Global Housing Design MSc

Circular table with a model of modern apartment on it. The table is surrounded by display boards showing modern housing typologies around the world.

Course Details

Full-time: 12 Months

Starting: September 2025

Please note this programme is subject to final university approval

Course Overview

The Master in Global Housing Design offers an advanced architectural design graduate course in housing for future designers, policy makers and researchers. Through its unique research-led design curriculum, it offers a one year, three semester long program, focused on housing and cities.

The programme aims to negotiate the practical, theoretical, and speculative aspects of housing design, rethinking housing for future urbanities. The programme prepares students to engage in ever more diverse and dynamic global landscapes in housing production, culture, and politics. You will learn various research methods to construct a critical overview on housing issues in different metropolitan contexts. An interdisciplinary approach and multi-scalar lens will lead you to re-envision the city, its housing types, its homes, and its inhabitants, as part of a system that is mutually and retroactively produced.

What you’ll learn

On this course, students will:

  • Understand, investigate, theoretical and practical issues of housing design on a global scale.
  • Gain a holistic understanding of housing production (disciplines, stakeholders, impacts) and develop skills to interfere in the housing production through design on a local, national, and global level.
  • Research and design skills to identify challenges and to provide design solutions in our residential environments in different urban contexts.
  • Digital fluency (BIM, Modelling, GIS, Environmental modelling)
  • Skills to effectively communicate to different stakeholders, develop impactful, systematic solutions, and become active participants in shaping residential/urban environments.
  • Gain individual development through academic enquiry, peer discussion, scholarship, and research skills in investigating housing design.
  • Gain academic and practical experience, specifically tailored for future employment and/or the pursuit of postgraduate studies.

Entry Requirements

You will normally need a 2:1 MArch degree (RIBA Part II) from a UK university or overseas qualification of an equivalent standard or architectural background. Candidates with a BA Architecture (minimum 2:1) or equivalent may also be accepted if relevant work experience can be demonstrated. All candidates will be offered an interview as part of the application process and will be required to submit a portfolio of work. Please contact us if you wish to check whether your degree subject is suitable.

Register your Interest!

For any queries about the programme please contact:

Johanna Muszbek, e: muszbekj@liverpool.ac.uk

Your Experience

The MSc in Global Housing Design is an inclusive and diverse course, connecting research and design. Students will actively learn through case studies, discussing their projects with partners from industry, local governments, and developers. Students will increase their confidence through continuous presentations and reviews with local and international experts from various fields, becoming global housing experts.

Why Study Architecture at Liverpool?

  • Established in 1894, the Liverpool School of Architecture was the first university in the UK to award a RIBA-accredited degree in Architecture.
  • As one of the UK’s premier centres for architectural research and education, the Liverpool School of Architecture is the ideal place to pursue your architecture studies.
  • We are ranked 9th in the UK for Architecture (The Guardian University Guide 2023) and 5th in the sector for overall research classified as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) (REF 2021).
  • We are strongly focused on research, and have many leading architectural experts based amongst our teaching staff.
  • Our membership of the School of the Arts and wider University presents intriguing specialist opportunities, in fields such as autonomous building systems, arts and building design, and climate change risk mitigation.
  • Work is underway on a major refurbishment of our premises, which will comprise a new-build addition of more than 2,000M. The £23 million scheme has been designed by Dublin-based architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, and is expected to be completed by 2026.

Your Future

After studying this programme and depending on their interests, students of this MSc will be trained to upgrade the current housing production through various professional channels:

  • Architecture offices
  • Central/Local government
  • Research institutions
  • NGOs
  • The construction industry
  • Research oriented students also may proceed to engage in a PhD programme.