Architecture MArch

London, Bloomsbury

Architecture MArch at The Bartlett is a leading professionally-accredited architecture programme that allows students to develop an advanced understanding of what architecture is and what it could be.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£31,100
Duration
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
All applicants: 16 Oct 2023 – 23 Feb 2024

Applications closed

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class degree in architecture from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. It is also expected that all candidates have at least one year of professional work experience, taken after completing their undergraduate degree. If you are currently completing a UK undergraduate architecture programme, which is accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) or the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and your programme contains a professional placement or placements lasting a minimum of 6 months, we will consider your application, providing you are averaging an upper second-class degree. Upon reviewing your application, we may ask you to submit a portfolio of your design work. Please do not send or upload your work unless it has been requested.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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.

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


Students strengthen their core skills in design, technology, history and theory, and professional studies, working closely with world-class tutors, academics and practitioners. The majority of the programme is taught through design studios, in which teaching is structured into groups known as units, which run throughout both years of study. Although distinct from one another, units deliver a common set of principles with the support of a dedicated practice-based tutor. 

Who this course is for

Students with a relevant undergraduate degree in architecture can apply. ARB/RIBA Part 1 is not needed to enter the programme and some offers are made to candidates without the Part 1 award from a previous degree, usually overseas applicants.

What this course will give you

Architecture MArch at The Bartlett sees students taking speculative risks with ground-breaking ideas, testing the boundaries of how architecture and sustainability are defined. 

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 #1 in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment and remains #1 in the UK for the ninth year in a row (QS World University Subject Rankings 2023), and our research is recognised as internationally leading (UK REF 2021).

Architecture MArch is taught in the school's impressive Bloomsbury home - 22 Gordon Street in Bloomsbury,  the cultural and creative hub of central London. Students not only enjoy the school's studio spaces and culture, but also workshop and fabrication facilities unrivalled within London. 

The foundation of your career

This combination of networks, knowledge and technical expertise makes our graduates some of the most highly valued in the world. Some choose to progress to further study and teaching, many go on to roles in design and the built environment and with some of the world's top architecture practices.

Employability

Bartlett graduates are amongst the most sought-after employees by leading and emerging practices including Foster + Partners, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Make, Arup, Zaha Hadid Architects, HOK, and Heatherwick Studio. Other graduates have formed their own practices or forged successful careers in parallel practices such as time-based media, exhibitions and events, urban design, furniture design and/or film-making.

Networking

The Bartlett School of Architecture hosts numerous events throughout the year that feature industry guests and networking opportunities. These include lecture series, seminars, conferences, symposiums, book launches, and show launch events. The school also hosts a Future Practice event each year that links students with employers. 

Additionally, there are a broad range of university-wide career events to help current students and recent graduates develop their employability skills, explore different sectors, increase commercial awareness, build professional networks and more.

Accreditation

RIBA/ARB Part 2 is awarded upon successful completion of the Architecture MArch programme. 

Overseas students who do not have Part 1 upon commencing the programme and are seeking professional registration in the UK must contact the Architects Registration Board separately in order to gain ARB Part 1.

Teaching and learning

The unit system of teaching is supported by lectures and seminars given by a diverse spectrum of leading practitioners and academics.

Design work (for Advanced Architectural Design I and II, and Design Realization) accounts for approximately 70% of the programme, and assessment is through portfolio, essay, design realisation report, and thesis.

In terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 3 and 8 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials.

In term 3 students will be completing their own project and could have up to 2 contact hours per teaching week.

Outside of lectures full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

Students undertake five modules to the value of 240 credits.

The programme consists of five compulsory modules. In the first year, known as 'Year 4', students undertake three modules to the value of 120 credits. In the second year, known as 'Year 5', students undertake two modules to the value of 120 credits. 

Upon successful completion of 240 credits, you will be awarded an MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) in Architecture.

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 is subject to change.

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 five modules to the value of 240 credits. Upon successful completion of 240 credits, you will be awarded an MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) in Architecture.

Fieldwork

The programme includes one optional field trip for each year of study.

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 and Wellbeing team.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Architecture MArch

Whether your ambition is to design better buildings, plan better cities, build sustainable communities or help meet the challenge of climate change, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment could be a big step towards it. Learn more about our courses through a range of taster lectures, Q&As and info sessions.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £9,250
Tuition fees (2024/25) £31,100

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

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

There are two optional field trips for this programme, one in each year of study, which cost students a maximum of £500 each and are subsidised by the school with £250. We estimate that students spend between £500-£1,000 per year on specialist architectural materials, and/or a similar amount towards computing expenses. Teaching staff would not require students to spend more, but students may choose to.

All students work differently so costs incurred depend on the approach they take to the brief given. The school encourages students to use recycled materials in their models and presentations, not only is it sustainable, but also cost effective and potentially innovative. The school also offers subsidies for exhibition costs. 

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

Eligible full-time UK and EU students may be eligible for undergraduate student support from their funding provider for both RIBA Part 1 and RIBA Part 2. Read UCL's guidance on funding for RIBA Part 1 and RIBA Part 2 qualifications.

The school offers several sponsored bursaries for Architecture MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) students to contribute to their living costs. Applicants who have accepted an offer will be emailed details of these opportunities. Current sponsors of these bursaries include Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners and Kohn Pedersen Fox.

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

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue master's studies. Please see the UK Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship pages for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

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.

Bartlett Promise Sub-Saharan Africa Masters Scholarship

Deadline: 3 April 2024
Value: Fees, stipend and other allowances (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Bartlett Promise UK Master's Scholarship

Deadline: 31 May 2024
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,364 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 20 June 2024
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,700 stipend ()
Criteria Based on 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 Architecture at graduate level
  • why you want to study Architecture at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging 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.

All Architecture candidates are asked to present a portfolio of design work. Candidates will be contacted regarding their design work once their application has been received.

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.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.