Architecture

Your First Year Experience

On entering first year, you will be introduced to the idea of learning by doing. From the outset, there is a very direct relationship between acquiring knowledge and skills and applying them. Short exercises are set in the studio to help you acquire skills of observation, analysis and understanding through the media of freehand drawing and model making. As your skills in drawing, model making, surveying, scale and measurement develop, design projects of increasing complexity are introduced in which these skills can be applied. You will be involved in creative endeavour – proposing, testing and developing design ideas.

In fostering this creativity, there is a strong emphasis on group work and learning from your fellow students in a friendly and co-operative environment. Small class sizes, open-space studios, individual and small group tutorials all contribute to an exhilarating educational first year experience.

The lecture programme can be grouped under three broad headings:

Technical

• Architectural Technologies
• Structures
• Environmental Science

Cultural

• Architectural History & Theory
• Ecology
• Conservation
• Perspectives on Architecture

Managerial

• Professional Studies

A combination of continuous assessment and end-of-trimester written examinations is used. In your final year, you’ll also submit a report of your design research project.

UCD Architecture has a very extensive list of 30+ partners in Europe and worldwide, opportunities to date have included:

• University of Sydney, Australia
• Kungl Tekniska Hogskolan Stockholm, Sweden
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• National University of Singapore
• Technische Universität München, Germany
• University of California, Berkeley, USA

See our UCD Global exchanges page for more information

Most architectural graduates go into architectural practice or on to further academic study in architecture or related subjects.

Your skills are transferable, which enables you to work anywhere in the world. Some architects also work in other areas such as:

• Planning
• Heritage site management
• Landscape
• Cultural and artistic practice
• Curatorial work

UCD Architecture offers a wide range of taught master's, research master's and doctorate programmes, including:

• Urban Design (research)
• Conservation & Heritage (research)
• Regional & Urban Planning (taught)
• Urban Design & Planning (taught)
• Planning, Development & Urban Design (taught)
• Irish and European Landscape & Urbanisation (research)
• History and Theory of Architecture (PhD)

Check out the UCD Career Networks career guide for the College of Engineering & Architecture for details on the career supports available to UCD students.

By joining the UCD College of Engineering and Architecture, you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable and equitable future. The mission of the College of Engineering and Architecture is to affect a just transition to a more sustainable and equitable future through our education of professionals in engineering, architecture, planning and policy, and our research in technology, design, and policy.  The College, in our engineers and architects, brings together the technical expertise to deliver and create infrastructure and technologies that can create a more sustainable future and, uniquely, the College, in our planners and environmental policy researchers, also brings together the research and professions required to create the policies and the regulatory environment that supports technological and infrastructure development, and that can also scrutinise and investigate the behavioural changes affected by our technologies.

The programmes at UCD are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen field, while at the same time embedding the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in their education where most relevant

Architecture and Landscape Architecture 

UCD Architects and Landscape Architects have the opportunity to contribute positively to many of today’s challenges including climate change, inequality, poverty and urbanisation. UCD architects and landscape architects use innovative design practices to consider sustainable design solutions, energy-efficient buildings, community engagement, life on land to enhance the quality of the lives for whom they are designing for while minimising environmental impacts.

• Clean water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
• Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7)
• Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
• Climate Action (SDG 13)
• Life on Land (SDG 15)

Non-EU Undergraduate Fee information can be found here.

UCD offers a number of competitive undergraduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD undergraduate degree programme. For information on Undergraduate Scholarships, please see the UCD International Scholarships webpage.