Diploma in Architecture and the Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion

RESOLUTION

The Diploma in Architecture and the Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion is governed by Resolution of the University Court with provision that:

1. The Diploma in Architecture and the Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion may be conferred by the University of Glasgow at The Glasgow School of Art.
2. The Senate will make Regulations governing the award of the Degree which are subject to the approval of the University Court. These shall be stated under 'Regulations'.
3. The minimum duration of attendance on courses of instruction in The Glasgow School of Art for the award of the Degree is specified in the Regulations. However, the Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art may recognise attendance given and examinations passed in any institution.
4. The Senate recognises The Glasgow School of Art, through its Academic Council, as being corporately responsible for the administration and development of the courses leading to the Diploma in Architecture and the Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion.
5. It shall be the duty of the Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art to consider annually the curriculum for the Degree and such other matters, including the admission and progress of candidates, as may be remitted to it by the Senate and to report to the Senate thereon. It shall be competent for the Academic Council to make recommendations to the Senate, with regard to the appointment of Examiners for the Degree.
6. It shall be competent for the University Court, on the recommendation of the Senate, to recognise as teachers of the University for the purpose of the Degree, such lecturers and other officers of The Glasgow School of Art having responsibility for courses qualifying for the Degree, as may be proposed for such recognition by the Academic Council.
7. The Senate may appoint as an Examiner for the Degree, but not as an External Examiner, any teacher recognised in accordance with §6.
8. The External Examiners for the Degree shall be appointed by the Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art.

REGULATIONS

1.  Introductory and Definitions

The definitions set out in the Glossary of Terms apply to these regulations.

2.  Admission to the Diploma in Architecture

2.1  A candidate for the Diploma in Architecture must have obtained as a minimum a second class Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and submit a portfolio of architectural design project work of a standard approved by the Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture.

2.2  A candidate with the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Architecture of the University may be exempted from the First Year of the Diploma programme. A candidate with an equivalent degree of another University may also be admitted on this basis.

2.3  A candidate for the Diploma in Architecture who has completed the Bachelor of Architecture Ordinary Degree at The Glasgow School of Art but has failed to meet the requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Architecture with Honours, will be permitted to transfer into the First Year of the Diploma of Architecture programme in line with §8.4 of the Bachelor of Architecture degree regulations.  

2.3.1  In order to meet the requirements of the Diploma in Architecture, a candidate who transfers under §2.3 may be reassessed on courses taken in the Honours Year of the Bachelor of Architecture (Hons). For the purposes of the Diploma, such reassessment will be regarded as a second sitting.

3.  Duration of Degree Study

3.1  A candidate for the Diploma, whether full-time or part-time, with the exception of those admitted under §2.2 and §2.3, must attend courses of instruction at The Glasgow School of Art for not less than two academic sessions for full-time studies and not less than three academic sessions for part-time studies. Transfer from full-time to part-time and vice versa will be at the discretion of the Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture. A candidate for the Diploma will not normally be permitted to be in attendance for more than three years of full-time study or four years of part-time study or an equivalent combination of the two forms of study.

3.2  The minimum and maximum periods of study, expressed as academic sessions, are as below:

Type of award	Full-time		Part-time
	Minimum	Maximum	Minimum	Maximum
Diploma in Architecture	2	3	3	4

3.3  Where a student transfers to the Diploma in Architecture, after failing to meet the requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Architecture with Honours, the Honours year will count towards the maximum duration of study.

4.  Composition of Diploma in Architecture

4.1  The degree programme shall be composed of courses, each of which is characterised by the academic level at which it is set and the number of credits which it conveys. The course level will correspond to levels 10 to 11 in the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework.

4.2  The structure of the degree programme, including the core and elective courses of which it is composed, is shown in the degree’s programme specification. The courses listed shall not necessarily be available in each session; the choice of a curriculum shall be subject to this limitation and to that imposed by timetables.

In each academic session, a candidate will normally take courses conveying the total number of credits set out below:

First Year	Full-time route	120 credits per academic year
	Part-time route	90 credits per academic year
Second Year	Full-time route	120 credits per academic year
	Part-time route	60 credits per academic year
Third Year	Part-time route	90 credits per academic year

4.4   Part-time candidates will be required to spend not less than the equivalent of 15 days each semester in periods of not less than one day per week in attendance on courses or in supervised study. The remaining time will be spent employed in a recognised architect’s practice approved by the Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture.

5.  Pre-requisites, Co-requisites and Excluded Combinations

5.1  Each course may have pre-requisite and/or co-requisite course(s). To be admitted to a course:

a)  The candidate must normally have attained grade D3 or above in each pre-requisite course. If the course follows a pre-requisite course in the same academic session, however, it shall be sufficient for the candidate to have attended the pre-requisite course.

b)  The candidate must either have attended, or be concurrently attending, each co-requisite course.

5.2  Where a candidate’s curriculum includes courses which form an excluded combination, credits from only one of these courses may be counted towards the requirements for award of a degree or other qualification.

6.  Approval of Curriculum

The curriculum of each candidate must be approved at the start of each session by the candidate’s Programme Leader. Once approved, the curriculum may not be altered except with the approval of the Programme Leader.

7.  Assessment

7.1  Assessment is governed by the Code of Assessment which is published by The Glasgow School of Art with the following exception:

a)  A candidate on the Diploma in Architecture is not permitted to carry any credit deficit into the following academic session.

7.2  The minimum requirement for the award of credit for a course is the submission of at least 75% by weight of the summative assessment. Further requirements may include monitored attendance at classes and examinations. All such requirements shall be specified by the Mackintosh School of Architecture and made available to candidates in writing at the beginning of the course. Normally no grade or credits shall be awarded to a candidate who has not met these requirements. 

8.  Progress and Reassessment

8.1  The progress of candidates shall be reviewed annually.

8.2  A full-time or part-time candidate will be eligible to progress to the next year of the programme if they have achieved a grade of D3 or above for all courses of the curriculum for that year.

8.3  A full-time or part-time candidate will be offered reassessment for any course in which they fail to achieve at least grade D3 at the first sitting.

a)  Where, following reassessment, full-time or part-time candidate has failed to achieve at least grade D3 in all courses, they will not be allowed to progress but may be offered the opportunity to repeat the course(s) in the following session at the discretion of the GSA Final Examination Board. Students repeating a course will normally be subject to the same attendance and participation requirements as the first sitting of the course.

b)  A full-time or part-time candidate will be excluded from further study if after a repeat year of study, they have failed to complete satisfactorily the progress requirements.

9.  Administration of Progress

9.1  Decisions on progress shall be taken by GSA Final Examination Board. The GSA Final Examination Board shall have the power to exclude a candidate or to impose conditions regarding a candidate’s future progress if their previous performance does not offer a reasonable prospect of reaching the required standard.^[1]

9.2  The Mackintosh School of Architecture shall publish to all candidates the arrangements for identifying any candidate who does not comply with progress requirements.

9.3  Appeals against decisions of the GSA Final Examination Board may be made following the process set out in The Glasgow School of Art’s Code of Procedure for Appeals.

10.  Requirements for the Award of the Diploma in Architecture

To be eligible for the award of the Diploma in Architecture, the candidate must have obtained at least 240 credits, including at least 120 Level 11 credits at grade D3 or above and achieved grade D3 or above for a piece of independent work worth at least 20 credits.

11.  Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion

11.1  A Diploma in Architecture candidate assessed by the GSA Final Examination Board as having achieved an A or B grade in the specific course they wish to pursue through extended study shall be given the option of undertaking additional studies and submitting for the Degree of Master of Architecture by Conversion. Alternatively a candidate may present to the Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture an argued case to proceed to undertake extended study of a particular aspect of Architecture in relation to the Final Design Thesis.

11.2  A full-time candidate so transferred will enrol in Semester 1 of the following session for a further period of 15 weeks of supervised study at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and will submit work at the conclusion of this period for examination for the Degree of MArch.

11.3  A part-time candidate so transferred will enrol for a further period of 30 weeks of supervised study at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, and will submit work at the conclusion of this period for examination for the Degree of MArch. Exceptionally, the GSA Final Examination Board may permit a candidate who does not submit for the Degree at the conclusion of the period of further study to undertake an additional period of part-time study before submitting.

11.4  A candidate so transferred will undertake the Specialist Studies course of 60 credits at Level 11.

11.5  To be eligible for the award of the Master of Architecture by Conversion, the candidate must have obtained at least 180 Level 11 credits at grade D3 or above and achieved grade D3 or above in the Specialist Studies Course.

11.6  A candidate who has achieved at the first sitting a grade B3 or above for the Specialist Studies course will be eligible for the award with Merit.

11.7  A candidate who has achieved at the first sitting a grade A5 or above for the Specialist Studies course will be eligible for the award with Distinction.