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Advanced Architectural Research PG Cert

London, Bloomsbury

In architecture, research and practice go hand in hand, with ground-breaking design inspiring great research and vice versa. This programme allows students to develop their own research and/or design to an advanced level, ready to push new boundaries and change normalised modes of working either in academia or industry. Many students on this programme work with their tutors to clarify a PhD proposal.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£5,400
Programme only available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£10,700
Programme only available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
3 months
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 30 Jun 2023
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

The normal minimum qualifications are a Master’s degree in architecture from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or an equivalent professional architecture or design qualification.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Architectural Research PG Cert is designed to help students take their individual work to a higher level of design and/or theoretical development. This could materialise in the form of new physical or drawn work that strengthens the individual portfolio, or in the form of a personal exhibition, or as a written piece that extends an earlier piece of writing to become a conference paper or journal article.

Who this course is for

This programme provides an ideal framework for those students who are thinking of taking a PhD and need help in formulating their research question. Candidates will be allocated an appropriate personal tutor to guide them closely in their work.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The Bartlett School of Architecture helps students to prepare for successful careers in a range of fields. We aim to be an exciting and innovative place to study architecture, located in the heart of London with global perspectives. Our students have the opportunity to develop their creativity, curiosity and dynamism, and learn the skills they need to build a better future for people and the planet. Our school is consistently ranked highly in UK and global league tables, and our staff are at the forefront of international research and teaching with award-winning buildings all over the globe.

The Bartlett is the UK's largest multidisciplinary Faculty of the Built Environment. Our work is all about human spaces. That means physical structures like homes, buildings and cities, but also the invisible structures that govern these things: political and legal systems; financial frameworks and social norms; even our understanding of the past, present and future. Combining design, history, theory, digital representations and models across all of these areas, we understand the structures shaping society today – and we work to make them fairer and more prosperous. The Bartlett is ranked #3 globally in the Built Environment and Architecture subject area (QS World University Ranking 2022), and our research is recognised as internationally leading (UK REF 2021).

Outputs from the programme include group exhibitions, such as ‘Constructing Realities’, which was held at Arup's Phase 2 Gallery in central London.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Employability

Graduates from this programme are currently researching and teaching at UCL and elsewhere and are publishing their work on an international stage.

Teaching and learning

Students are allocated to an individual Personal Tutor who works with them to define an appropriate mode of research and submission. Students are encouraged to attend open lectures and crits. 

Over a calendar year students can expect approximately 10 to 12 contact hours with a supervisor in tutorials, working towards a written research submission and they use their remaining time for self-directed study. Students can submit this over one or two calendar years on a modular flexible basis.

Modules

You will undertake modules to the value of 60 credits. You can choose to study full time over three months or modular/flexible over up to eighteen months. In either case, you can begin the programme in September or January.

Compulsory modules



Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake one module to the value of 60 credits. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Advanced Architectural Research.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £5,400
Tuition fees (2023/24) £10,700

Programme only available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

All students are required to pay a fee deposit of £2,000 for this programme.

If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the Education Manager, Ms Emer Girling, by e-mailing e.girling@ucl.ac.uk or telephoning +44 20 3108 9648.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

Any additional funding available from The Bartlett School of Architecture and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Bartlett Promise Scholarship - Master's

Deadline: 31 May 2023
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,364 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Bartlett Promise Sub-Saharan Africa Masters Scholarship

Deadline: 31 March 2023
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Brown Family Bursary

Deadline: 8 June 2023
Value: £15,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Advanced Architectural Research at graduate level
  • why you want to study Advanced Architectural Research at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Tier 4 Student Visa holders are advised to meet the English language proficiency of their offer no later than the end of June, in order to allow sufficient time to obtain a CAS number and visa.

To accept your offer, you must pay the non-refundable fee deposit within 4 weeks and decline any other offers for programmes at the Bartlett School of Architecture. If you do not respond within 3 weeks, your offer will be withdrawn.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Architecture
Bartlett School of Architecture

n.chard@ucl.ac.uk

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