Master of Architecture

The Master of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a two-year professional degree for people who want to work as architects. It builds on an undergraduate architecture degree and gets you to the point where you can register. The course covers design studio as its core, along with building technology, structures, history and theory, professional practice, and urban design. You will spend a lot of time in studio, drawing, modelling and presenting your work, and you will learn how to put a building together, how to manage a project, and how to think about the social and environmental side of architecture. The degree is structured around units of study, each with a credit point value. Most Australian master's degrees run over two years full time, usually across four semesters, with a standard full-time load of 100 credit points a year. You will typically complete a capstone design project or a research thesis in your final year, which pulls together everything you have learned. The exact unit list and credit points are set by the university, so check the official course page for the current structure.

Australian qualifications sit on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). A bachelor degree is normally three years, an honours year adds one, a master's is one to two, and a doctorate is three or more. This master's is a two-year degree at AQF level 9. It is a professional qualification, and the university will be able to tell you about accreditation and what you need to do to register as an architect in Australia. The course may include work-integrated learning, such as a placement in an architecture practice, which is common in professional architecture degrees. That gives you a taste of how a practice runs and lets you build contacts.

You will gain skills in design thinking, technical drawing, digital modelling, project management, and communication. You will learn to work in a team, to present your ideas to clients and the public, and to understand the legal and ethical responsibilities of an architect. The course suits people who already have an architecture degree and want to become a registered architect. It also suits those who want to work in related areas like urban design, heritage, or construction management. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and after you graduate you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements for international students are usually IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for coursework master's degrees, but some fields ask for higher scores. The university accepts TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced, and its own English programmes. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. Always confirm the current English requirement and other details on the official page.

• Architect (after registration) in private practices, government, or large firms
• Architectural designer or draftsperson in building design and construction companies
• Urban designer or planner in local government or consultancies
• Heritage consultant or conservation architect
• Project manager or construction manager in the building industry
• Academic or researcher in architecture and urban studies