Master's in Architecture & Built Environment

A master's in architecture and the built environment is a postgraduate degree, usually entered with a relevant bachelor's. It comes in quite different forms. Professional master's degrees, such as the Master of Architecture, form part of the route to registration and often last two years. Specialist taught master's in fields such as urban design, construction project management, quantity surveying, real estate or sustainable building usually take one to two years and deepen expertise for a particular career. Research master's, built around a longer thesis, are a common step towards a PhD.

Many specialist master's accept graduates from neighbouring disciplines. Conversion programmes in quantity surveying, construction management and real estate are designed for students with degrees in engineering, economics, business or other subjects, and some are accredited by bodies such as RICS. Urban planning master's often welcome geographers, social scientists and architects. Professional architecture master's are stricter and usually expect an earlier architecture degree, although some, especially in the United States, offer longer tracks for graduates of other fields.

For architects, the master's is often the decisive stage of education. In the UK it has traditionally covered the second part of the route recognised by the Architects Registration Board, and in Australia and Canada the accredited professional degree is commonly a master's. Indian students with a five-year B.Arch often take a specialist master's abroad in urban design, sustainable architecture or conservation instead. Teaching mixes advanced design studio or project work with seminars and a dissertation, and many programmes run live projects with practices, councils or community groups.

Most programmes ask for a bachelor's in a relevant field with a good overall grade; thresholds for Indian degrees are often stated as a percentage and vary by university. Design-led master's in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design require a portfolio of academic and professional work, and some ask for evidence of work experience. Management, surveying and real estate master's focus more on transcripts, a statement of purpose and references, and conversion courses may accept graduates from unrelated subjects.

English is usually shown through IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, with scores set by the university and sometimes higher for courses that rely heavily on writing and discussion. In most countries you apply directly to the university. In Germany some applications go through uni-assist and many architecture master's are still taught in German, so look for English-taught programmes if you do not speak it. US programmes may ask for the GRE, though many have dropped it. Portfolio-based courses can close well before the intake, so check deadlines early.