Part 2 MArch – Student Placement
The Student Placement is a core component of the LSA’s Part 2 programme. In the first year, all MArch students spend three days a week working in practice. This collaborative, work-based learning approach deepens students’ understanding of their agency as practitioners, while giving practices the opportunity to engage with fresh ideas from the next generation of architects in a rigorous and exploratory context.
Below is a guide to how the Student Placement process works. If you are an applicant and have any further questions, please email our admissions team (enquiries@ube.ac.uk).
We have provided a glossary of terms to make the process as clear as possible.
There are two routes to securing a Student Placement:
Route 1: Stay with your current employer
If you are currently employed by a London-based practice, we encourage you to consider continuing your employment there. This route offers a straightforward transition, building on your existing professional relationship within the framework of the programme. Once you are holding an offer, the LSA will contact you with details about the conditions your employer will need to meet to support your offer and assist you in the conversation with your employer regarding your placement at the LSA.
If you’re unsure whether your current employment is suitable for your LSA placement, please contact our Practice Network Coordinator, Tia, at t.duong@ube.ac.uk.
Route 2: LSA-Supported Placement Coordination (non-standard)
Offer holders who are not employed by a London-based practice at the time they receive their LSA offer should actively seek their own placement with a London-based practice.
The LSA will provide various mechanisms to support you in securing a practice placement. This support includes platforming your CV and portfolio to practices within our network, organising matchmaking and speed networking sessions, and being available to assist you throughout the process.
If you would like to find out more about this support, please contact our Practice Network Coordinator, Tia, at t.duong@ube.ac.uk.
Please note that all students beginning their studies at the LSA are required to be in relevant employment.
Glossary of Terms
- Offer Holder – applicants to the LSA’s Part 2 who have been made a conditional offer of study and who have paid a deposit. All Offer Holders require a Student Placement
- Student – enrolled students on the LSA’s Part 2 who have formally registered and paid their fees for the coming academic year
- Student Placement – the three-day-a-week placement which all enrolled students on the LSA’s Part 2 must secure to fulfil the requirements of first year of the programme
- Practice Network – the network of 200+ practices that engage with the LSA
- Placement Provider – an architectural practice who agree to host a Student Placement
Year 1
Spend three days a week working in practice, while studying three design modules and two Critical Practice to prepare you for your Thesis in year 2.
Year 2
Prepare for the first year of your career in practice, developing your own design direction and setting the terms of your own enquiry through a Design Thesis.