Architecture March (Part 2) De Montfort University

Our Architecture MArch programme is designed to respond to contemporary issues in the industry, grounded in both theory and professional practice. Our enquiry-led approach to education will teach you to tackle complex problems and help you synthesise your ideas to produce critical work. You will be supported to take risks, learn from mistakes and boldly explore your ideas.  

Current issues in the architectural debate are studied through deep foundations in historical and philosophical thought, contemporary states of urban inhabitation, challenges to sustainable ecology, the ramifications of modern technology, legal and economic contexts, and the state of the profession.  

Our design studios are delivered through advanced, research-by-design led units and offer a range of specialist pathways for you to develop an independent and critical position on architecture. Studio options range from high-density housing to sustainable futures, and advanced material investigations. We encourage an open-ended spirit of enquiry to advance knowledge through rigorous, exploratory and playful processes. Our experience and knowledge, combined with your personal ambition, will enable us to challenge existing conventions and redefine the future of architectural practice together. 

Key features

• This programme offers a professional level architectural education with Architects Registration Board (ARB)/RIBA Part II exemption. Graduates can progress to professional registration/licensure examinations, allowing access to markets in the UK, EU or other legal jurisdictions. 
• 90% of students were satisfied overall with the course (National Student Survey, 2022).
• You will be supported to tackle real-world issues while speculating and proposing new futures through bold experimentation and boundless enquiry. 
• Tutors come from industry and research and our community is a place where academics, practitioners and students are co-designing new ways of thinking. 
• Teaching is delivered in a dedicated postgraduate studio space, equipped with computer workstations, model-making facilities, large format printers and Ultimaker 3D printers. 
• Receive expert teaching through our Leicester School of Architecture, which has a national and international lecture series attracting leading academics and professionals from around the world, such as Sir Peter Cook, CJ Lim and Alison Brooks. 
• A number of graduates have been awarded national and international design awards, including four prizes at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President’s Medals, five regional RIBA Awards and the prestigious RIBA Wren Insurance Association Scholarship. 
• This course benefits from global opportunities thanks to its accreditation with Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia, the Board of Architects Malaysia, which allows graduates to pursue a professional qualification in Malaysia. It is also approved by the Commonwealth Association of Architects, a membership organisation representing architects in the Commonwealth of Nations, which provides access to an international network of schools for further study and better employment prospects.  

Entry requirements

You should have the equivalent of a 2:2 or above in architecture from an ARB/RIBA Part 1 accredited course or exemption from it.

We will consider applications without Part 1 who have undertaken non-UK or non-validated architecture degrees. Before qualifying as a UK architect, students must have obtained Part 1, as well as Part 2 and 3. Please contact the ARB regarding eligibility for their prescribed Part 1 exam.

Applicants are expected to have completed post-undergraduate professional work experience. Applicants with a lower second-class degree (2:2) will be expected to have completed a minimum of nine months of professional experience.

Should applicants have difficulty in finding professional architectural experience, we will consider evidence of initiative in finding alternative experience through work in associated fields of the construction and design industries, self-generated work and competitions.

Interview and portfolio

Applicants with relevant qualifications will be invited to attend an MS Teams interview with the MArch academic team. You will be asked to share your digital portfolio of work during the interview, please see our Architecture MArch application portfolio advice for full details.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.