Program Overview

Architecture (Joint Programme with MTU)

The Architecture programme is a four-year honours degree course that explores new ways of living, investigates new technologies and materials, and strives to ensure that new buildings, towns, and landscapes are environmentally sustainable. It combines art, science, and technology in the design and construction of buildings and their surroundings within a sociocultural context.

Course Outline

The programme includes technology and cultural/contextual modules, with a strong focus on learning through activities in the design studio. The Architecture degree is delivered by the Cork Centre for Architectural Education in Cork City, a collaboration between UCC and the Munster Technological University.

Course Practicalities

• Students participate in formal lectures and seminars, and design studio tutorials and reviews, requiring attendance five days per week.
• Much is learned from interactions with other students, academic staff, and architectural practitioner associates.
• Students will participate in class field trips, visits to project sites, and study trips to Irish and other European cities.
• Every student is allocated a generously sized workstation with a locker, shelves, and a worktop large enough to accommodate an A1 drawing board plus an A1 space for other materials.

Why Choose This Course

This exciting and innovative honours degree course in architecture has been developed with the support of the local architectural profession and in consultation with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI). The programme requires a broad set of skills, including creativity, innovation, logical and critical thinking, and artistic ability.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

The CCAE has Erasmus links with colleges abroad, including Austria, Estonia, and Italy, and plans for exchanges with schools in France and Slovenia.

Skills and Careers Information

Graduate Study Options

When you successfully complete the BSc (Hons) in Architecture, you will be eligible to apply to the Master of Architecture (MArch) programme, which, together with practical experience and an RIAI Certificate in Architectural Professional Practice, will provide the overall education required for professional membership of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI).

Career Opportunities

Architecture itself provides exciting and widely varied career opportunities, including specialization in certain types of buildings or concentration on areas such as architectural design, urban design, technology, architectural conservation, and computer-based modeling.

Requirements

Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements

At least six subjects must be presented, with minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.

EU/EFTA/UK Qualifications

EU/EFTA/UK applicants presenting an equivalent school-leaving qualification should review the EU/EFTA/UK Applicants page for information on equivalent grades and how to prove their level of English.

Mature Students

To compete through the mature entry route, applicants must be 23 years of age on or before 1 January of the application year and apply online via the CAO by 1 February.

Direct Entry to Year 4 of the Joint UCC/MTU BSc (Hons) Architecture Programme

Applicants who hold a Level 7 or Level 8 Architecture qualification may apply for direct entry to Year 4 of the UCC/MTU BSc (Hons) Architecture programme.

Non-EU Applicants

Non-EU applicants are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate. In addition, where such applicants are non-native speakers of the English language, they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language.

Fees and Costs

• Whether you are an EU or Non-EU student will affect the course fees applicable to you.
• The State will pay the tuition fees for EU students who are eligible under the Free Fees Scheme.
• The annual student contribution and capitation fees are payable by the student.
• There will be a cost of approximately 300 in Year 1 for a materials pack, 300 for model-making costs, and 400 per annum for field trips plus spending money.

How To Apply

Irish and European (EU/EFTA/UK) Applicants

Apply via the CAO.

Mature Applicants

Apply via the CAO by 1 February.

QQI/FET Applicants

Apply via the CAO.

Non-EU Applicants

If you are from outside the EU/EFTA/UK, apply online via the UCC Apply portal.