RIBA part II and Architects Registration Board (ARB) validated. Choose the World's number one ranked art and design university* and expand the possibilities of your practice by developing a speculative, independent and critical ethos. The programme conceives of architecture as a diverse and complex set of practices that move beyond traditional distinctions and limits in the field. The programme expands the possibilities of architecture and its agency in the world by encouraging an independent and critical ethos among its students. Fostering a culture of independent postgraduate research and experimentation in design, underpinned by a strong connection to practice and the material reality of the discipline, is central to the pedagogy. Teaching aims to harness and extend your knowledge, skills and creativity, preparing you to engage critically with the world of practice. **Accreditations** Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) part II and Architects Registration Board (ARB) validated since 1983. **Architectural Design Studios** The core of learning on the MA Architecture programme is project-based and structured around Architectural Design Studios (ADS), with each offering you a unique set of concerns, methods and critical frameworks. Each ADS has approximately 14 students, with first- and second-year students working alongside each other. **Practice mentors** Each Architecture student is assigned a practice mentor for a part of their studies. This enables students to map shared research themes as well as developing a greater understanding of the diverse range of industry activity. The mentoring scheme offers students another voice on their student work but can also offer guidance on professional development and industry engagement. This initiative recognises the value of the collaborative networks that drive our students and continues the tradition of linking architectural education with industry. **About the RCA** The Royal College of Art, is an internationally renowned art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to deliver art and design projects that transform the world. A small, specialist and research-intensive postgraduate university based in the heart of London, the RCA is a high performing institution, a radical traditionalist in a fast paced world. The RCA's approach is founded on the premise that art, design creative thinking, science, engineering and technology must all collaborate to solve today's global challenges. In 2021 the RCA was named the world’s leading art and design university for the seventh consecutive year (2015-2021) in the QS World University subject rankings.