Becoming an Architect

The Maastricht Master’s programme in Architecture offers a unique form of training for students wishing to become an architect, an urban planner or a landscape architect. The training offered in planning and designing includes professional training and experience within a working environment; this is referred to as concurrency education. This professional training forms an essential part of the course, as students gain knowledge and skills through practical experience within the professional field.
There are six higher education institutions offering architectural programmes in the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Arnhem, Groningen and Maastricht. Of these, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Tilburg also have a department of urban planning. In addition, Amsterdam has a department of landscape architecture.

Maastricht Master’s programme in Architecture

The Maastricht Master’s programme in Architecture (MA+) results in the award of an MA in Architecture. This degree entitles the holder to join the Nederlandse Architectenregister (Dutch Architects’ Register) and to practice as an architect in every country within the European Union. The Academy was founded in 1947. With effect from 1 September 2002, it became part of Hogeschool Zuyd (Zuyd University). At the same time, it established a cooperative agreement with the Tilburg Academy of Architecture, and thus also offers training in urban planning.

The Academy is situated in the historic city centre of Maastricht and forms part of the close-knit web of culture, science and education. (1) Maastricht University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is close by, as is the Academie Beeldende Kunsten (Academy of Fine Arts and Design), the Jan van Eyck Academy, the Toneelacademie (Theatre Academy) and the Conservatorium (Academy of Music). Besides Amsterdam, Maastricht is the only city in the Netherlands in which all the arts have been taught at Bachelor’s, Master’s and Postgraduate levels for decades.

Advanced education at Master’s level

The MA in Architecture follows on from a four-year initial Higher Technical and Vocational Training (HBO) qualification, such as HTO Bouwkunde (Higher Technical Education in Architecture) or Civil Engineering. Students will graduate with a specialisation in Architecture, Urban Planning or Landscape Architecture. It is possible to enrol on the programme having completed similar training abroad or at one of the Academies of Fine Arts (having studied Architectural Design or Interior Architecture). These graduates must take a course in technology in order to satisfy the formal admission requirements. This course can be taken alongside the first-year programme. A Bachelor’s degree is the principal requirement.

Recognition of Acquired Competences (EVC)
Sufficient working experience and expertise can be considered equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree when seeking to satisfy the admission requirements. Applicants with work experience are assessed and can go on to obtain the Master’s degree through a customised programme.

Academic education

The close interaction between students and teaching staff is an essential aspect of the training within the Maastricht Master’s programme in Architecture. The academy is a small-scale institute, which allows for an individual approach. It is not an educational factory but a community; a real Academy in the classical sense of the word. The staff also work outside the Academy, usually as architects, urban planners or landscape architects. ?Students at the Academy are taught by people with first-hand knowledge of the risks and challenges of free entrepreneurship. The students themselves are sent out on work placements. They receive advice on very specific issues.?Many teachers find it stimulating and thought-provoking to teach for a number of years and to share their experiences with younger generations. The design projects often take on the role of test designs. The students contribute new ideas at the offices in which they work. The architectural firms have high praise for the Academy’s students and for their innovative input. The Academy positively influences the general architectural climate through debate and lectures. (2)

Professional prospects: highly favorable

Graduates can boast extensive practical experience and thorough training in the fields of technology and design. They can be set to work in the professional world immediately thanks to their versatility and expertise. Many continue their careers within the organisations at which they worked as students. There are also some who set up successful practices as independent architects thanks to the solid basis offered by their training: they know how to design, they know how to construct, they know about the processes of executing a building design, a complex matter that involves many official bodies and parties. Graduates of the Academy have gone on to work for clients, building contractors, construction workers, supply companies, technical advisors, local council civil servants, private individuals and office employees. They have thorough knowledge of the legal, social, cultural, economical and organisational bases of the profession. They have been taught to cooperate, to negotiate, and, if need be, to defend their actions. They know what it means to guarantee the standards of their projects. In other words, they have adopted an attitude of designer active in the real world.

(1)
iArts Maastricht is a new and innovative international study programme for students with manifold artistic and academic talents.


(2)
In 2007, the Maastricht Master’s programme in Architecture was assessed by a visiting committee. In 2008, it was accredited for the next six years. Of the 21 aspects of the programme, 18 were assessed as “good”. This positive assessment does justice to the efforts of the students, staff and director of the Academy.