The Joint Master of Science Program is a two-year (four semesters) program. The first and last semester are offered by the Department of Architecture at Middle East Technical University (METU) and the second and third semester are offered by the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).

Students start their study at METU in the Fall semester (Sem. 1). They continue their study at TU Delft in the Spring semester (Sem. 2) and subsequent Fall semester (Sem. 3). They conclude their study at METU in the Spring semester of the second year (Sem. 4).

Curriculum

Semester 1: Digital design & research

The digital design studio concerns the following topics: understanding the computational design paradigm; parametric thinking/parametric design; exploration of different CAD/CAM tools; re-experiencing geometry; visualization vs. precision; process design vs. end-product design. The theme of the studio varies each term.

The research methods course considers competency in doing research, competency in design, scientific approaches for research, basic intellectual skills in cooperating and communicating, and consideration of temporal and social context in design.

Semester 2: Bucky lab

The second semester focuses on the system development of a small pavilion, or a façade in the context of a building design. The design process goes from innovative concept development, in the form of a programmatic and visual scenario, to final design in drawings, quantitative performance studies and results in a virtual and physical prototype. Quantitative research relates to acoustic, heat transfer and structural performance as input in the design process. (See Product Design for a fairly elaborate description of the design assignment and process, including references to the contents of the other courses in this semester.)

Graduation project (Semester 3 and 4)

The graduation project consists of both a design project and a research thesis (and combines semesters 3 and 4). The design project considers performative design for an adaptive building, set in an urban context, with a programmatic, compositional and technical complexity, and supported by digital design and fabrication. The research thesis involves exploration of the computational design paradigm and its technologies, understanding performance based design and parametric thinking.

The graduation project is supervised by two faculty members from METU and two faculty members from TU Delft. At each university, one of the supervisors takes on the role of design mentor, and the other of research mentor.

Graduation process at TU Delft

The first part of the graduation process in Semester 3 (at TU Delft) includes two assessments. The first one is a compulsory progress review midway Semester 3. The assessment concerns the draft study plan (curriculum) and planning and progress of the graduation process. The second assessment is a formal assessment at the conclusion of Semester 3 and concerns the study plan and provisional design and research. The mentors from METU will be invited to be present at this formal assessment as well. More information about the graduation process at TU Delft can be found here in the Manual Master Graduation: Master Architecture, Urbanism & Building Sciences; Academic year 2008 – 2009.