Master's Thesis, Master of Fine Arts in Architecture and Urban Design, 30 Credits

Contents

The course consists of an advanced and substantial degree project within a given framework.

The degree project enables students to integrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities they have acquired during the architecture programme and apply them to an advanced architectural project. The emphasis of the degree project is on establishing, explaining, and defending the student's own position as a future professional. As part of the degree project, students apply the contextual, historical, technical, and design research conducted in "Seminar Course 3a" and "Seminar Course 3b", as well as "Synthesis Course 3", to develop an ambitious well researched and well-grounded architectural project.

Students will be expected to develop a design for an advanced architectural proposal, which may include but is not restricted to its physical, historical, and social framework, along with its structural, tectonic, environmental, material, and sustainable characteristics and its impact on its context. 

While the master's thesis inevitably leads to an advanced architectural proposal and while it must meet the learning outcomes for the course, it may focus on urbanism, landscape, social and participatory processes, technical and material innovations, etc. 

Students who wish to locate their project in another context, for example in another country, city or region where field study of context is required, may do so in dialogue with the supervisor and in accordance with the given framework for the exam project. In this case the student will be required to regularly visit Umeå during the course period as agreed with the supervisor. 

Expected learning outcomes

For a passing result, the student must be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate expertise and advanced knowledge within the specific field of the degree project and the theories and hypothesis related to it.
• exhibit the expertise, knowledge, and personal responsibility required to work independently in a professional capacity and be capable if identifying own needs of further knowledge and continued development of skills.

Competence and skills

• exhibit independent ability to proceed from a previously identified position and research agenda to plan, undertake and solve advanced creative problems using suitable architectonic methods.
• demonstrate the ability to use appropriate architectonic methods and syntheses to develop, undertake and evaluate an original exploration of a specific research question, agenda, speculation, or hypothesis based on personal professional interests, resulting in an advanced, well-researched and well-grounded architectural proposal including its physical, historical and social context, structural, tectonic, environmental, material and sustainable qualities and impact.

Judgement and approach

• carry out ideas from a personal vision and contribute to the creation of knowledge by means of a critically deliberative approach within pre-established time constraints.
• demonstrate the ability to clearly present and critically discuss and evaluate his or her research questions, conclusions, and design proposal and the knowledge and reasoning on which they are based in speech, writing, images, and models and so contribute to the development of the profession and professional practice.

Required Knowledge

Admission to the course requires at least 240 credits, including the courses:
Synthesis course 2: Architecture and Urban Design Project, Resolution (20 credits)
Seminar course 2a: Architectural Technology, Resolution (5 credits)
Seminar course 2b: Professional Studies in Architecture and Urban Design (5 credits)

Form of instruction

The teaching consists of supervision of all mandatory parts of the degree project as well as active participation in mandatory mid-term seminars. Each student is responsible for maintaining contact with the faculty during the project period. The student must optimize the available supervisory resources. The student shall plan and execute the project independently within the specified time frame. 

Throughout the course, the student is expected to engage in a critical reflection on the initial research, the developed strategies, the spatial character, and the consequences of the architectural proposal. The development of research questions, hypotheses, and theories as well as key architectural decisions and strategies are discussed and evaluated at moments of supervision. 

The student's right to teaching and supervision at the course that they are registered for is only valid from the onset of the course to the end of the course.

Examination modes

The course will be graded through a final oral and visual project presentation, written report, and exhibition to communicate work with external parties. 

The course will be graded when all examined parts have been approved. The possible grades are Pass (G) or Fail (U). 

Examiners may decide to deviate from the modes of assessment in the course syllabus. Individual adaption of modes of assessment must give due consideration to the student's needs. The adaption of modes of assessment must remain within the framework of the intended learning outcomes in the course syllabus. Students who require an adapted examination must submit a request to the department holding the course no later than 10 days before the examination. The examiner decides on the adaption of the examination, after which the student will be notified.

Students who have achieved a pass are not permitted to retake an examination. 
Students who do not pass an examination have the right to retake examinations. The date of the retake must be notified no later than the date of the regular examination. The first opportunity to retake an examination is to be offered no later than two months after the regular examination, but no earlier than 10 working days after students have been notified of the results of the regular examination. For examinations held in May and June, the first opportunity to retake the examination is to be offered within three months of the regular examination session. In addition, at least one further re-examination is offered within a year from the regular exam date.

A student who has taken a regular examination and retake in a course or a part of a course without obtaining a pass grade is entitled to request the appointment of another examiner or marking teacher, unless there are special reasons to the contrary. Students should address any such request to the director of studies or equivalent.

Other regulations

In the event of a course syllabus being withdrawn or undergoing major changes, students are guaranteed at least three examination opportunities (including the regular examination session) in accordance with the previous course syllabus during a maximum of two years from the expiry of the course syllabus or the discontinuation of the course.