MSc Architecture, Urbanism & Climate Action

Program Overview

The MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action equips students with the advanced knowledge and skills to address the challenges of a resilient and sustainable built environment in the face of climate change. The program combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills development, preparing graduates for careers in low carbon and sustainable architecture, urban design, policy and governance, research, and academia. With a strong focus on real-world challenges and industry collaborations, the program provides graduates with a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of a more sustainable and resilient built environment.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action (MAUCA) program is a graduate-level program designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address the challenges of planning, designing, and realizing a resilient and sustainable built environment in the face of climate change.

Objectives:

The program aims to:

• Provide students with advanced knowledge of climate change, its causes, and design and policy strategies to mitigate it, particularly related to the built environment.
• Develop students' ability to work effectively as individuals and in multidisciplinary teams to tackle the challenge of climate change.
• Equip students with the ability to consider the environmental impact of buildings, including resource depletion, energy consumption, life cycle performance, carbon intensity, and in-use performance when designing buildings.
• Foster students' understanding and participation in current debates within the areas of sustainability and climate change.
• Enhance students' ability to apply concepts and theoretical knowledge to climate change-related challenges in Europe and globally.

Outline:

Program Structure:

• The program is a full-time, one-year program.
• It consists of 90 credits: 60 credits of taught modules and 30 credits of a linked research project.

Course Schedule:

• The program is delivered over three trimesters.
• The final trimester is dedicated to the linked research project.

Modules:

• Core Modules:
• Climate Science and Policy
• GIS
• Systems Thinking
• Environmental Ethics
• Low Carbon, Sustainable and Inclusive Building and Urban Design
• Optional Modules:
• A wide range of optional modules are available from various schools across UCD, including Architecture, Planning, Environmental Policy, Geography, Biosystems Engineering, Economics, and Law.

Linked Research Project:

• Students can choose from three options for their linked research project:
• Option 1:
Placement with a linked employer, undertaking a program of work for an industry or public body.
• Option 2: Working on established industry-collaborative research projects as part of a research team in the fields of architecture or urbanism, or related areas like energy-efficient buildings, smart cities, and climate action policy research.
• Option 3: Individual study in a research area of the student's choosing, agreed upon with the module coordinator.

Assessment:

Assessment Methods:

• The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:
• Exams
• Coursework
• Presentations

Teaching:

Teaching Methods:

• The program employs a variety of teaching methods, including:
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Studio-based learning
• Field trips

Faculty:

• The program is taught by a team of experienced and qualified faculty members from the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy (APEP) and other relevant schools across UCD.

Unique Approaches:

• The program's unique approach combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills development, preparing students for real-world challenges in the field of sustainable architecture and urbanism.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:

• Low carbon and sustainable architecture
• Landscape architecture and urban design
• Strategic design and change management
• Policy and governance
• Environmental, building, or energy engineering
• Research and academia

Opportunities:

• The program provides students with a unique set of skills that are highly sought after in rapidly expanding sectors.
• Graduates are well-positioned to pursue exciting and fulfilling job opportunities in various fields related to sustainability and climate action.

Outcomes:

• The MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to make a significant contribution to the development of a more sustainable and resilient built environment.

Other:

• The UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy has an established international track record as a leading research center in sustainable building and city research with large national and international funded projects.
• It is ranked in the Top 150 QS World University Rankings by subject area and has long led the way in architectural and urban design study and practice in Ireland.
• UCD is ranked in the top 50 in the world in the QS World University Rankings for Sustainability, and is number 1 in Ireland and 24th in Europe.
• Many students have continued to work for their placement research projects or companies after graduating.
• High-achieving graduates of the course have gone on to doctoral studies in UCD, either via in-house opportunities on EU-funded projects or through national funding schemes from the Irish Research Council.

MSc Architecture, Urbanism & Climate Action (T339) Full TimeEU fee per year - € 9300 vanonEU fee per year - € 29100 va va"Bench Fees EU and non EU students on this programme are also required to pay a charge of €450 to cover the cost of consumables in addition to the published fee above"