This programme is for highly motivated students who wish to:
- Further their skills in the research-led spatial, programmatic, material, structural and environmental articulation of architectural design.
- Engage with the contemporary city and the associated flows of information, energy and resources.
- Critically position their practice in relation to contemporary theoretical discourses, modes of inquiry and representation.
- Develop situated and careful forms of architectural knowledge and production that are speculative, creative, low-carbon, regenerative, and inclusive.
The two-year Master of Architecture (MArch) programme offers a unique studio-based and research-led learning experience, and the opportunity to develop designs that engage with complex urban settings, innovative material systems, and critical forms of inquiry and representation—elaborating nuanced responses to the pressing environmental, socio-economic, and political questions facing architectural practice in the 21st century.
Based in one of the most beautiful and architecturally significant cities in the world, the ARB and RIBA Part 2 validated MArch programme at ESALA combines creative inquiry and academic rigour with a deep sense of professional responsibility, empowering our students to imagine and prototype forms of spatial practice that are low-carbon, situated, inclusive and regenerative.
The MArch is delivered through a diverse set of elective design studios, each focusing on a specific urban setting or geographical area, and on a set of thematic concerns. Complementary courses in theory, technology, and professional practice are offered to engage with different facets of contemporary architectural discourse, and to develop core professional competencies. Uniquely, the programme offers two curricular pathways, allowing students to complete either a one or two-year design-studio thesis, prioritising either breadth or depth of enquiry.
Opportunities
As a student, you will work in close contact with world-leading researchers, and benefit from a series of guest lectures and workshops with eminent practitioners and scholars. You will have access to state-of-the-art studios and to the broad range of technical facilities within the Edinburgh College of Art, including digital fabrication (CAD/CAM), casting rooms, and printmaking suites, as well as wood, metal, and glass workshops—all supported by specialised technical staff. Fostered by this vibrant environment, the MArch programme has developed an ethos of design enquiry through making.
