Harmonisation Master's Programmes

The curriculum structure will be harmonised in several ways:

• In all AUBS tracks, faculty-wide electives will be introduced in Q4 (intradisciplinary: within our discipline of AUBS).
• In all programmes, the fifth quarter (Q5) from September 2025 is entirely devoted to interdisciplinary electives (between faculties) and transdisciplinary electives (with social partners).
• The graduation process covers a maximum of three quarters at all Master's Programmes.

1. Are you currently studying nominally in year 1 or year 2 of your master track programme? 
Then this harmonisation does not affect you. You finish your master track following the current track programme which you can find on BK student portal and in the study guide. 

2. Are you not going to complete all courses of year 1 this academic year?
If so, you can continue to do so next academic year 2024-2025:
  - MSc1 courses: enrol in this coming enrolment period (13-24 May). 
  - MSc2 courses: enrol in the next enrolment period (25 November-6 December). 
    Check out the new or replacement courses in the new MSc2 structure and the Transitional Measures 2024-2025 below.

3. Are you planning to interrupt your studies for (more than) a year?
If so, it is best to do this after completing the entire first year. You will then continue your studies in September 2025 in the new structure of the second year, with an interdisciplinary Q5 elective (15 EC) and a graduation project covering three quarters.
      - Check out the new programme at the right side of this webpage ►
      - We recommend that you complete the first year before interrupting your studies.

Transitional Measures 2024-2025

• Please note that all current master students are allowed to complete their degree programme according to the same requirements that applied during the first academic year of their enrolment.
• Please note that some compulsory courses will be discontinued for the Management in the Built Environment track.

Check here the Transitional Measures 2024-2025 for all master tracks.
 

The first year lays a disciplinary foundation of three quarters within a specific master track, with core courses on theory and methods, and research and/or (design) studios. The year will end with a choice of electives within our faculty.

Check out the curriculum structure of each track at the right of this webpage ► .
The study guide gives you more detailed information on your track programme.

MSc1 semester: no changes! 
There are NO course changes compared to the current master track programme.

MSc2 semester: core courses or electives
Q3 offers track specific core courses or electives. Check the study guide:

• MSc track Architecture
• MSc track Building Technology
• MSc track Management in the Built Environment
• MSc track Landscape Architecture
• MSc track Urbanism

Q4: in this quarter you can join one or more of the electives in which you are challenged to work together with students from your or with those of other MSc tracks on overarching themes. We call the collaborative electives ‘intradisciplinary’: within our faculty, and within the discipline of Architecture and the Built Environment. Check the list of (intra)disciplinary Q4 electives of your track here.

From September 2025, the second year will start with electives in collaboration with other faculties or societal partners, so oriented outside the faculty. During the last three quarters, you will work on your graduation project within your specific master track.

Q5: inter- and transdisciplinary electives
From September 2025, the fifth quarter (Q5) will allow you to choose electives offered by or in collaboration with other TU Delft faculties ('interdisciplinary'), or with public or private partners from society (‘transdisciplinary’). This will offer you the opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience from applying your existing knowledge and specific skills towards collaboration projects with other disciplines or challenges found outside the walls of our own faculty. More information on the electives offered in Q5 is available as from April 2025.

Q6, Q7, Q8: renewed graduation
From September 2025, you will work in the final three quarters (Q6, Q7, Q8) on your graduation project.
 

Read more below about the background and goals of the harmonisation plans.

Q5: TU-wide inter- and transdisciplinary electives
TU Delft has asked faculties to schedule the fifth quarter (Q5) free of compulsory courses to create inter- and transdisciplinary elective space. This will allow students from September 2025 to choose electives offered by or in collaboration with other TU Delft faculties, or with social partners. The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment is happy to answer this call. This new Q5 will offer students the opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience from applying existing knowledge and specific skills towards collaboration projects with other disciplines or challenges found outside the walls of our own faculty. 

Q4: more options for collaboration within the faculty
Because Q5 also allows students to choose non-faculty subjects, seven quarters remain to meet the Final Attainment Levels. Therefore, we will concentrate the elective space in the first year of the Master’s Programmes on electives within our discipline. By harmonising the structure of the various programmes and concentrating the elective space for all students in the fourth quarter (Q4), students will have the opportunity to take courses offered by their own track, or courses that come from collaborations between tracks.

Reduced workload during graduation
Many students, as well as teachers, experience the graduation process with its many peak moments as long and very intensive. For this reason – and because of the arrival of the new Q5 – graduation will be shortened to a maximum of three quarters. Naturally, graduation requirements will be adjusted accordingly.