Course syllabus

Jump to today

ARK641 Master´s Thesis Preparation Part 2 Course-PM autumn term 2021

 

The course is conducted in different tracks, so called directions with separate schedules (see below). Before the course starts you therefor need to choose a direction. If you participated in the course ARK636 you have already made a choice. Contact Maja Kovács as soon as possible, maja.kovacs@chalmers.se.

When you come to the first opportunity, on the 5th of October, you are expected to present a short description of your ideas for a MT,  your background and how you connect to the direction, if you participated in the course ARK636, Master´s Thesis preparation Part 1. If you did not participate in the course ARK636, you can bring the material you have developed surrounding your masters thesis so far, and your background. 

Description and aim

The purpose of the course is for the students to develop and finalize a critically and methodologically informed master's thesis project plan that allows an examiner to assess the potential and feasibility of the project. 

The course prepares the students for their master’s thesis under the guidance of assigned examiner(s) and supervisor(s). It explores specific theories and/or design methods associated with a particular niche of architecture and urban design.

It trains the students’ ability to use design studies, precedent studies, context studies, material studies and/or theoretical texts as a basis for formulating a design problem and/or research query.

The master´s thesis consist of ten directions, below you can find a direction specific course-PM

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course the student should be able to: 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Define a particular trajectory of design and research in architecture and urban design.
  • Define the design media (i.e. specific types of drawings, models, diagrams, software, etc.) and writing style associated with a particular trajectory of design and research in architecture and urban design.
  • Discuss their own work in relation to a particular trajectory of design and research in architecture and urban design.

Abilities and skills

  • Plan and structure their own work during the course of the master's thesis.
  • Develop a critically and methodologically informed master's thesis project plan that fulfils academic standards.
  • Formulate a design problem and/or research query based on design studies, precedent studies, context studies, and / or theoretical texts.
  • Demonstrate the ability to move from the personal discourse of a design process to a more formal discourse appropriate for a master's thesis.

 

Ability of assessment and attitude

  • Understand and promote the importance of drawing from the work of others in order to innovate.

General content and structure

Students are divided in groups based on assigned master's thesis examiner(s) and supervisor(s). Based on the course plan, each team of examiner(s) and supervisor(s) present their own course description and set of specific deliverables.

The brief and its context is introduced in an introductory presentation. Learning is structured around assignments and/or feedback provided in desk crit sessions. Students work individually or in pairs, depending on how they are planning on pursuing their thesis.

The course consists of an introductory lecture, text and/or precedent studies seminars, and individual feedback. The lecture gives an introduction to the field in which a given thesis direction operates and prepares students for planned learning activities such as seminars. Seminars aid students in mapping and critically reading precedents and/or source texts, and aid students in defining the context for their thesis. Interplay between design studies, precedent studies, context studies and the formulation of text is emphasised, and studies may precede text or the other way around. With the aid of these activities, and in dialogue with the examiner and supervisor, students develop a final draft of their project plan for the master's thesis. The project plan should contain a thesis title, an abstract, a bibliography and a schedule of the master's thesis semester. It should in addition contain design studies, precedent studies, context studies, material studies and/or arguments laid out in writing, as outlined in a course description.

Schedule

    • 5th of October, 09.00-17.00, lecture and presentation
      • The teacher gives a short lecture
      • The students present and get feedback
      • Ideas, background and relevance to direction and get feedback
    • 12th of October 09.00-16.00, Individual work
    • 19st of October, 09.00-16.00, Individual work
    • 9th of November , deadline 09.00. hand-in for mid-critic on Canvas
    • 9th of November , mid-critic
      • The students present their project plan and receives feedback based on the presentation
    • 16th of November, 09.00-16.00, Individual work
    • 16th of November, deadline 17.00, Hand in project plan
    • 23rd of November 09.00-16.00, Final presentation and feedback
      • The examiners have read the project plan and gives feedback
    • 30th of November, deadline 12.00, final hand-in for the course ONLY on Canvas. 
    • For registration to the Masters thesis: 
    • 5th of December, deadline 18.00 o’clock, upload the project plan and registration form to Canvas  to a folder with your chosen direction. NO physical hand-in!!!
    • Deliver a final project plan for the exhibition on the 11th of January, deadline 12.00, There will be a folder in the reception on the 3rd floor where you can leave it.
    • See further instructions under announcement or the Canvas page Registration: Masters thesis in Architecture 2023

Specific room on the 5th of October, for each direction 

Direction Room
Building Tectonics SB-R245
Matter Space Structure SB-R215
Rurban Transformations SB1-H582
Building Design and Transformation  for Sustainability SB1-H584
Healthcare Design SB1-H583
Design Activism Beyond Borders SB1-H433
Housing SB1-H453
Critical Spatial Perspectives SB1-H386
Material Turn SB1-H366
Urban Challenges SB1-H346
Social Ecological Urbanism SB1-H328

Submission requirements

We use Canvas course page for all our deliverance. As the course only has one Canvas page, please make sure you are uploading to the right thesis direction.

Evaluation criteria

Grading: Approved / not approved.

Student are required to participate actively in a minimum of 80% of all scheduled activities. The project plan is reviewed and graded after submission at the end of the semester

Directions

Contact information

Contact your specific direction (directions).

Maja Kovács will answer general questions about the course and the master´s thesis.

Mobile: 0703088491

Email: maja.kovacs@chalmers.se

Course summary:

Date Details Due