MA Architectural Design

About the course

1 year full-time

In this design-based course, you'll acquire knowledge of design processes and methodologies. Your study will enhance your existing skills to give you a distinctive design practice.

Our unique live project will give you the opportunity to work with local and regional groups on real-life challenges.

This degree builds on our acclaimed research and teaching expertise in architectural design. It supports the existing PhD by Design programme, providing appropriate entry-level one-year preparation for doctoral research.

Entry requirements

You'll need a good honours degree (2:1 or above) or other equivalent qualification related to design in the built environment, including architecture, landscape architecture and town planning. If you have a non-design based degree but substantial professional design experience, then we'll consider your application.

We'd also like to see your portfolio to get an idea of your design abilities. You should be prepared to come to our interview process.

English language requirements

Overall IELTS grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students

Core modules

• Special Design Project – Live Project
• Design 1 and 2
• Theory and Research
• Environment and Technology 1
• Reflections on Architectural Design
• Thesis Design Project

Optional modules

• Reflections on Architectural Education
• Reflections on Practice
• Computer-Aided Architectural Design
• Computational Design
• Climate-Sensitive Environmental Design

Teaching

• Studio-based design work with individual and group tutorials
• Block seminars and workshops
• Traditional lecture modules
• Live projects involving real clients and real community projects

Assessment

• Course assignments
• Examinations
• Design thesis
• A dissertation

Fees and funding

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

E: pg-enquiries@sheffield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)114 222 0310/0309

Advance your career

You could become a professional architect in an international leading-edge practice like many of our past graduates.

Employers include the Olympic Park Legacy Company, Hawkins Brown, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and URBED (Urbanism, Environment & Design) Ltd.

With a post-qualification degree, you could move on to a senior position or follow further academic research and teaching.

Post-qualification masters

All our post-qualification masters courses are available as part of the PhD with Integrated Studies programme offered by the School of Architecture, providing an appropriate entry-level one-year preparation for doctoral research.

Learn from experts

You'll be joining one of the largest and most diverse groups of full-time architecture academics in the country. Our staff have backgrounds in many areas, including the arts, physical and social sciences and engineering.

This connects our research to other disciplines and creates a stimulating environment, leading to a vigorous and critical debate about the future of architecture.

Explore your ideas

You'll find all the tools you'll need. We have design studios, traditional lecture and seminar areas, research rooms, specialised laboratories and computing facilities. There are also specialist architecture resources in the University library.

You'll be able to access our own technical workshop, photographic and audio-visual unit, a range of specialist lighting, acoustic and thermal environmental assessment and experimental facilities, and a postgraduate common room.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form