The programme aims to:

1.    provide professional architectural education;

2.    educate graduates who have pre-professional architecture degree, providing in-depth knowledge base and skill sets to become practitioners in architecture sectors;

3.    provide theme-based evidence-driven approach to professional practice, students will explore emerging challenges such as sustainable design and planning;

4.    form an integrated multi-disciplinary learning workbench, collaborating with other disciplines within the Department such as civil engineering, building services, urban planning and urban design;

5.    cultivate the mind set and skills of students to conduct and formulate architectural design research and application.
 

Applicants must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements.

For admission to MArch, applicants should possess a recognised undergraduate degree in architecture/architectural studies. Preference for admission is given to individuals who have completed a balanced undergraduate education that includes study in the arts, sciences, humanities and engineering.

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is not English should fulfil the following minimum English proficiency requirement:

·  a score of 79 (for tests taken prior to 21 January 2026) or 4 (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 onwards) (Internet-based Test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)^@#; or

·  an overall band score of 6.0 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) ^@#; or

·  a score of 450 in the Chinese Mainland’s College English Test Band 6 (CET-6); or

·  other equivalent qualifications

^@TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the start of the University's application period. 'TOEFL iBT Home Edition', ‘TOEFL MyBest Score’, ‘IELTS Indicator’, ‘IELTS One Skill Retake’ and ‘IELTS Online’ are not acceptable. All TOEFL results must be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) using CityUHK’s institution code 3401, while IELTS results must be sent via the IELTS Results Service e-delivery to 'City University of Hong Kong - Graduate School'.

^#Applicants with an IELTS overall band score of 6.0 or a TOEFL overall score of 4 will be required to pass an interview for English proficiency conducted by the concerned academic unit. Applicants with a comparable overall score of 79 or above shown on the TOEFL report may be exempt from the interview requirement. Interviews for other applicants may not be required.

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of your academic works in architectural design and other related interests. The portfolio should be within 40 pages. Include a personal reflection (in English and no more than 500 words) regarding your exploration of architecture during your undergraduate education. (If the file size is too large, you may upload a hyperlink of your portfolio to the admission system. Please ensure the file could be downloaded without authorization or account log-in requirement.)

Selected applicants may be invited for online interview via Zoom.

Students are required to complete the programme in two academic years of full-time study. The curriculum (55 CUs for two academic years of full-time study) will be divided into two parts, namely core courses (46 CUs) and elective courses (9 CUs).

This MArch programme plans to seek professional accreditation for the programme from relevant professional institutes, including the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB). To facilitate the accreditation process, the Department will seek advice from the Departmental Advisory Committee, comprising the former President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the President of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, the Director of Architectural Services, and the Deputy Director of Buildings Department. In addition, the Department will invite experienced architects and professionals from Mainland China to provide seminars and talks to assist students in preparing for the Class I Registration Examination for Architects in China.

In general, applications for credit unit transfers are usually not entertained. If an application is considered fully justified by the Head of Department, the courses for transfer must be taken from a master's program by the student within three years from the date of application of this transfer exercise. This arrangement does not apply to students registering for another stream after graduation from one stream. Criteria for granting credit unit transfer include the level, duration, and course content.

Before you accept the offer, please take a look at the Academic Regulations for Master's Degrees (including remarks) under the Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies website (www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/student/masters/regulation).

Course Descriptions
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
College of Engineering