Environmental Architecture MA

Entry requirements

Prospective candidates are likely to be students of architecture with a three+two-year Bachelor and Master’s degree, or Master’s- equivalent five-year Diploma preferably in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Landscape Urbanism, Urban Design or other related design discipline looking to acquire expertise in large scale, environmental and ecological design projects. Other backgrounds, such as social sciences, geography, urban studies, planning or econ- omics, will also be considered if prior work is of exceptional merit and students are able to demonstrate their ability to work alongside and contribute to multidisciplinary teams. Evidence of intellectual and professional curiosity and a readiness to engage in a rigorous and demanding period of study is essential.

Visit the RCA website for application dates, details and full entry requirements.

Our Graduate Diploma Art & Design (pre-master's conversion) course can provide a means to progress to this programme on completion.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Explore the future of landscapes, environments, ecosystems and alternative forms of co-existence. Study at the World's number one ranked art and design university for seven consecutive years (2015-2021) in the QS World University Subject Rankings.

The aim of the Environmental Architecture MA is to constitute a new field of knowledge production and practice concerned with the design of alternative forms of co-dependence between life forms and earth systems. The MA Environmental Architecture is a design-led and field-focused course that emphasises a transdisciplinary approach to design research. The programme proposes an unique approach to environmental architecture education that brings together architectural and ethnographic research methods, with the use of technoscientific tools for analysing, classifying, and producing environmental data.

At the same time, students are exposed to the perspectives of those in the frontlines of environmental struggles across the world, to histories and theories of environmental change, and to the most recent advances in the related fields of environmental law and climate justice.

Practice mentors

We have an innovative format of partnership with a selected group of professional practices and organisations. In the beginning of your Independent Research Project (IRP), you’ll be paired with a mentor according to your research interests and work on your proposal for six weeks on-site within the mentor’s installations. In doing so we hope professional practices and organisations might have a foundational role in the development of the student’s IRP. Composed of a unique set of practices at the forefront of contemporary environmental design and thinking, our mentors aim to reflect the diversity of perspectives and possibilities within our programme.

Design Studio

The weekly design studio is the core of the MA programme. Work in the studio is organised individually and in small student groups (2–4 students), and teaching is conducted during weekly group tutorials and pin-up presentations. Work produced in the studio is assessed in mid-term, end-of-term presentations and end-of-term submissions.

Career Outcomes

Environmental Architecture graduates are expected to go on to work in a range of fields, from further academic study to roles in environmentalist NGOs, urban planning agencies and design agencies including architecture, landscape architecture and environmental design.

Fees and funding