University of Florence

Master in Architecture Curriculum: Architectural Design

Florence, Italy

DURATION

2 Years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

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EARLIEST START DATE

Sep 2025

TUITION FEES

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STUDY FORMAT

Blended, On-Campus

Introduction

The Master's programme offered is open to students coming from inside and outside of the European Union, who wish to obtain a Master's Degree in Architecture awarded by the School of Architecture in Florence, Italy. The courses are held in two languages: Italian and English.

The aim of the Master's Degree course in Architecture is the training of an “Architect” according to the requirements of knowledge and skills as defined by the European Union Directive EC 1985/384 and subsequent 2005/36/EC. The course lasts two years and meets the requirements set by the EU Bologna Process.

Graduates in this class of degree may, after passing the state exam, enrol in section A -field “architecture” of the Italian Professional Association of Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Conservator-restorers as expressly provided by the DPR No.328 of 5 June 2001.

The course is organized in two semesters per year, corresponding to 60 credits, for a total of 120 credits. As envisaged by the learning programme, the student who reaches the total number of credits may graduate even before the end of the expected biannual period.

Cultural statement

The Master Course in Architecture is based on these main assumptions:

the design of contemporary architecture, its techniques and its methods are related to the cultural heritage and landscape of cities and regions; sustainability provides a general balance between human needs, spaces, buildings, products and nature; cooperative working involving different people and cultures adds additional quality to the scientific programme of the course.

Admissions

Scholarships and Funding

Curriculum

Program Outcome

Knowledge and understanding

Knowledge and understanding to extend and enhance what was acquired from the training base of the first cycle and to draw up and implement original ideas, in complex contexts often associated with one’s research. In particular, students will acquire knowledge and understanding relating to:

design process, from conception to production and the construction site;
design methods for architectural and urban transformation in complex urban systems, both historical and modern;
contemporary building techniques and materials in relation to environmental and economic sustainability;
fundamentals of structural design and its application to different kinds of buildings;
elements of chemistry and physics applied to building elements Fundamentals of cultural heritage conservation, architectural monument restoration, building rehabilitation and urban regeneration and planning;
traditional construction techniques and materials, associated with their contexts;
fundamentals of Urban sociology;
fundamentals of law relating to urban planning and construction process management;
fundamentals of applied economics and project valuation.

Applying knowledge and understanding

The students are requested to apply and widen their know-how in solving problems and new design issues, in vast contexts and with an interdisciplinary approach to these relating topics:

conception, imagining, specification and communication of architectural projects at different scales, from the urban and territorial level to construction detail, satisfying cultural, social, technical and aesthetic values;
identifying and specifying effective structural solutions;
identifying and specifying effective materials and construction techniques;
coordinating, integrating and managing all the professional competencies involved in complex design processes;
conserving and restoring monumental and vernacular architecture, coordinating the technical and scientific multidisciplinary competencies;

Making judgments

Ability to integrate knowledge, handle complexity and to make judgments based on incomplete or limited information, including reflections on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of one’s knowledge and opinions. In particular, students will be able to make judgments in order to:

recognize and analyze the relationships between a piece of architecture and its physical and cultural context;
change the environment to meet human, social, cultural and economic needs;
conduct feasibility studies involving the economic component of architectural and urban design;
identify the administrative path to be taken with regard to the type, size and complexity of a project in a given context;
be aware of ethical, cultural and social responsibilities implied in the professional role of the architect.

Communication skills

Skills that allow students to communicate in a clear and unambiguous way to specialists and nonspecialists. In particular, students will acquire skills, supported by tools and methods, which will enable:

the communication of ideas and projects, both to professionals and to people who are not experts in the field of architecture;
to interact positively in working groups in academic and professional contexts, both at the national and international levels;
to identify, organize, coordinate and lead a multidisciplinary team.

Learning skills

The development of those learning skills which enable graduates to continue studying in an autonomous way, relevant for continuous training. Students will be required to:

create, promote and achieve progress in the field of theory and practice of architecture;
design, develop and implement innovative research and projects;
organize design and research groups, both in national and international professional companies.