Architecture (BSc/MArch)

The School aims to provide an inspiring and enriching educational experience for you by teaching from a world-leading research and scholarship base (as demonstrated by our REF 2014 results).

Most of your time in the School will be spent in our design studio. Here the key teaching method is the traditional one-to-one tutorial, supported by lectures and group assignments into which all aspects of the subject are integrated.

The studio is the location for design teaching, model-making tutorials, workshops and debate. It is also used for exhibitions and “crits” – at which students display their work for critical discussion and assessment by staff, fellow students and visiting critics.

The School encourages effective student-led and independent learning, whether through site analysis, library research or “reflective practice”.

Your studies will also include regular lectures and seminars. Modules in history and theory of architecture, architectural technology, practice management and economics, and digital approaches to design are delivered predominantly this way. They frequently also entail an element of project based learning, or an integration with studio based design projects.

Teaching also includes the provision of online learning materials, such as briefs, bibliographies, readings and precedents, as appropriate to the module.

How will I be supported?

Each academic year is coordinated by a ‘year chair’ with responsibility to oversee student progress. You will also have a personal tutor with whom you can (in confidence) discuss any concerns that may affect your progress.  Regular progress reviews are held throughout the year with the year team, and an open-door policy exists throughout the School.

The School provides opportunities for you to reflect on and define your individual learning needs.  This generally takes the form of a reflective diary or sketch book.  Increasingly these take the form of online blogs.

The architectural library is located in the same building as the School and provides easy access to resources and support. Electronic course materials are also generally held on the University network.

During the MArch Year of Education in Practice contact with the School is maintained throughout the year.  You are normally visited by a member of staff or a member of the School’s alumni. 

The University also offers a range of services for students to access, including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.

Feedback

You will receive regular oral and written feedback on your progress throughout the course. Feedback on coursework is usually given using a standard feedback pro-forma or can be given orally, in a similar way to design project work.

How will I be assessed?

Contact time with staff is high and you will receive regular oral and written feedback on your progress throughout the course. Design projects and related exercises are assessed continuously. At the end of each year of study, a portfolio of all design-related work is presented for formal examination by panels of internal examiners and then for moderation by external examiners.

It is a requirement of our professional accrediting bodies that students meet all of their validation criteria.  External examiners are expected to confirm that these requirements have been met.

Lecture-based courses are assessed through written examination and coursework submitted during the semester.  Feedback on coursework is usually given using a standard feedback pro-forma or can be given orally, in a similar way to design project work.

The criteria by which assessments are made are contained in the School’s Teaching Handbook, in project and coursework documentation, and explained at introduction to the various modules and design projects.

In MArch year one (Education in Practice) you are asked to undertake assignments which enable you to reflect on office processes and procedures as well as your own individual learning. You will conduct research in your office environment and critically evaluate your experience through an online e-portfolio and blog, and regular written feedback is given to you as this progresses. Assessment is based on the degree by which you reflect on your experience, rather than on the nature of the experience itself. Progress on work is also monitored through visits to students in their workplaces.

As part of the Dissertation module in the MArch year two (in the School), you are expected to meet an internal and external examiner for an oral examination based on your research.

NOTE: The University welcomes applications from disabled students and we may be able to offer alternative assessment methods. However, this may not always be possible.  Competence standards may limit the availability of adjustments or alternative assessments, but you should refer to the module descriptions for details.

What skills will I practise and develop?

You will acquire and develop a range of skills valuable in a working environment, both discipline specific and more generic employability skills:

• through design projects you will develop skills in analysis, creativity, problem solving, planning, organisation, decision making and attention to detail
• you will develop interpersonal skills such as empathy, ability to influence, listening and questioning
• through group work you will develop team-working skills
• through regular presentations, you will develop strong communication skills
• you will learn to deal with uncertainty and develop skills in adaptability and flexibility
• the intensive nature of the course means you will develop skills in time management and tolerance of stress
• you are specifically taught skills in Information Technology (and Computer Aided Design), information retrieval and basic research.