition, if in Belarus we simply submitted projects and waited for grades, then every time we need to make a presentation of our work in front of the group and teachers.”

That is why the requirements for knowledge of the German language for applicants are high. In addition, many programs require knowledge of English, for example, if lectures at the university are given by invited architects from abroad. But there are practically no purely English-language programs. Rare exceptions include the International School of Architecture in Dessau, as well as the interdisciplinary master's program "Urban Agglomerations" at the Hochschule Frankfurt.

In addition to a certificate confirming your language proficiency level, for admission you also need to provide a portfolio with examples of your own work. Thus, a newly minted master's student in Dessau, Alena Zgorskaya, included in it projects for a water park and an office building, and at the same time, on her own initiative, photographs of them in finished form, so that the selection committee could compare the initial idea with the result.

Context

However, the portfolio may also consist of student projects completed during undergraduate studies: many master’s programs can be entered without work experience. “Of course, you need to choose expressive projects. But you shouldn’t try to impress with quantity. The main thing is to select those that reflect your vision, your approach to architecture,” advises Katharina Beckmann, coordinator of the master's program in architecture at the Technical University of Berlin.

Supply exceeds demand

It remains to add a fly in the ointment to all that has been said: compared to other highly qualified specialists, architects in Germany earn little - on average 44,645 euros per year. In addition, given their huge number, supply sometimes exceeds demand: according to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of unemployed in this area is about five thousand people.

At the same time, according to Christophe Rose, over the past five years the situation on the labor market has stabilized somewhat. “Thanks to the growing construction volumes, architectural firms are doing well now,” he points out.

But in order to definitely become a sought-after architect, it is better to take care of your own narrow specialization in advance. “Modernization and energy conversion of buildings, creation of a barrier-free environment, restoration and development of architectural monuments - all these are undoubtedly topics of the future,” Christophe Rose is convinced.

You can set accents while studying by selecting the right subjects. For example, in the master's program at the Technical University of Berlin, design, sustainable planning and construction strategies, architectural theory, and typology of buildings and structures are mandatory for all architecture students. Everyone can choose the rest of the disciplines from an impressive list of several dozen subjects for themselves.