Master of Architecture

Advance your architecture skills, and improve your knowledge of current techniques and theory. Undertake your own architecture design project, and identify the unique qualities of your work and how to use these to forge new directions for your design practice.

The Master of Architecture is a qualification for professional architects who want to advance their architecture skills and further their interest while working together with other professionals. While it is open to bachelors degree graduates, the programme has been specifically developed to enable practicing architects to study part time, learn new techniques, sharpen their design skills and update on current theory.

The degree is 'by project', which means that you undertake an architecture design project based on an aspect of your architecture practice to date. Previous student projects include a clinic in Las Vegas, a waterfall house, Hoani Waititi Marae Whare Wananga and a housing scheme in Cambridge. There is no coursework, and the programme's focus on design is supported by a strong contemporary theoretical framework.

Each year, you take part in several design workshops, at which you present your work in progress for critique and evaluation by invited international architects, landscape architects and designers. Two supervisors are appointed, to help you achieve your design goals.

You further your knowledge of current design techniques, and learn to present your work effectively to interdisciplinary audiences and in a digital format. Improve your understanding of how to look at architecture sites and briefs from different angles, and use techniques and theory to construct interesting and unique responses. You also learn to analyse and critique your own work objectively, identifying its unique qualities and how to use these to forge new directions for your design practice.
 
The Master of Architecture, together with the Master of Landscape Architecture and the Master of Design, is part of a suite of design programmes at Unitec. Students in all three programmes combine for theory seminars and workshops in order to foster cross-disciplinary fertilisation, new ideas and new approaches to inter-disciplinary practice.

English language: Have an overall IELTS band score (Academic) of no less than 6.5 (with no band score lower than 6.0), or a TOEFL score of no less than 575, or equivalent, achieved within the last two years.