Metropolis is an international postgraduate program in architecture and urban culture, directed to architects and graduates in the arts, the humanities, and other fields of relevance to the study of the contemporary city. The program aims at developing research on contemporary architecture, urbanism, and critical thought on the metropolitan condition. Phenomena of constant exchange and multiple interpretation within the frame of cities are investigated from different areas of study, with an emphasis on present-day questions. This process of inquiry is based on a multidisciplinary approach to research. Philosophers and geographers, sociologists and economists, urbanists and architects, all are invited to reflect and to offer proposals beyond the boundaries of each discipline on the new situations that the metropolitan condition is producing in different fields of present-day culture.
Curriculum structure
Metropolis is a two-year Masters program, with a class term of ten weeks between May and July.
Its structure is centered on a personal research project, the Masters Thesis, understood as the principal body of work and final product of the Program. As a series of supporting academic elements, the program offers several Seminars, Lectures, Thesis Workshops, Master Classes, and directed Site Visits. They are all conceived as converging towards an effective development of each student’s research.
Each class term is structured with an intensive class schedule extending from afternoon to late evening. Morning hours are reserved for thesis-workshop tutorial sessions and for site visits –In Situ Barcelona. The academic curriculum changes from one year to the next, but there is a continuous thesis project that extends over both class terms, with a period of directed individual work.
Masters Thesis
The Thesis is the core research project of the Metropolis Program at the level of the Masters Degree, and it is conducted through its own Thesis Workshop. For the Masters Thesis, each student individually proposes and develops a subject of research that is directed by one of the thesis tutors through the two years to the final presentation. Each thesis reflects the debate and contributions made in the context of the Seminars, Lectures, and Master Class, and therefore is the principal and most valuable outcome of the Program.
First year
During the first year, students register for Core Courses, Seminars, Lecture Series, Master Class and Thesis Workshop I. Seminars are taught by different faculty each term. Therefore, first-year Seminars should not coincide with those taken during the second year.
Second year
In the second year, students register for Seminars, Lecture Series, Master Class an Independent Study, and Thesis Workshop II.
The contents of the Thesis Workshop and the Independent Study are described in these same pages. Upon completion of the two-year curriculum, students have earned the necessary credits and may then proceed to the defense and approval of their Masters Thesis, so as to complete all degree requirements.
The Master Class is conceived as a tool of architectural prospection into the spatial, social, and cultural conditions of the city. The Master Class addresses a renewed interaction between the field of scholarly research on cities and some of the most relevant currents in present-day architecture, design, and urbanism.
2008 class term
The 2008 class term runs from May 5 to July11. Courses and lectures take place in the afternoon and evenings, while morning sessions are dedicated to the thesis workshop, tutorials and other activities.
Masters degree
The two-year Masters program can be completed in a total period of 15 months. It requires the completion of 60 credits (600 hours), of which 39 correspond to class hours and 21 to thesis work and directed research. These hours may be partially credited toward doctoral studies.
A Masters degree in architecture and urban studies is awarded by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya after the completion of all the curriculum requirements.
Postgraduate degree
The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya awards a Postgraduate Degree to those students who complete one year of work within the program, equaling a minimum of 30 credits. Those students enrolling in the Postgraduate Degree curriculum follow the Seminars and Master Class, but do not typically engage in the Thesis project. The application process for the Postgraduate Degree follows the same procedures as for the Masters Degree.
Application and registration
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2008. The registration period is open until May 5. Admission of candidates is based on the applicants’ academic and professional merits, as well as on the required portfolio and samples of personal work.
Submission of three references, a curriculum vitae, copies of academic degrees, and proof of language proficiency in English is required. A graphic portfolio or a sample of written work must also accompany all applications.
Fees
Registration fees for the complete course amount to 5,600 € for the academic year 2008.
This fee covers academic courses and activities, as well as the use of facilities and services of the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Registration follows the university norms and procedures. Under special conditions, in properly justified cases, partial registrations may be accepted to take one or more courses or seminars in the Program. Such an option will permit students to earn a given number of academic credits that may be credited toward other graduate and doctoral programs. In all cases, accreditation will depend on the norms of the university or academic center where the Program’s credits are to be accepted. In such cases, the total amount will be calculated on a basis of 300 € per credit.