Top 5 Architecture Universities
Photo by Grillot edouard on Unsplash
By Rebecca Isjwara
If you have always been interested in the mechanics that go into building up certain infrastructures, such as an apartment block or a museum, then you are probably considering to pursue architecture professionally. Most students who aspire to do so take on an architecture degree - and Europe is not short of them at all. Here are the top 5 universities in Europe for architecture according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018.
1. University College London, United Kingdom
The Bartlett School of Architecture is a part of University College London (UCL), which offers one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious architecture and urban planning programmes. Ranking second worldwide, all of the courses in this school are validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects. They have also gained recognition from the Architects’ Journal, which states that they are the best architecture school in the United Kingdom for 11 years straight. Currently, the Bartlett School of Architecture has around 300 staff and 1,000 students that come from 50 different countries, continuously coming together to infuse creative ideas with each other.
2. Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
The architecture faculty in the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is the largest in its university, with 2,900 students calling it home. The Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment offers various degrees, ranging from bachelor’s, master’s, and post-master’s. The programmes are composed of courses that not only are in architecture, but also in supplementary and complementary subjects such as housing, building physics, and climate design and sustainability. Currently, the bachelor’s degree is offered in Dutch, whilst the master’s degree is offered in English.
To find the list of universities in Europe**, click here.
3. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
ETH Zurich boasts two major programmes in their architecture department: the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. The bachelor’s degree will take up to three years to complete, including a six-month internship to fulfill the degree requirements. The new cohort intake happens every fall, although there are exceptions for candidates with prior qualifications. The master’s degree lasts two and a half years, with a six-month internship being part of the programme. The intake for this programme also happens in fall, but ETH Zurich bachelor graduates can be exempted from this rule. The main medium of instruction is German, but some classes and exams are conducted in English.
4. Manchester School of Architecture
The Manchester School of Architecture is well known for their students’ and alumni’s achievements. Regular appraisals come from the Architects’ Registration Board, the Royal Institute for British Architects, and the Landscape Institute. The school itself is a collaboration effort between Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester, hosting more than 700 students from 50 countries, whom will learn from over 35 experts in the industry. Graduates will receive a degree from both universities.
The Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge is keen on having their students exposed and trained in architecture through theory, history, and cultural contexts. Academic research is also believed to be an integral part of an architect’s process as it fundamentally affects the design process. Throughout the course of the education, students’ works account for 60% of overall marks each year, and the 40% remainder comes from exams, coursework, and essays.
For more information on studying in Europe, click here.
