CRAIG MCCORMACK: Hello there! My name is Craig McCormack.
I'm a lecturer here in the Faculty of Architecture at the School of Design
at the University of Western Australia.
I'm also the postgraduate course coordinator.
So, I'm in a good position to speak to you about architecture
and specifically the Master of Architecture course.
So, I'm gonna give you a brief overview - excuse me - about the course,
some reasons why I believe
you should be interested in studying architecture
here at the School of Design at UWA,
some specialisations, a bit about practical experience
and a few other aspects as well that you might be interested in.
So, the Master of Architecture course itself.
As a full-time course it can take as little as two years
but we do have part-time options and even conversion pathways
for those of you that are looking at a career change
and that can take up to around about 3.5 years.
And so, quite flexible in how you might approach this course.
So, some reasons why you might be interested in studying
or reasons that I believe that are really important
as to why you might decide
to come and study architecture here at UWA.
Number one, we're professionally accredited
with the Architects Board of Western Australia.
We're also - we have quite a global approach.
More than half our staff have international backgrounds,
some with current international practice,
which is really great, I think, in creating an understanding
of the role that architecture and the built environment
can play on a global stage
because a lot of students, when they graduate here,
don't necessarily stay in Australia.
And a Master of Architecture degree from UWA
really allows students to move to other parts of the world
and engage in architecture and design practices elsewhere.
A really important aspect, I think, to our Master of Architecture course
is the availability for a high degree of course personalisation or flexibility.
So, students can really take ownership
over exactly what they're interested in, what they want to study,
and really help drive the sort of direction
they're seeking to take their education in,
which is, I think, a really valuable thing.
And we have a huge array of units available, really great units
and also partially because
we have such a great and talented, diverse, international staff here
that can provide these units.
We've divided these units typically into the core units and your studio options,
the studio being the backbone of architectural practice.
And we also have them supported by
many critical and technical studies options
which we've categorised into materials technology fabrication,
speculation and representation, urban landscape conditions,
professional practice, independent research
and some practical work experience components as well.
We also have a strong academic and professional network
as I've mentioned with our staff.
Many of our current staff, both permanent, part-time and casual
are practising architects and designers.
So, it really helps to connect students
to industry and professional work experience which is quite valuable,
considering that quite a lot of students
are looking to engage in professional practice
upon the completion of the degree, which I think is very important.
With the choice of units available
students can also choose to focus on specialisation areas
and we have four of those at the moment.
They are building information modelling - or BIM, as it's known -
landscape design, social impact design and urban design.
And the reason for the availability - or behind the availability -
of these specialisations
is our close connection to relevant faculties.
We are in the same building with the Faculty of Arts,
with Faculty of Landscape Design, with Urban Design in our city campus.
So, we have a really unique location, I suppose you could say.
We have a really close relationship with these other disciplines,
all under the one roof essentially.
So, you get to hang out with all these other disciplines.
So, it's a really valuable experience.
As I mentioned previously as well
we have a great practical experience element to the Master of Architecture,
where students are connected to practice through Professional Practice units
and to the professional architecture community at large.
We have as I've mentioned Professional Practice units
or Work Integrated Learning Unit which is new for 2021
and the existing Professional Work Experience unit
and these are really designed
to allow students to engage with practices,
to get tangible experience
that can help develop their professional education
and really set them up to be quite ready
to take on the role as a graduate architect in the workforce.
We do, in the Master of Architecture,
also offer some pretty cool, pretty amazing
overseas and regional study opportunities.
Typically these take the form of design studios
that take place overseas.
They tend to take place overseas during the summer break.
Most recently the winter break has also seen
a couple of studios take place as well.
And some locations that spring to mind
that these studios have taken place in overseas
include Italy, France, Spain, China
and also a regional studio in Albany,
of which I had the pleasure of being the coordinator for,
for the last couple of years.
So, this really gives students a great opportunity to study and engage
with the architecture and built environment
- and educators as well -
in these international locations,
increase and broaden their education and understanding
of the role that architecture and the built environment plays globally.
And so, careers that you can expect - at least a few anyway -
to be available upon the completion of the Master of Architecture,
obviously a career in architecture.
A lot of students will look to move into the architectural workforce
as a graduate architect
and work to complete their registration and become a registered architect.
But also, the Master of Architecture sets students up
for roles as project managers, as urban designers,
for roles in city and regional planning.
So, there's quite a lot of avenues for students to pursue professionally
upon completion of the degree.
And that's a pretty broad overview, I suppose.
There's quite a lot of information.
Feel free to contact us here directly at the School of Design.
Follow up any other questions you have.
Get in touch and hopefully we'll see you soon,
studying a Master of Architecture here at the School of Design
at University of Western Australia.
Thank you and goodbye.