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Scholarships Available
Sustainable Development Goals
- Duration:
- 4 Year(s)
- Next Intake:
- 2024/2025 September
- General Entry Requirements (A-Level)
AAA / ABBB / AAB +
D AS Level- Subject Requirements (Mathematics)
GCSE C /
AS Level D /
A Level E
IB SL 4 / HL 3- General Entry Requirements (IB)
33
- Country Specific Entry Requirements:
- Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
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Curricular information is subject to change.
UCD Architecture is at the forefront of the architectural and urban design debate, both in Ireland and internationally. It plays a central role in society, leading innovation and development on every scale. The Architecture course at UCD offers a means to engage creatively and constructively with society. If you have a capacity and passion for creativity, for making things through technological invention or artistic experimentation, and you’re excited by the idea of designing buildings, urban environments and landscapes, then this course is for you.
The design process is central to Architecture, harnessing the mind’s analytical and creative powers to produce innovative solutions to everyday and future challenges and studios are largely taught by practising architects and many alumni are leading figures, whose work is recognised nationally and internationally.UCD Architecture is also the only college in Ireland with professional accreditation/international certification from RIAI, RIBA & NAAB.
About this Course
Your First Year Experience
On entering first year, you will be introduced to the idea of learning by doing. From the outset, there is a very direct relationship between acquiring knowledge and skills and applying them. Short exercises are set in the studio to help you acquire skills of observation, analysis and understanding through the media of freehand drawing and model making. As your skills in drawing, model making, surveying, scale and measurement develop, design projects of increasing complexity are introduced in which these skills can be applied. You will be involved in creative endeavour – proposing, testing and developing design ideas.
In fostering this creativity, there is a strong emphasis on group work and learning from yourfellow students in a friendly and co-operative environment. Small class sizes, open-spacestudios, individual and small group tutorials all contribute to an exhilarating educational firstyear experience.
The lecture programme can be grouped under three broad headings:
Technical
- Architectural Technologies
- Structures
- Environmental Science
Cultural
- Architectural History & Theory
- Ecology
- Conservation
- Perspectives on Architecture
Managerial
- Professional Studies
A combination of continuous assessment and end-of-trimester written examinations is used. In your final year, you’ll also submit a report of your design research project.
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
Module ID | Module Title | Trimester | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Core Modules | |||
ARCT10010 | Architectural Design I | Autumn | 15 |
ARCT10030 | Autumn | 5 | |
ARCT10070 | Survey I: History and Theory of the Built Environment I | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT10120 | Into Practice | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT10020 | Architectural Design II | Spring | 15 |
ARCT10040 | Architectural Technologies I – Introduction to Building Envelope | Spring | 5 |
ARCT10090 | Perspectives: History and Theory of the Built Environment II | Spring | 5 |
CVEN10060 | The Engineering and Architecture of Structures 1 | Spring | 5 |
Stage 1 Core Modules | |||
Stage 2 Core Modules | |||
ARCT20020 | The Indoor Environment | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT20040 | Autumn | 5 | |
ARCT20050 | Architectural Design III | Autumn | 15 |
ARCT20100 | Architectural Technologies II – Building Frames and Skins | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT20130 | Imagining Architecture | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT20010 | Architectural Design IV | Spring | 15 |
CVEN20040 | Spring | 5 | |
Stage 2 Core Modules | |||
Stage 2 Options | |||
ARCT20170 | Intro to Computational Design | Spring | 5 |
ARCT20570 | Enhancing Digital Drawing Skills | Spring | 5 |
Stage 2 Options | |||
Stage 3 Core Modules | |||
ARCT30010 | Architectural Design V | Autumn | 15 |
ARCT30030 | Autumn | 5 | |
ARCT30090 | Building Renovation and Energy Retrofit / Architectural Technologies III | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT30130 | Framework for Practice | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT30040 | Architectural Design VI | Spring | 15 |
ARCT30100 | Architectural Technologies IV – Integrated Building Process | Spring | 5 |
CVEN30100 | The Engineering and Architecture of Structures 3 | Spring | 5 |
Stage 3 Core Modules | |||
Stage 3 Options | |||
ARCT20170 | Intro to Computational Design | Spring | 5 |
ARCT20570 | Enhancing Digital Drawing Skills | Spring | 5 |
Stage 3 Options | |||
Stage 4 Core Modules | |||
ARCT40010 | Design Technologies I | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT40020 | Autumn | 5 | |
ARCT41120 | Architectural Design VII - Comprehensive Design Studio | Autumn | 15 |
ARCT40050 | Architectural Design VIII | Spring | 15 |
ARCT40080 | Research and Innovation in the Designed Environment II | Spring | 5 |
Stage 4 Core Modules | |||
Stage 4 Options | |||
ARCT40030 | Realising Built Projects | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT40170 | Conservation History, Theory and Policy | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT40660 | Street Life: Urban Design, an Introduction | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT41210 | Architecture in a Climate Emergency | Autumn | 5 |
PLAN40030 | Planning, Society and Diversity | Autumn | 5 |
ARCT40180 | Urban Design Theory (UDT) | Spring | 5 |
ARCT40870 | Agency: Design / Build | Spring | 5 |
ARCT40950 | Concrete Research | Spring | 5 |
ARCT41240 | Urban Resilience and Ethics | Spring | 5 |
UCD Architecture has a very extensive list of 30+ partners in Europe and worldwide, opportunities to date have included:
- University of Sydney, Australia
- Kungl Tekniska Hogskolan Stockholm, Sweden
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- National University of Singapore
- Technische Universität München, Germany
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
See our UCD Global exchanges page for more information
Most architectural graduates go into architectural practice or on to further academic study in architecture or related subjects.
Your skills are transferable, which enables you to work anywhere in the world. Some architects also work in other areas such as:
- Planning
- Heritage site management
- Landscape
- Cultural and artistic practice
- Curatorial work
UCD Architecture offers a wide range of taught master's, research master's and doctorate programmes, including:
- Urban Design (research)
- Conservation & Heritage (research)
- Regional & Urban Planning (taught)
- Urban Design & Planning (taught)
- Planning, Development & Urban Design (taught)
- Irish and European Landscape & Urbanisation (research)
- History and Theory of Architecture (PhD)
Check out the UCD Career Networks career guide for the College of Engineering & Architecture for details on the career supports available to UCD students.
Non-EU Undergraduate Feeinformation can be foundhere.
UCD offers a number of competitive undergraduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD undergraduate degree programme. For information on Undergraduate Scholarships, please see the UCDInternational Scholarships webpage.
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By joining the UCD College of Engineering and Architecture, you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable future. The mission of the College of Engineering and Architecture is to affect a just transition to a more sustainable and equitable future through our education of professionals in engineering, architecture, planning and policy, and our research in technology, design, and policy. The College, in our engineers and architects, brings together the technical expertise to deliver and create infrastructure and technologies that can create a more sustainable future and, uniquely, the College, in our planners and environmental policy researchers, also brings together the research and professions required to create the policies and the regulatory environment that supports technological and infrastructure development, and that can also scrutinise and investigate the behavioural changes affected by our technologies.
The programmes at UCD are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen field, while at the same time embedding the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in their education where most relevant
Architecture and Landscape Architecture
UCD Architects and Landscape Architects have the opportunity to contribute positively to many of today’s challenges including climate change, inequality, poverty and urbanisation. UCD architects and landscape architects use innovative design practices to consider sustainable design solutions, energy-efficient buildings, community engagement, life on land to enhance the quality of the lives for whom they are designing for while minimising environmental impacts.
- Clean water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
- Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7)
- Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
- Climate Action (SDG 13)
- Life on Land (SDG 15)
Related Programmes
- Engineering (NUS1)
- Landscape Architecture (LDS2)
Bachelor of Architectural Science Architecture (DN100/ATS4)
Undergraduate (Level 8 NFQ, Credits 240)
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