The field of Architecture and urban design is closely linked to some of today’s most pressing societal, environmental and cultural challenges. It encompasses a wide range of capabilities, from design and technology to critical thinking.
Architecture and urban design master's programme at Chalmers
The master’s programme in Architecture and urban design provides the skills and knowledge needed to practice architecture, engineering and urban design professionally. The programme emphasises a research-oriented approach in order to anticipate future challenges for architects and urban designers. Its profile is design-led and practical, as well as academic and theoretical.
A majority of the coursework is project-based and it takes place in design studios led by experienced architects and researchers. These studios function as lab environments that target current specializations within the field. Studios are supplemented with course modules that focus on history and theory, design and technology, as well as leadership and professional practice.
The Department of Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology houses an excellent infrastructure in the form of studio spaces, an architecture library, model workshops and digital fabrication, a robot lab and several research groups and centres. A national and international network is provided through collaborations and partnerships with external practitioners, researchers, stakeholders and industry.
Degree
Students completing the master’s programme are awarded the degree of Master of Science, 120 ECTS credits, with architecture as the main field of study. The master’s programme corresponds to the final two years of the five-year study programme at Chalmers which leads to a professional degree in architecture. The professional degree, Master of Architecture/Arkitektexamen, 300 ECTS credits, can only be awarded to students completing a full five-year study programme in architecture at Chalmers.
Research facilities
Studio spaces - all students have personal desks and storage areas in studio spaces with 24/7 access. Studio spaces are equipped with workstations, printers and large scale plotters, as well as Wi-Fi.
Architecture Library - has an extensive collection of printed volumes, journals and magazines within the fields of architecture and urban design.
CAD-lab - houses workstations with software for CAD-drawing, 3D-modelling, desktop publishing, video editing, and GIS.
A-workshop - is a fully equipped architecture workshop with wood, plastics and metalworking equipment. It also contains a number of computer-controlled (CNC) machines for model building and rapid prototyping, including Laser cutter, 3D-printers (2), CNC Mill and CNC Foam cutter.
Robot lab - is a research facility that investigates robotic technology in architectural design. Equipment includes three robotic arms.
Centre for healthcare architecture - conducts research and graduate studies and encourage education and training within the field of physical environments for care.
Centre for housing - is a national platform for the transfer of knowledge, debate, development and research in the field of residential housing.
Mistra Urban Futures - is a centre for sustainable urban development with the ambition to become a world leader in the field in the near future.
The Spatial Morphology Group - is engaged in urban research within the fields of urban morphology, space syntax and design theory.
Topics covered
The subjects of applied architecture development, urban architectures and design project are fundamental areas in the Architecture and urban design master’s programme. The courses included in the programme plan handle topics such as sustainable development, healthcare architecture, urban space design, and construction.
Master's programme structure
The Architecture and urban design master's programme runs for a duration of two years, leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree. During each year, students can earn 60 credits (ECTS) and complete the programme by accumulating a total of 120 credits. Credits are earned by completing courses where each course is usually between 15 and 22.5 credits. Some courses can also be worth 7.5 credits. The programme consists of compulsory courses, compulsory elective courses and elective courses.
Curriculum Architecture and urban design, MSc
The curriculum consists of design studios, courses and a master's thesis project. Current design studios focus on topics such as advanced design of specific typologies, including healthcare architecture and housing buildings; the relationship between design, materials, manufacture, environment and context, including emerging technologies; as well as urban design and morphology, including the relationship between architecture and the city.
Courses provide expertise in sustainable building and planning; in digital design and prototyping; in the history and theory of architecture; as well as in leadership and professional practice. Both studios and courses have an international profile and benefit from guest lectures, workshops and reviews with practicing architects.
The curriculum culminates in a semester long master's thesis project where students individually formulate a design project in relation to design and research expertise within the department. Almost all courses are electives, giving students the opportunity to construct their own programme of study and profile within the area.
Compulsory courses year 1
During the first year the programme starts with one compulsory course that form a common foundation in Architecture and urban design.
- Sustainable development and the design profession
Compulsory courses year 2
In the second year you must complete a master's thesis in order to graduate. The thesis may be worth 30 credits or 60 credits depending on your choice.
Compulsory elective courses
Through compulsory elective courses, you can then specialize in various subjects. During year 1 and 2, you need to select at least some of the following compulsory elective courses in order to graduate.
- Future visions for healthcare, housing, and work: Residential healthcare
- Future visions for healthcare, housing, and work: Housing inventions
- Future visions for healthcare, housing, and work: Healthcare architecture
- Matter, space, structure 1
- Matter, space, structure 2
- Matter, space, structure 3
- Social ecological urbanism
- Architecture and urban space design
- Material and detail
- Public buildings
Elective courses
You will also be able to select courses outside of your programme plan. These are called elective courses. You can choose from a wide range of elective courses.
Programme plan, syllabus, course description and learning outcomes
Career
A master’s degree in architecture and urban design offers a wide range of career opportunities, from practice to research. Most of our courses have a strong connection and collaboration with industry and real projects.
Graduates work in architecture and urban design offices, city planning offices, and governmental bodies. The field of work is highly international, and graduates often find employment in leading offices in Sweden like White arkitekter, Wingårdhs, Semren Månsson, Kaminsky arkitektur, as well as abroad, for instance, MVRDV, BIG, Zaha Hadid, Foster & Partners, Herzog & de Meuron.
Research within Architecture and urban design
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Admissions academic year 2022/23
Application
General entry requirements
An applicant must either have a Bachelor's degree in Science/Engineering/Technology/Architecture or be enrolled in his/her last year of studies leading to such a degree.
General entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with the main field of study: Architecture, Architecture and engineering, Interior architecture, Landscape architecture, Spatial planning or Urban design
Prerequisites:
- Courses taken within architecture and/or urban design subjects, that together fulfil a minimum of 50% of credits in the degree
- Courses in project design work within architecture, Landscape architecture or Urban design that together fulfil a minimum of 30% of credits in the degree
- A portfolio demonstrating the student’s progression and a documented proficiency in spatially contextualized work within architectural design, interior design, landscape design and/or urban design. The portfolio should contain a minimum of 3 projects from preferably academic and individual work - and reflecting on the student’s contribution to the teamwork process in the case of projects made in group. In each project, it is recommended to present the process, the methodology and the results.
Instructions specific to Chalmers on how, when and where to submit your portfolio are available under section 7 on the page Required documents.
English language requirements
English language requirements
Chalmers Bachelor’s degree
Are you enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme at Chalmers now or do you already have a Bachelor’s degree from Chalmers? If so, different application dates and application instructions apply.
Important links
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Basic facts
Degree: Master of Science (MSc)
Credits: 120
Duration: 2 years
Level: Second Cycle, Master's
Rate of study: Full-time, 100%
Instructional time: Daytime
Language of instruction: English
Teaching form: On-campus (Location: campus Johanneberg)
Tuition fee: 210 000 SEK/academic year
*EU/EEA Citizens are
not required to pay fees
Contact
Questions about the application:
Chalmers Admissions, admissions@chalmers.se
Specific questions about the programme:
Joaquim Tarraso, Director of master's programme
Other master's programmes that might interest you
Sustainable development
This master's programme starts with the mandatory course Sustainable development and the design professions, which gives the background and the content of the political and global vision of sustainable development and the different challenges and perspectives involved. The aim is to further present different perspectives on what the vision of sustainable development implies for the planning, design, and management of the built environment and for the students' future professional work. In that sense, the programme is highly interlinked with the achievement of the
UN Sustainable development goals (SDGs). The table below provides an overview of some examples of the sustainable development goals and the associated targets within the programme.
Goal 3: Good health and well-being
Our program focuses on the field of health and well-being in close collaboration with the Centre for Healthcare Architecture (CVA), an academic center that provides training for students at the master’s level with a focus on healthcare architecture and residential healthcare through specific courses and master's thesis.
The students work on the design of healthcare facilities that supports sustainable development from environmental, social, and economic aspects.
Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
Architecture and urban design are contributing to the construction and re-construction of societal norms and values. This programme offers courses that help to understand how norms are expressed and reproduced within the field of architecture and urban design, by the analyses of norms, power relations, and power structures, with a focus on how norms contribute to different kinds of discrimination. The course Urban Planning and Design Theory – Dealing with Inequalities explores specific theoretical trajectories dealing with issues such as Equality, Gender, and Democracy in the City
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
The study and development of urban environments is a central topic in our Architecture and urban design programme. In our courses, we use the city of Gothenburg as a field of analysis to understand the urbanization processes that suppose a challenge for our society. At the same time, our city represents an excellent testbed for experimentation in our transition towards Sustainable Urban Environments. Consequently, we work on urban development in a transversal and multidisciplinary way, addressing aspects related to ecology, society, and the right to a fair, inclusive, and healthy environment with implications with the diversity of scales connected to our physical environment.
Student interview
"The cooperation with the industry is amazing"
Mohsen, Iran, Architecture and urban design
Why did you choose this programme?
– My bachelor is in Architectural engineering, so I am more of a cross-disciplinarity person, and I wanted to focus more on a specific topic in my master’s degree. After researching for a while, I realized that I prefer to focus more on architecture in the urban context. Also, I wanted to have the freedom to choose from a wide range of topics in my master studies, so I can shape my own programme. Architecture and urban design at Chalmers University, have both these features. We can choose from 4-6 different studios each semester and each of these studios focus on a specific field. The programme is also highly ranked in the world and the cooperation between the department and construction industry is amazing.
What have you been working on?
– During the first three weeks, there was an introduction course about sustainability in design professions and we were introduced to current challenges and visions related to sustainability. There were numerous interesting lectures from experts in this field which helped us to get an idea about the current trends and solutions in topics related to this course. After that, we started to choose our preferred studios. I chose Material and Detail and we started to work with some specific software like Rhino and Grasshopper in order to develop our skills to an intermediate level. Then we were divided into different groups and started to work on different scales of models by using 3D- Printers, Mass Timber structures, and robot arms. Currently, we are working in a team of five people on a small project for an internal competition that is about designing a modular house and a pavilion.
What do you like the most about your programme?
– The facilities that we have access to at Chalmers, and the relaxed environment of the programme is the most fascinating thing to me. Previously, I was always suffering from stressful conditions caused by unrealistic deadlines and excessive amounts of workload.. But at Chalmers, you usually end up having just three courses each semester and you have enough time to go deeply through the topics. At the same time, the projects usually have a real customer, so you do not feel that your designs will be about an imaginary project. Also, I should mention that the program is very diverse, we have people from different nationalities, and they all bring different perspectives to the table. For me, being in a team with someone else from Mexico, Switzerland, and China is an unprecedented experience.
What do you want to do in the future?
– I would like to start working in a big company after my studies to implement my knowledge in a practical situation, and I am sure that Chalmers with its reputation in my field, facilities that process for me. After a few years of working in the profession, I will probably continue my education with a PhD and learn how to research in design-related fields.