Master of Architecture

Course MC-ARCH2Y (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Year and Campus: 2010 - Parkville
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Graduate/Postgraduate

Coordinator

Dr Alexander Selenitch

Contact

Environments and Design Student Centre
T:+61 3 8344 6417 /9862
F: +61 3 8344 5532
E: msd-courseadvice@unimelb.edu.au
Course Overview: Architecture is a creative and exciting design-based profession concerned with virtually all aspects of the built environment. It combines art, science and technology with business, social and environmental concerns.The Master of Architecture is a professional program which prepares graduates for employment as architects. The ethos of the program emphasises the central role of design in the studio. Students can take a research subject which may enable progression to further studies as a PhD candidate.

With over thirty full-time academics and a broad range of leading architectural practitioners, the program has a depth and breadth of teaching and research performance unmatched within the Southeast-Asian and Australasian regions. Graduates will be equipped with the creative and critical thinking skills to push the envelope of architectural change in terms of the design and production of buildings as well as critique of their technical, aesthetic, social and environmental performance.

Professional/International Recognition

This course has been designed to meet the requirements of the professional associations shown below, and for quality assurance will undergo a regular review process by:
  • Royal Australian Institute of Architects
  • Architects Registration Board of Victoria
  • Commonwealth Association of Architects
Objectives: The Master of Architecture aims to:
  • Offer advanced education in architectural design in conjunction with critical understanding of aesthetic, socio-political and environmental implications of architectural form, space and expression;
  • Enable students to explore an understanding of cross cultural issues in the planning, design and construction of the built environment;
  • Offer academic opportunities to address contemporary concerns in local and international communities through architectural design;
  • Encourage debate about the theoretical and practical aspects of architectural culture and production; and
  • Provide a vehicle to meet the continuing professional development requirements of the architecture profession in Australia and internationally.
Course Structure & Available Subjects:

All students must completete:

  • 137.5 points core subjects.
  • 37.5 points architecture electives (at least 25 points from the same elective group).
  • 25 points multidisciplinary electives.
Subject Options:

First year core subjects (75 points)

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Semester 1, Semester 2
25
Semester 1, Semester 2
25

Second year core subjects (62.5 points)

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Semester 1, Semester 2
25
Semester 1, Semester 2
25

Architecture electives (37.5 points)

Students wishing to specialise in an Architecture elective area must undertake at least 25 points in that area with the remaining 12.5 points undertaken from the same or another architecture elective area.

Architecture electives: Asia/Pacific Architecture

Students wishing to specialise in Asia/Pacific Architecture must undertake at least 25 points in this area with the remaining 12.5 points of architecture electives undertaken from the Asia/Pacific architecture elective group or another architecture elective group.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Not offered in 2010
12.50

Architecture electives: History and Conservation

Students wishing to specialise in History and Conservation must undertake at least 25 points in this area with the remaining 12.5 points of architecture electives undertaken from the History and Conservation architecture elective group or another architecture elective group.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50

Architecture electives: Production, Practice and Sustainability

Students wishing to specialise in Production, Practice and Sustainability must undertake at least 25 points in this area with the remaining 12.5 points of architecture electives undertaken from the Production, Practice and Sustainability architecture elective group or another architecture elective group.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50

Architecture electives: Society and Culture

Students wishing to specialise in Society and Culture must undertake at least 25 points in this area with the remaining 12.5 points of architecture electives undertaken from the Society and Culture architecture elective group or another architecture elective group.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50
Not offered in 2010
12.50

Architecture electives: Digital Architecture

Students wishing to specialise in Digital Architecture must undertake at least 25 points in this area with the remaining 12.5 points of architecture electives undertaken from the Digital Architecture, architecture elective group or another architecture elective group.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:

Multidisciplinary electives (25 points)

Students may choose any masters level subjects including -
  • Melbourne School of Design graduate subjects without prerequisites. To view list click here.
  • Melbourne School of Design graduate subjects with prerequisites (provided prerequisites are met). To view list click here
  • Any University of Melbourne graduate subject provided pre-requisites are met and written approval is submitted to the Environments and Design Student Centre.

To view a sample course plan go to:

http://www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/environments-and-design-students/architecture.html
Entry Requirements:

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue successfully the course using the following criteria –

  • completion of the Bachelor of Planning and Design (Architecture) or Bachelor of Architectural Studies at the University of Melbourne between 2005 and 2010; and
  • Completion of at least 16 weeks of documented relevant full-time professional work experience;
    or
  • a three-year undergraduate degree in a cognate area with a weighted average of at least 65% in the final two years, or equivalent, together with a personal statement of up to 1000 words outlining relevant prior study and work experience, and motivation to undertake the course, and a design portfolio in a format as specified by the Selection Committee.*

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews or tests and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

Note: It is highly recommended that students obtain at least 16 weeks of documented relevant full-time professional work experience, before commencing the final 100 points of the degree.

Guaranteed Pathways into Master of Architecture for BEnv Graduates (available for masters entry from 2011 to 2014)

  1. BEnv graduates with a major in Architecture and a weighted average of at least 70% in their final two years will be guaranteed a fee place in the 200-point Master of Architecture.
  2. BEnv graduates with a major in Architecture and a weighted average of at least 75% in their final two years, and who are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place, will be guaranteed a Commonwealth Supported Place in the 200-point Master of Architecture.

Guaranteed Transfer into Commonwealth Supported Place
Students with a fee place in the 200-point Master of Architecture who complete 100 points of the course with a weighted average of at least 75%, and who are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place, will be guaranteed a transfer to a Commonwealth Supported Place for the final 100 points of the course.

*The design portfolio of not more than eight A3 pages should focus on design work rather than, for example, life or still-life drawing skills. Portfolios should be drawn at least partly from the design studio subject the applicant has completed. Applicants submitting work done in the context of employment should explain their role in the work produced with brief notes. Images and drawings presented in the portfolio should be reproduced at sufficient scale and resolution to be clearly readable. Elaborate formats that reduce the available page space for the design images should be avoided. It is most helpful to see a variety of kinds of drawings and images: two-dimensional (plans, sections, elevations) and three-dimensional studies, photographs of physical models, etc.

For information about the three year Master of Architecture program, designed for students with an undergraduate degree in any discipline, click here.

For information about how to apply click here.

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Graduate Attributes: The main focus of the Master of Architecture is architectural design and practice. The degree provides graduates with:
  • Design skills that will contribute to the improvement of our built environment;
  • A grounding in the rich lessons of architectural history, theory and technology enabling them to develop innovative architecture, relevant to time and place, people and culture;
  • The skills to manage an architectural practice and work within teams; and
  • The ability to use resources, materials and technologies to produce responsible and sustainable architecture.
Professional Accreditation:

Professional/International Recognition

This course has been designed to meet the requirements of the professional associations shown below, and for quality assurance will undergo a regular review process by:
  • Royal Australian Institute of Architects
  • Architects Registration Board of Victoria
  • Commonwealth Association of Architects
Generic Skills: The Master of Architecture has been specifically designed around the University of Melbourne postgraduate coursework graduate attributes and the requirements of professional associations. The Master of Architecture will incorporate research-led teaching, problem-based collaborative learning, professional engagement, and a diverse mature cohort. Graduates of the Master of Architecture will have high level professional and intellectual capabilities enabling them to demonstrate leadership, a commitment to life-long learning, and professional integrity.
Links to further information: http://www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/graduate-school/master-of-architecture.html

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