Background

The Master of Architecture programme at the Caribbean School of Architecture is the only professional programme in Architecture in the English Speaking Caribbean. The programme is internationally accredited in all countries of the former Commonwealth, providing for our graduates a choice of locations from which to practice their profession.

The Objectives

The Master’s Degree programme is a professional course designed for those who have made a commitment to become Architects. As a graduate programme it calls for students who are mature and self-motivated. As a professional programme it calls for a disciplined approach to designing, writing, time management, presentation skills and most especially in the level of thought.

The programme aims to fulfill two complementary objectives. Firstly, to educate architects to a high professional level, and secondly, to develop for the student and for the School a strong research base. These aims are mutually supportive—by learning how to research the student tackles new tasks with more confidence.

The Master of Architecture programme is designed to provide opportunities in both design and written work for students to pursue areas of their own interest.
The programme is offered over four full-time semesters, providing a suite of courses aimed at linking architectural design with the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the discipline, within the context of the Caribbean region.

Courses are structured within the subject areas of History & Theory, Technology, Design Studio, Management, and Independent Research.

Required courses are as follows:

Approximately 70% of the total 67 credit hours are assigned to Design Studios and Independent Research.

Facilities

The programme offers specialized facilities and resources, including dedicated design studio space, exclusive computer lab with internet access, unlimited printing facilities, seminar/pin-up room, access to visual slide library and all national libraries.

Study Tour

A major component of the programme is the 2-week
Study Tour to a major metropolitan centre, which offers participants an opportunity to locate the theoretical constructs of the urban environment within the constructed realities of established metropoles. Cities visited on recent tours have included Washington D. C., Boston, Mexico City. Future plans include visits to Curitiba, Brazil, and Santiago, Cuba.

Research

The Research Division of the Caribbean School of Architecture is contributing to the development of Caribbean culture generally, and the art and profession of Architecture in particular. The emphasis of the School’s research agenda is on Caribbean issues. Research is carried out both within the School as part of or independent of the curriculum, and outside the School under the auspices of the School.

Valuable areas of research include: Development Issues, Urban Settlement Upgrading; Housing Delivery Systems; Historical Studies; Landscape, Climate and resources; Construction cost Indexing; Conservation and Regeneration: A Caribbean architecture.

Entry Requirements

Prospective applicants must have a B. A. (Hons.) Degree in Architectural Studies or equivalent.

Application Procedure

To complete the application process, prospective applicants should:

Submit a completed application form for the year in which entry is sought to the Admissions Department, University of Technology Jamaica.

Submit the following supplemental documents to the Office of the Caribbean School of Architecture (no later than June for entry in September):
i) A compact-sized copy of your Portfolio.
ii) A statement of 500 words in support of your application to study to become a professional Architect.

Applicants who are graduates with First Class or Upper Second Class honours may be exempted from the interview process. However, graduates with Lower Second Class honours will be interviewed.

Links: School of Building and Land Management