LBU's Leeds School of Architecture unveils pioneering Integrated Master of Architecture

The Integrated Master of Architecture is one of the first programmes in the UK to unite ARB-prescribed and RIBA-validated Part 1 and Part 2 qualifications within a single four-year award. 

Responding to recent reforms introduced by the Architects Registration Board (ARB), the programme reimagines the qualification by integrating undergraduate and postgraduate learning into one coherent, immersive structure; shortening the traditional pathway by one academic year. This ambitious reconfiguration expands access to the profession while cultivating a rich, more continuous educational journey.

At its core, the Integrated Master of Architecture delivers a rigorous and imaginative design education that fully meets ARB Competency Outcomes and RIBA Part 1 and 2 standards. Students engage in an evolving sequence of studio investigations, lectures, and seminars that collectively build skills, ethical, and technical foundations required for contemporary practice.

A hallmark of the programme is its shared first year with students from Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Landscape Architecture. This intradisciplinary beginning reflects the collaborative realities of the built environment and enables students to develop a nuanced understanding of how diverse design disciplines intersect to shape sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures.

Throughout the course, the Design Studio acts as the creative engine of learning. An experimental arena where students explore ideas through drawing, modelling, making, digital experimentation, and critical dialogue. Linked modules in Technology, Materials and Ecologies, Histories and Theories, and Ethical and Professional Practice deepen this work, fostering a sophisticated and integrated approach to design thinking.

Students may elect to undertake an optional placement year between years three and four, gaining valuable experience supported by Leeds Beckett’s dedicated placement team and recorded through the Professional Experience and Development Record (PEDR); an important early step toward eligibility for ARB’s final Part 3 assessment.

Flexibility is built into the programme structure. Students with emerging specialisms may choose to graduate after year three with one of three contained BA (Hons) degrees:

• BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Part 1 accredited)

• BA (Hons) Architecture in Ecologies and Environment (RIBA Part 1 accredited); for those specialising in sustainability, materials, and technical design

• BA (Hons) Architectural History and Theory; for students drawn to writing, research, and critical scholarship

In the final year, students are joined by peers from the new Master of Architecture Advanced route, enriching the studio environment with diverse perspectives and disciplinary insights.

The Integrated Master of Architecture affirms the Leeds School of Architecture’s commitment to educational innovation, professional integrity, and societal impact. It prepares graduates not only to design buildings, but to reimagine the conditions through which architecture shapes culture, community, and ecological futures.

Applications are now open for September 2026. Find out more and apply at: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/integrated-master-of-architecture/