Degree structure

The Architecture, Building and Planning master’s program at the TU/e is taught in English and consists of a two-year, full-time study. The first year is primarily courses and project work within the chosen discipline. The second year focuses largely on the graduation project or thesis. The full study program is available at the education guide.

Information about the master tracks 

Master students choose a track in which they will specialize (see the curriculum for information about all tracks). Your choice of track determines the courses and projects you follow during the program, as well as the job opportunities that will come your way after graduation. We offer tracks with a strong technical inclination like Structural Engineering and Design, or Building Physics and Services. We also teach design-oriented tracks like Architectural Urban Design and Engineering. The challenges of real estate and urban planning are addressed in the management-related Urban Systems and Real Estate track. Mobility in the built environment is discussed in two other tracks, Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions and Smart Mobility Data Science and Analytics. You can combine courses from different tracks in a personal study program. 

Premaster program 

In some cases, students can follow a premaster for Architecture, Building and Planning in preparation for the master’s program at TU/e, taking you to the required bachelor’s level. A premaster takes half a year and consists of several bachelor’s courses and projects that will provide a robust foundation to embark on your chosen study. During the premaster, you are already preparing for the track of your choice, in which you wish to pursue your master’s. 

Graduation projects

The content and set-up of the graduation projects differ per track. Although scientific research is conducted in every graduation project, every track has its own means and methods to do so. Whereas the more technical tracks involve lab research and validation/optimalization studies, the design-oriented tracks focus more on literature research and also have a design component. Although all graduation projects can be completed fully within the university, some tracks will offer you the possibility to do your graduation project as a research project during an internship at a company within your chosen field. For a comprehensive overview of master tracks, see the education guide.

Internship (study experience)

During your master’s you can do an internship at a company of your choice. Architecture, Building and Planning offers two internship possibilities: a short, part-time internship for relevant work experience, or an academic internship which takes longer, allowing you to gain in-depth practical knowledge. Each of these provides the opportunity to work in an architectural office, for example, or at a structural engineering firm, to experience first-hand what it is like to operate in an environment within your chosen field. This not only helps to validate whether you made the right choice of track. It also helps to bring focus and an applied perspective that you will find to be very useful and valuable in the final months of your master’s.