The unique experience of studying architecture at The University of Notre Dame Australia is founded on a holistic way of thinking and acting to combine creative design processes and technical skills with an understanding of human, cultural and environmental issues.

The curriculum focuses on diverse graduate employment opportunities and is mapped to the Australian National Standard of Competency for Architects. In addition to gaining professional competencies, you develop high-level strategic research agility, resourcefulness, and design innovation that open up opportunities within traditional and non-traditional career pathways.

The program covers four key areas:

Design studios, technologies, and applied skills: Socio-spatial design studios are central to the Fremantle Master of Architecture Program. The studios provide opportunities to use your knowledge, creativity, and strategic problem-solving skills to design built environments.

Technology in practice and professional practice: Placements with our professional partners will enable you to work under the direct supervision of an architect in practice, in tandem with your on-campus studies. These placements will offer a range of work-integrated learning experiences in which you can collect evidence to meet the Australian National Standard of Competency for Architects. This integrated approach to delivery ensures that the program provides you with relevant and up-to-date professional learning.

Contexts: theory and architecture research: you will develop high-level strategic research agility, resourcefulness, and design innovation that will open up opportunities within traditional and non-traditional career pathways. You will engage in traditional and creative-practice research disseminated through exhibitions, stakeholder engagements, and design competitions.

Core Curriculum: Notre Dame’s Core Curriculum is a distinguishing characteristic of its undergraduate and postgraduate education. You will undertake the course Ethical Issues in Professional Life: Architecture and explore the relationship between moral philosophy and applied ethics in the profession. Throughout the program, you will be challenged to consider critical issues such as power and privilege, identify positive professional values and behaviours, and reflect critically on your impact on people and places, preparing you to be ethically, socially, and environmentally responsible professionals.

The strength of this program lies in its unique combination of the following:

a small, diverse cohort
high-quality teaching approaches
tailored practice placements
socio-spatial design studios that tackle contemporary issues
working within a studio-based, creative-practice research culture

During practice placements, you apply your professional and technical learning in local practices under the supervision of a Registered Architect.