Master Studies Architecture

Location and Tradition

Architecture, dealing theoretically and artistically with the spatiality of the world in general and with the constructed space in particular, belongs to the oldest evidence of culture and society. As an academic engineering degree program, architecture has been a self-evident component of the traditional subject canon ever since the foundation of the Technical University of Aachen in the year 1870. Thus, the Aachen Faculty of Architecture is one of the oldest academic training institutions in Germany. Traditionally, at the RWTH, the Faculty with its interdisciplinary cooperation within and beyond the university is the interface between aesthetics and engineering and highly represents the academic spirit. It profits from the diversity and quality of teaching, research and praxis of one of the leading technical universities and from the lively urban region in the European setting. Its special geographic location on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands expands the view towards international problems.

In the center of academic education is the conveyance of knowledge and abilities with regard to design, art and engineering on the basis of a social and cultural responsibility.

Profile and Potentials

In view of a constantly changing professional image, the consecutive Masters Studies of Architecture follows the standard of a generalistic academic education in architecture. The four-semester study thus offers the possibility to deepen and enhance the knowledge and abilities acquired during the Bachelor Studies.

The structure of the teaching and the curriculum is influenced by the academic character of the study program: The high degree of freedom of choice and the enhancement of independent and individual working methods enable the students to concentrate on the teachers' different research and design focuses according to their interests and inclinations. The multitude of different teaching and research areas juxtapose the "Study of Choice" with a concentration of possibilities which mirror the content-related components of Architecture. The core of the Masters Studies is the architectural design. The processing of increasingly complex architectural tasks and problems with different structural and content-related focuses and the combination with the basics of other disciplines connect integrative thinking and conceptual design in architectural design and construction.

The interdisciplinary networking of the Faculty of Architecture is intensified within the Technical University by the Excellence Initiative "Meeting Global Challenges" of RWTH Aachen. In addition, the Faculty offers many cooperative exchange programs, which allow for a furthering of the studies abroad within the framework of the Masters Studies.