DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2026/2027

For progression from the first year to the second year of the MArch you must pass 120 credits. It may be possible, at the discretion of the MArch Exam Board, to progress without having passed 120 credits, and to attain pending credits during the second year of study. 240 credits are required for the award of the degree. A minimum of 160 credits must be taken in Architectural Design Studio courses.¿Some Architectural Design Studio courses will be linked over two years (Integrated Pathway) and will therefore have prerequisites for entry.¿


Modular Pathway:¿
Studios offered through the Modular Pathway are structured across two linked semesters; electing to take a studio through this pathway you will have the opportunity to take a different studio in the first and second years of the programme.¿


Integrated Pathway:¿
Studios offered through the Integrated Pathway are structured across four linked semesters. electing to follow this pathway commits you to a single studio theme for the duration of the programme.¿


Please refer to your Programme Handbook for information about which studio courses are running in each year.¿

Coursework is assessed by learning outcomes. The learning outcomes are defined in relation to the ARB criteria and attributes (for students in their second year of study in 2026/27) or Competency Outcomes (for students in their first year of study in 2026/27) that must be demonstrated in the course. You must pass every course to achieve prescribed RIBA qualification at Part 2 or to attain the ARB Academic Competency Outcomes needed to join the Register of architects in the UK.¿



No compensation or condonement is permitted for any module. If you fail two Learning Outcomes in a course you will not pass the course even if the final summative mark is 40% or above. Although the ARB criteria, attributes, and Outcomes are mapped to Learning Outcomes, it is possible to fail a Learning Outcome but pass the overall course by receiving a summative mark which is 40% or above. In these cases, you will be notified of additional work needed to demonstrate competence via the Academic Portfolio 2 (for students in their second year of study in 2026/27) or the Architectural Design Thesis Report course (for students in their first year of study in 2026/27). These courses assess your compliance with all the ARB criteria and attributes or Competency Outcomes. You will only be able to submit work for assessment in this course after passing every other course.



All courses in the ESALA MArch (with the exception of Academic Portfolio 2) produce a single summative mark, produced as an average of all course learning outcome grades. Academic Portfolio 2 produces a single summative mark from grades awarded for Learning Outcomes 1 & 3 only. Learning Outcome 2 of Academic Portfolio 2 is assessed as a simple pass or fail grade. All learning outcomes for Academic Portfolio 2 must be passed to achieve the award of Master of Architecture and ARB/RIBA Part 2 prescribed qualification.


Any failed learning outcome in Architectural Design Thesis Report, Architectural Technology Research (ARCH11075) and Architectural Management, Practice and Law (ARJA11002) will trigger a forced fail.


If you have any questions please contact the Programme Director: email SASS-ESALA@ed.ac.uk FAO MArch Programme Director.¿

Any deviations from the programme as outlined below must be approved in advance by the Programme Director.

For progression and other queries please refer to notes in Year one section (above). Please refer to your Programme Handbook for clarification of Studio course order in Year 2, depending on your year of intake.

Please note: during the final year of the programme, if you are asked to submit any of your courses in August (i.e. re-sit, null-sit due to Exceptional Circumstances), you will have to submit your completed Architectural Design Thesis Report or Academic Portfolio 2 in August as well, rather than in semester 2.