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PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Programme title: / BSc (Hons) Architectural and Interdisciplinary StudiesFinal award (BSc, MA etc):
(where stopping off points exist they should be detailed here and defined later in the document) / BSc (Hons)
UCAS code:
(where applicable) / Not yet available
Intake cohort(s) to which this programme specification is applicable:
(e.g. from 2008 intake onwards) / From September 2013 onwards
Awarding institution/body: / University College London
Teaching institution: / University College London
Faculty: / Faculty of the Built Environment
Parent Department:
(the department responsible for the administration of the programme) / The Bartlett School of Architecture
Web page address:
(if applicable) /Method of study:
Full-time/Part-time/Other / Full-time
Criteria for admission to the programme: /
- Passes in English Language and Mathematics at grade C or higher at GCSE level
- GCSE Modern Language at grade C or above (compulsory across UCL from 2012)
- Students will need at least an ABB in A-levels, plus a pass in an additional AS or equivalent IB34. One art and design based A-level must be included (this can be any art and design A-level, not only Fine Art or Textiles as with BSc Architecture ARB/RIBA Part 1).Portfolios will be examined at interview.
Length of the programme:
(please note any periods spent away from UCL, such as study abroad or placements in industry) / 3 years
Level on Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
(see Guidance notes) / Honours
Relevant subject benchmark statement (SBS)
(see Guidance notes) / QAA Architecture 2010;
QAA Art and design 2008;
QAA History of art, architecture, and design 2008
Brief outline of the structure of the programme / its assessment:
(see guidance notes) / The BSc (Hons) Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies is a 3-year degree programme. In any given year, 60% of student’s modules must come from within the Bartlett; up to 40% of modules can be made up of electives from any other UCL department.
There are no compulsory modules in Years 1 or 2, but all BSc AIS students will be expected to take optional modules (2.5 modules a year) from within the Faculty of the Built Environment (Architecture, Planning and Construction Management) and elective modules elsewhere in UCL.
In Year 3, students must take either ENVS 3020 or 3032 or both.
Optional courses include the following (in bold; proposed new courses in italics):
Year 1
ENVS 1026 / Media Studies: Looking, making, and communicating / .5cu
ENVS 1027 / Project X / .5cu
ENVS 1028 / Architectural Research I / .5cu
ENVS 1001 / The Historical and Cultural Production of Cities and their Architecture / .5cu
Optional modules in the Bartlett / Min. .5cu
Elective modules in other UCL departments / Max. 1.5cu
TOTAL 4 cu
Year 2
ENVS 2037 / Project X / 1cu
ENVS 2041 / Architectural Research II / .5cu
ENVS 2034 / Architectural History & Theory / .5cu
Optional modules in the Bartlett / Min. .5cu
Elective modules in other UCL departments / Max. 1.5cu
TOTAL 4 cu
Year 3
Note:
It is compulsory to take either ENVS 3020 or 3032. (Students may still opt to take both.)
ENVS 3032 / Project X / 1cu
ENVS 3020 / Dissertation / 1cu
Optional modules in the Bartlett / Min. 1 to 1.5cu
Elective modules in other UCL departments / Max. 1.5 cu
TOTAL 4 cu
Teaching is a mixture of lectures, small group seminars, tutorials with non-assessed project/written work, workshops, professional demonstrations from experts, ‘crits’ where individual students present to a group of experts in the field, group work, presentations, study and site visits, and field trips.
Assessment is by essay, exam, group presentation, and portfolio.
Board of Examiners:
/ Name of Board of Examiners:
Board of Examiners in Architecture
Professional body accreditation
(if applicable):
/ Not applicable / Date of next scheduled accreditation visit:EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
- This programme extends an existing BSc (Hons) programme. Since 2002-3. BSc Architecture students could elect to transfer into BSc Architectural Studies after successfully completing one year of study. The BSc AS has had an excellent track record, and will soon reach over 80 graduates. By offering BSc Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies as a stand-alone programme, with its own admissions and Year 1, and expanding the current module offerings for Years 2 and 3, the aim is to build on the success of this existing programme. In addition, the programme will continue to be available as an option for 2nd and 3rd year BSc Architecture students.
- The programme aims to educate students to work within an expanded definition and understanding of architecture that acknowledges it as part of the larger arena of cultural production. It addresses architectural space from an interdisciplinary perspective, explores alternative approaches to architectural design and creative practice, and situates work in a broad urban, social, historical and cultural context.
- The programme aims to develop students’ abilities to think critically about the built environment and to argue speculatively. The programme introduces students to key architectural ideas and spatial strategies through core courses. Some of these are shared with BSc Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1) and some are specific to BSc Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies.
- The programme aims to incorporate activity and enquiry-based learning through compulsory design and creative practice components, which explore media, objects, and representational modes of architecture (text, models, drawings, film, software, or any combination of these) and develops skills in the use of these media.
- The programme aims to provide students with the necessary intellectual and practical skills to engage with architecture and the city in an increasingly globalized age, allowing them to consider how identity, cultural values, economics and environmental concerns shape and are shaped by the built environment. They understand these ongoing processes not only through the disciplinary tools of architecture (though these remain a focus), but also those from other disciplines from art history to anthropology to management. This approach encourages the development of independent-minded and culturally sensitive graduates who are well equipped to problem solve in complex environments of all kinds.
PROGRAMME OUTCOMES:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
A: Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of:
- The critical, contextual, historical, conceptual, social, and ethical dimensions of architectural production and consumption
- The implications and potential of an expanded understanding of architecture and of creative practice
- Key tools, methods and concepts of architectural analysis and enquiry; an ability to initiate and carry out projects
- How key architectural methods compare and relate to other disciplinary perspectives on the built environment and research methods
- How design and creative practice can be a tool for architectural research
- Acquisition of these is through a mixture of lectures, small group seminars, tutorials with non-assessed project/written work, workshops, professional demonstrations from experts, ‘crits’ where individual students present to a group of experts in the field, group work, and presentations.
- These varied modes of teaching and learning are essential to providing students with a range of intellectual and practical skills and to strike a balance between conceptual analysis and the hands-on production of work.
- Distinct features of the course’s teaching and learning strategy is an emphasis upon on-site or object-based learning and, in Years 1 and 2, the constant production of small assignments for seminars/tutorials which build up to a portfolio.
/ Assessment:
- Design and creative practice courses are assessed by portfolios which might include text, images/photographs, drawings, and can take a range of forms, for instance, A1 or A4 book form
- Research courses are also assessed by portfolios, for instance, which collect students experiments with different modes of writing or research
- In other courses, work is assessed through essays and exams
B: Skills and other attributes
Intellectual (thinking) skills:Critical Judgement and Contextual Understanding
- Develop students’ abilities to think critically; to identify and research subjects; analyse and interpret primary and secondary evidence; demonstrate precise knowledge of materials and techniques
- Develop an argument and support it with compelling written and visual documentation; relate critically to other people’s arguments/positions, appreciating and evaluating how they may be informed by contextual factors (different disciplines, cultures, environments)
- Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought and an ability to reflect upon one’s own learning process
Critical Judgement and Contextual Understanding
- Students are encouraged to think critically through a range of courses which introduce them to critical questions surrounding the built environment in history and today. These are taught a mixture of lectures, small group seminars which are dedicated to exploring a particular theme or problematic, tutorials with non-assessed project/written work, workshops, and study and site visits
- Emphasis is constantly placed on students generating ideas or arguments independently, for instance, by responding to set briefs or creating their own, or by devising their own research and creative projects
- Group critiques (or ‘crits’) are a fundamental part of design education as are individual and group tutorials. During these events, students must learn to explain their work, listen to feedback, and make decisions about how to incorporate it into the next phase of their project. These are often highly interactive events which encourage intense listening and constant reflection on methods and techniques.
/ Assessment:
- Essays, exams, group presentations, portfolios.
C: Skills and other attributes
Practical skills (able to):Investigate and Fabricate
- Research and survey objects, buildings, and sites, whether through archives, text, casting, modelling, sketching, drawing, photography, film, or computing
- Understand materials, tools, techniques and technologies of making
- Fabricate and design objects, buildings, or sites using the above analytical and technical skills
- Undertake literature searches; retrieve information and organize it systematically; and carry out an investigative study
- Deploy a variety of dissemination strategies for a range of audiences
- Explain and defend written and design work in writing and orally in a group
Investigate and Fabricate
- All students take core courses which provide them with a variety of practical skills in making. Through a mixture of lectures, small group seminars, tutorials with non-assessed project/written work, workshops, and professional demonstrations, they are encouraged to explore various media and means of fabrication
- All students have access to and use of the Bartlett’s fabrication workshop and can experiment with fabricating using a range of materials and technologies. (wood, metal, plastic, concrete, laser-cutter, 3D printing, design software)
- All students take core courses which provide a variety of practical skills in research, writing, and dissemination. Students generally are introduced to electronic resources through the library and taught research methods to assist them in their academic work
- Students are also encouraged to reflect explicitly about the other methods and the modes by which information about buildings is disseminated. They are asked to complete practical assignments on a bi-weekly basis, from interviewing to conducting image research to producing different kinds of writing (reviews, criticism, guidebook entries, exhibition/film proposals, design briefs)
- Much of this work is subject to peer review through the exchange of work in seminars
/ Assessment:
- Essays, exams, group presentations, portfolios.
D: Skills and other attributes
Transferable skills (able to):Self-manage
- Study independently, set goals, manage time and workloads, and meet deadlines
- Make decisions and solve problems in complex situations and environments
- Interact effectively with others to work collaboratively and act as part of a team
- Negotiate
- Articulate ideas and information comprehensibly in visual, oral, and written forms, supported by appropriate evidence
- Present ideas and work to varied audiences in a range of contexts and settings and use feedback to enhance work
- Source, collect, analyse and manage information from a variety of media
- Use a wide range of digital media, including powerpoint, CAD, image manipulation, and editing software, to support design projects and presentations
=>
=> / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Self-manage
- With each year, there is an increased emphasis on independent study. The programme culminates with the student doing one 10,000 word independent dissertation and/or a very substantial architectural design research project which requires advanced self-management skills
- Much of this programme’s teaching is studio-based and built round group tuition. Students thus gain extensive experience in presenting to their peers and tutors and receiving feedback
- The group participates collectively in organizing the BSc AS contribution to the Bartlett Annual Show
- Students acquire research and writing skills by producing written assignments and essays. They acquire visual skills through curating portfolios in their design and creative practice courses
- Students regularly present their work to their peers and tutors through ‘crits’ and develop confidence in their oral presentation skills
- C&IT skills are introduced through formal teaching in Year 1 and 2
- All students receive an electronic resources workshop through the subject librarian
- C&IT skills are also acquired through self-directed learning
/ Assessment:
- Essays, exams, group presentations, portfolios
The following reference points were used in designing the programme:
- the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (
- the relevant Subject Benchmark Statements (
- the programme specifications for UCL degree programmes in relevant subjects (where applicable);
- College teaching and learning policies;
- staff research.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course unit/module can be found in the departmental course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed by UCL and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
Programme Organiser(s) Name(s):
/ Dr. Barbara Penner, Senior Lecturer
Bartlett School of Architecture
, 020.7679.5538
Date of production: / May 2014
Date of review: / May 2014
Date approved by Head of Department: / 22 May 2014
Date approved by Chair of Departmental Teaching Committee: / 22 May 2014
Date approved by Faculty Teaching Committee / 22 May 2014