Landscape, Built Heritage and Design MA

Course details

Drawing on the European Landscape Convention and other instruments, this MA explores the complex interrelationships that exist between built heritage, planning, design and landscape in different places. Anticipating, managing and making decisions about the character of our cities, neighbourhoods and rural areas are difficult challenges everywhere in the world. Also, these decisions are often made within the kind of technical, political and bureaucratic processes that many communities, developers and even specialists find difficult to engage with. Graduates of this MA programme will become effective and persuasive participants within these processes: their real-world and cross disciplinary skills and competencies will help to ensure that the decisions made about built environments, heritage and landscape assets everywhere will be more robust and sustainable.

Course Details

This programme covers the three main subject areas (Landscape, Built Heritage and Design) through a set of inter-connected teaching modules framed by a solid framework of spatial planning subjects that give it a practical, decision-making focus.

The landscape component (which, for this MA, embraces both urban and rural settings) draws on technical, cultural, aesthetic and procedural perspectives as a basis for teaching and learning. The core modules address landscape context, character, open space and change at both the strategic scale (city, city- region, rural district) and at the local level (neighbourhood, site, open space). Built heritage and design are addressed through problem-solving based modules that cover urban design and conservation as well as a range of skills that cover effective communication, presentation and engagement.

These are complemented by a set of planning modules that address city planning contexts, rural planning contexts, the legal planning processes that govern decision-making about landscape and a range of optional modules from cultural geography, ecology and architecture.

Students who complete this course will know how various stakeholders can address issues of landscape change in effective ways and be comfortable with the basic principles of conservation, protection and preservation of built heritage. As a key principle they will also have a rounded sense of how new development can respect the character, traditions and quality of existing places while - in appropriate circumstances - facilitating change, improvement and development.

In the final semester, drawing on the learning progression of the other modules, a major research project / dissertation focusing on a real-life practical case study is carried out. Students who wish to leave the programme without completing the dissertation may, if they have passed all of the taught modules, opt to be conferred with a UCC Higher Diploma in Landscape, Built Heritage and Design.

Detailed Entry Requirements

Applicants should have a degree at Second Class Honours level (or higher) in an appropriate subject in the fields of Science, Arts, Humanities, Social Science, Law, Commerce, Engineering, Architecture, or Government or similar. 

Selection will be based on academic achievement, an interview and relevant work experience (if any). 

Applicants who hold a degree at a level lower than Second Class honours may also be considered following a review of their inpidual qualifications and their experience in a relevant field and admission will be subject to the approval of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies, and Social Sciences

For applicants whose first language is not English, evidence of proficiency in English will be required.

Application Procedure

Application for this programme is on-line at www.pac.ie/ucc. Places on this programme are offered in rounds. The closing dates for each round can be found here. For full details of the application procedure click How to apply.

All required documentation must be either uploaded to your online application, or sent in hard copy to The Postgraduate Applications Centre, 1, Courthouse Square, Galway, immediately after an application is made.

Please note you will be required to answer specific additional/supplementary questions as part of the online applications process for this programme. A copy of these additional/supplementary questions are available to view here: CKD06AdditionalQuestions (9kB)

Course Practicalities

This programme is taken on a full time basis over 12 months. Teaching hours will be two to three days per week over two twelve-week terms together with up to two afternoon studio sessions or tutorials per week, all supported by inpidual study / reading time. There will be a 7- to 8-day rural field trip in the second teaching term. Shorter study visits (optional) and day field visits are included in other modules where appropriate; students will be asked to contribute towards the cost of the study visits. The Dissertation is completed in the summer months following the second teaching term.

Students who pass Part 1 (including those who pass with an aggregate score of less than 50%) may exit the programme and be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Landscape, Built Heritage and Design.Students who progress to Part 2 but neither pass nor complete Part 2 may also be conferred with a Postgraduate Diploma in Landscape, Built Heritage and Design. 

Assessment

All but two of the core modules are assessed through continuous assessment (essays, practical assignments, field reports, group assignments, presentations, design assignments and tutorials) in order to develop practical competencies in the relevant subject areas. Written examinations are held for the remaining core modules and may also be held for some of the elective (optional) modules that are delivered by different departments.