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History of Western Architecture at University of Buckingham - UCAS

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2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Open days

14May
Postgraduate Open Evening
Postgraduate

Course summary

  • Home of the two-year degree, the University of Buckingham, based in the South East of England, is ranked 6th for Student Satisfaction in the UK (National Student Survey, 2020).
  • We are proudly independent and not-for-profit, and offer courses in Allied Health, Business, Computing, Education, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Security and Intelligence. We are one of the few universities in the UK that offer September and January start dates for almost all of our courses.
  • Based in Buckingham on a riverside campus, we are only 20 minutes from Milton Keynes central station and a short drive from Bicester, Aylesbury, Banbury and Northampton. There is free parking on-site and we are within easy reach of London and Oxford.
  • Our award-winning small class tutorials ensure every student is known by name and supported throughout their studies, including by dedicated personal tutors.
The University of Buckingham’s Master’s programme in the History of Western Architecture enables appropriately qualified students to undertake expertly supervised research in an area of European or American architectural history from the Renaissance to the end of the twentieth century. Individual research topics are closely focused; but the approach of the course is to encourage students to investigate the broader cultural, intellectual, and social environments of which architecture is part, and, where appropriate, to consider questions of patronage, iconography, and interior as well as exterior design. Recent dissertations have surveyed, for example, the Baroque mural in English country house decoration; the Gothic Revival as exemplified by the architect Anthony Salvin; and the relationship between garden design and architecture in the course of the eighteenth century. The choice of subject area is ultimately the student’s own. The choice of subject area is ultimately the student’s own. The Master’s degree can be taken either full-time and completed in a single academic year, or taken part-time and extended over two years. Although original research it the prime focus of the programme, there is also a strongly collegial aspect to the course, as all research students meet regularly throughout the year for a series of early-evening seminars by some of the most distinguished scholars working in the history of early-modern England. The seminars are held in the Reform Club, 104 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5EW, and provide an opportunity for students to meet and debate with the visiting speaker. Each seminar is followed by a working dinner at which discussion continues. The MA is awarded solely on the basis of the dissertation (there are no ‘exams’), and the relationship between the student and supervisor is therefore at the heart of the course. The maximum length for the MA dissertation in the School of Humanities is 25,000 words (or approximately 75 pages at line-spacing of 1.5), excluding notes and references. Student and supervisor meet regularly on a one-to-one basis to discuss, plan, and review the dissertation as it develops through the year. The University of Buckingham MA programmes are intended to impart all the skills necessary for the student to work as an independent researcher and writer – skills that are valued by both academic and non-academic employers. But the MA can be undertaken just as fulfillingly as an exercise in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and as a means of exploring areas of enquiry that are of particular interest to the student.

Assessment method

The MA does not offer systematic instruction in factual knowledge; instead, the emphasis is on independent thought and research. At the heart of the Buckingham Master’s degree is the close working relationship between student and supervisor. While the final thesis must be an independent work, it is the supervisor who offers advice on refining the topic (if necessary), on primary sources, on secondary reading, on research techniques and on writing the final text (which should be not less than 25,000 words). Supervisors and students meet regularly throughout the year, and not less than twice in each of the academic year’s four terms; and the supervisor is the student’s primary contact for academic advice and support.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry level required for this course is as follows: a first or upper second-class honours degree from a recognised university or, a recognised professional qualification with relevant work experience. In cases where candidates are applying on the basis of work experience, they will be asked to attend an interview as part of the application process; in some cases, they may also be asked to produce a short sample of written work. Mature students Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students. Due to their flexibility, our London-based MAs by research attract a wide variety of applicants from a range of backgrounds, including people in full-time employment and retirees. Our current students range in age from 21 to 75. International students We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country. The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor. English levels If English is not your first language, please check our postgraduate English language requirements. If your English levels don’t meet our minimum requirements, you may be interested in applying for our Pre-sessional English Language Foundation Programmes.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £10300 Whole course
Northern Ireland £10300 Whole course
Scotland £10300 Whole course
Wales £10300 Whole course
Channel Islands £10300 Whole course
EU £16480 Whole course
International £16480 Whole course
Republic of Ireland £16480 Whole course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
History of Western Architecture at University of Buckingham - UCAS