Tsinghua University
Architecture

Introduction

The School of Architecture at Tsinghua University is the first in China to offer an accredited Master degree to foreign students. The purpose of the program is to develop a major new platform of architectural education in response to the rapid urbanization of China.

The program offers a nationally-accredited professional Master degree, Master in Architecture (M. Arch II). With a particular focus on the architecture and design in China, the School of Architecture gives graduate students, preferably professional Bachelor degree holders, the opportunity to pursue advanced learning in professional knowledge and independent design research. The program adopts the credit system. A total of 27 credits, earned through courses and studios, are required for the students.

Courses

Courses can be divided into 5 main categories: 1) studios, 2) theory, 3) seminars, 4) site visits, and 5) optional public courses. The course menu also covers different academic fields, including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, and profession-related knowledge in China.

The standard language for all courses is English.

Students are required to take the following studios and complete 18 credits: Architectural Design, Landscape Planning and Design, Urban Design, and Final Thesis.

Each studio is co-instructed by one internationally established professor and two coordinating Chinese professors. Design critics are selected from a pool established foreign and domestic architects currently active in China. Studio topics are often real projects in some of China’s most architecture "hot spots", including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Suzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Lijiang and Qingdao, etc. In these studios, students are challenged to tackle difficult and sometimes controversial social, political, economic, ethnic and religious issues that are unique to contemporary China.

Students are required to complete 4 credits in seminars focusing on important issues in contemporary Chinese architecture, contemporary Chinese urban development, and heritage preservation. Each seminar is co-instructed by 2-3 professors and features guest panelists, including senior government officials, distinguished scholars, and developers.

Students are also required to complete courses on theory. These courses cover a wide range of fields: history, design theory, urban theory, contemporary practice, building technology, landscape and Chinese gardening, etc. These courses feature lectures by leading figures in different fields from inside and outside of China.

In addition, there is one required credit for a “site visit” which provides students with exposure to fresh Chinese cultural and professional perspectives. The destination places are chosen from influential sites and cities of great interests of history and contemporary practice.

Optional public courses are provided by Tsinghua University, offering training in Chinese language and learning in Chinese history and culture, 4 credits in total.

Semesters

1st Semester (Fall)

6 Credits in design studios (Space Design & Urban Design)

2 Credits in seminars (Theory and Practice of Regional Architecture & Contemporary Urban Planning and Design)

2 Credits in optional public courses

2nd Semester (Spring)

6 Credits in design studios (Green Building Design)

2 Credits in seminars (History of Chinese Architecture & Theory and Practice of Regional Architecture)

2 Credits in optional public courses

Summer

1 Credit in Architecture and City Visiting Study

3rd Semester (Fall)

6 Credits in design studios (Final Design)

Application Schedule

Phase 1: Before December 24, 2011

Phase 2: Before February 22, 2012

Both the Online Application and a complete set of Application documents should be completed and the package should be received by February 22, 2012.

Please note that for the Government or University scholarship applicants, online application and all the application documents should be submitted before December 24, 2011.

Tuition

Tuition for the whole program is RMB 120,000.

Accidental Injury and Hospitalization Insurance: RMB 600/year.

Applicant should have a Bachelor degree.

1.  Photocopy of valid passport
With photo, passport number &expiration date and name included.

2.  Passport-sized photo
A passport-sized photo taken recently of the applicant.

3.  Bachelor's degree diploma
Graduation certificate should be in Chinese or English.If not, it should be translated into Chinese or English and be notarized.

4.  Transcript of undergraduate school

5.  Two recommendation letters
From professor,associate professor or equivalents.

6.  Certificate of English proficiency test
IELTS or TOEFl will only be required if the applicant is not a native English speaker.

7.  Personal Statement
Personal Statement with the applicant's signature, written in Chinese or in English. You can download a template or sample from here.

8.  Resume
Written in Chinese or in English