I believe that you have observed the QS World University Ranking and found that UCL, as one of the top ten universities in the world in terms of comprehensive ranking of architecture, also surpassed MIT as the top 1 in architecture for the first time this year. Tsinghua University, the first university in China, has risen to the tenth place in the ranking, and the gap between UCL and its academic reputation and employment rate is getting smaller and smaller. Then study architecture, UCL or Tsinghua? What are the differences between the top domestic and foreign schools in teaching and employment? Which is better? In order to help students better understand the teaching differences between Chinese and foreign architecture majors, today we will take these two top 1 Chinese and foreign architecture colleges as examples to make a horizontal comparative analysis from the aspects of curriculum arrangement, enrollment requirements, employment direction, etc., to help you find your own answers more intuitively~
QS World University Ranking of Architecture
Specific reference values in ranking criteria
To study architecture, UCL or Tsinghua?
ROUND 1: Course arrangement
UCL Bartlett, University College London
Undergraduate major: Architecture BSc three-year program
Postgraduate major: Architecture MArch
Bartlett is UCL University College London The School of Architecture has always represented the highest level of architecture in the UK and even in the world, and Bartlett School of Architecture has also developed a unique educational model of architectural design with its super creativity and rigor.
Bartlett Architecture Student Studio
Taking undergraduate architecture as an example, this is a three-year discipline. The purpose of the course is to prepare students for their practice in the field of architecture. In the course system, the integration of architecture, culture, art and technology is emphasized.
Bartlett Architecture Student Works
This idea has also been specifically implemented into the curriculum. In the three years of undergraduate education, more than 70% of the courses have been launched in the form of studios, and a large number of real practice projects have been prepared. Taking last year as an example, 13 Design Units have been provided for students to choose according to their own interests. The teaching team is composed of leading designers, experts and scholars in the construction industry, The coaching work is carried out in groups or one-on-one.
One of the projects, named [Continuum], discusses the sustainable design of buildings
The study of theoretical courses is also an indispensable part of Bartlett's architecture major. In the first academic year, there are relatively many theoretical courses, including the study of architectural history, building materials, and urban planning. In the second to third years, most of the theoretical courses are integrated into practical projects for teaching.
However, in the few theoretical courses in the second academic year, all career choices in the field of architecture, including business practices and enterprise plans, are also highlighted. Students are required to conduct simulated practice and business activities in groups, and learn relevant skills applicable to practice and other art work.
If UCL Bartlett's undergraduate teaching is more focused on cultivating a qualified architect, then the postgraduate course is to cultivate pioneers in the field of architecture. In teaching, the focus will be more focused on exploring the frontiers of architecture and design. Students also need to learn programming, 3D printing, interaction, AI, robot skills and other recent technologies in the course, To understand the application of science and technology in complex and comprehensive architectural design.
Both undergraduate and graduate students focus on practical teaching, but most undergraduate students are in the form of projects and units, while graduate students are in the form of research clusters created by UCL Bartlett, that is, research groups With advantageous resources, some internationally renowned companies or researchers have been convened to focus on their fields of expertise. Students can choose different teaching groups to work together according to their own interests, and learn the most advanced and authoritative technology and expertise in the industry in the process.
Taking 2018-19 Research Clusters as an example, there are nine research groups, most of which focus on architectural exploration in the field of new technology. For example, one of them is to explore automated design and manufacturing systems, focusing on the application of robots in 3D printing technology and architectural models. This project is also in cooperation with the famous Robotic 3D printing company in Britain and Ai Build.
Tsinghua University
Bachelor of Architecture/Engineering Degree 5 years
2-3 year Master of Architecture (Academic)
The Department of Architecture of Tsinghua University is a well deserved leader among domestic colleges and universities. It is also the first group of majors to be opened in Tsinghua's centennial history. The curriculum is based on the theory of Chinese ancient architecture, combined with the advanced teaching system of the former Soviet Union and the United States. This teaching system is also used by many other domestic colleges and universities, which is very representative.
Tsinghua is also known as "Shuimu Qinghua"
We all know that architecture is a very comprehensive discipline, which is clearly reflected in the curriculum of Tsinghua University. The courses of Tsinghua Architecture Department emphasize the connection with the theoretical series of five majors, namely architecture, planning, landscape, history and technology. Because of this, the curriculum arrangement is relatively heavy. Compared with UCL Architecture, the academic year is almost doubled. Even in the five-year undergraduate system, two years will be reserved for students to choose to complete social practice.
Tsinghua University's emphasis on theoretical knowledge can also be seen from the setting of credits, including 44 credits for general education courses, including politics, physical education, mathematics and foreign languages, 143 credits for professional education courses, 56 credits for design specific practical courses, and the rest for professional theoretical courses.
In this part of the theoretical courses, Tsinghua University adopts the platform system, and the first and second grades are the basic platforms. The teaching content mainly focuses on the basic principles and expressions of architectural design; 3、 The fourth grade is a professional platform. The teaching focuses on inspiring design topics to train students' professional design expression ability; 5、 The sixth grade is a platform for improvement, and the teaching content is to train the ability of team cooperation design and the ability to comprehensively solve design problems.
The 2-3 year postgraduate program of Tsinghua University also aims to cultivate high-level application-oriented talents in the field of architecture. It requires students to have the ability to engage in architectural design related work, or to focus on academic research. The curriculum is also a tutorial system. The specific curriculum arrangement will be discussed and determined according to the research direction of students and teachers.
Tsinghua Architecture Interdisciplinary Theory Course
The required courses include four categories: cultural relics protection, architecture and urban design, green buildings and literature reading; Other alternative directions include Chinese classical architecture, interior architecture, avant-garde architecture, architectural technology science, and some interdisciplinary and interdisciplinary categories.
Comparison summary:
UCL 3-year undergraduate and 1-year postgraduate
Tsinghua University, 5-7 years undergraduate, 2-3 years postgraduate
In the direction of undergraduate training, UCL focuses on practical teaching, and the theory and professional skills are also integrated into the project teaching. The project selection is targeted, and more attention is paid to the creativity and practical ability of students; Tsinghua's teaching focuses on the cultivation of architectural theoretical knowledge and professional skills. The curriculum covers all systems of space disciplines and cultivates architectural practitioners with a comprehensive knowledge system.
In terms of postgraduate training, UCL courses are carried out in the form of research groups, with cutting-edge topics as the starting point, supported by internationally advanced studios and teacher teams as guidance, to help students actively explore the extension field of architecture; Tsinghua adopts the tutorial system, which takes the research direction of the tutor as the leading role, leads the students to continue to deepen in this field, and is more academic, with the goal of obtaining breakthrough research results as the learning direction.
ROUND 2: Admission requirements
UCL Bartlett, University College London
UCL as Studying abroad in architectural design Although students from all over the world are very welcome to come for further study, there is also a very strict system for enrollment requirements because of the limited number of students enrolled each year.
In addition to the hard requirements of the foundation, TOEFL 93+/IELTS 6.5 or above in language, 85+in all undergraduate majors, a second level degree in architecture from a British university and relevant work experience are required.
The two difficulties that deserve our attention most are the works of independent proposition and the interview. The first is the "propositional" collection of works. Every year, the College will introduce different regulations. Taking last year as an example, it not only limited the theme, but also strictly required the time for applicants to create.
The first part is six observational paintings. The painting time is divided into four categories from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. The second part is ten pieces of visual creative works, and provides seven ways of expression. We choose at least three of them to combine our creation.
UCL also has an interview session for applicants who have passed the primary election. The interview lasts about 15 minutes. In addition to self explanation, applicants need to explain their own propositions. During the interview process, they may also be required to provide other creative and original works.
Tsinghua University
I don't need to introduce how strict the admission requirements of Tsinghua University are, so today we are still talking about data. First of all, the architecture major does not need to pass the art examination. Except for a few students who are admitted in advance through independent enrollment of discipline competitions, most of them take the college entrance examination as the main way.
According to the admission statistics of last year in 2018, Tsinghua University recruited 44 top scholars in arts and sciences from all provinces, accounting for 1/3 of the total number of top scholars in China; Among them, the undergraduate admission score of architecture is among the top in Tsinghua University in the middle and long term. In the past five years, it has always maintained the first or second position, with 18 top scholars in each province alone.
Postgraduates also need to take part in the unified examination. In addition to their political, foreign language and theoretical foundations, they also need to take part in a 6-hour professional skills assessment. There is also a second round of reexamination and interview, and the assessment standard of the interview is determined by the applicant instructor.
Comparison summary:
The biggest difficulty of UCL enrollment requirements is "independent proposition", which not only requires us to have professional hand painting ability, but also focuses on assessing students' mastery of sense of space, creativity and divergent thinking. The collection of works must be prepared in advance to show our highest level;
Tsinghua University, whether undergraduate or graduate, has very high requirements for culture courses, and the postgraduate assessment needs to be prepared in advance for the research field of the candidate tutor.
ROUND 3: Employment Direction
UCL Bartlett, University College London
Undergraduate: In the three-year course training, most students have passed the strict test of construction projects. If they graduate successfully, they have basically reached the level of certified public architects. However, since students have mastered other professional skills in the process, they can also consider working opportunities in other industries, such as film production, website design and furniture design.
However, the college suggests that if students want to seek more in-depth study of architecture, they can choose to work in British or overseas architects' offices for one year, and then apply for a master's degree in architecture or other graduate degrees.
Bartlett Architecture Student Works
Graduate students: In the work of the research group of Research Clusters, students have mastered how to use rigorous architectural professional skills in a creative environment, and have in-depth research on architectural knowledge in an advanced field, so they can be engaged in various work to promote architectural development.
Tsinghua University
Undergraduate: The training goal of graduates of this major is to be based on China's national conditions, meet the needs of national construction, and be competent for the professional requirements of enterprises for architects. And it also has a certain international competitiveness. According to the Times ranking, more than 70% of Tsinghua University graduates studying abroad in 2017 were among the top 50 universities in the world.
Practice Project of the School of Architecture - "The Screen of Heaven and Earth" Rural Theater
Graduate students: graduates understand the latest academic development trend of the discipline, master the basic theories and methods of architecture and related fields, have a high level of design or design theoretical foundation, and have the ability to engage in architectural design, architectural history research, historical architecture and heritage protection, architectural technology research and design, and other work.
It also has the basic ability to engage in scientific research, and has the potential to become an outstanding architect, scientific researcher, teaching and senior management personnel in this field.
To sum up, study architecture, UCL or Tsinghua? We have made three rounds of comparison through curriculum arrangement, enrollment requirements and employment direction, and believe that you can clearly see the differences between the two universities. There is no good or bad difference in your final choice, and you can make a choice from your own actual situation. But we also hope that you will not underestimate the difficulty of the assessment of foreign universities, or be intimidated by Tsinghua's "number one" ratio. Although Tsinghua does have a "terrible" number of applicants every year, which is incomparable to other domestic schools, when we also apply for UCL Bartlett, we need to face competitors from all over the world, and the difficulty is no less. At present, the gap between top universities at home and abroad is narrowing. Tsinghua University and Central America are increasingly paying attention to the integration of interdisciplinary and new technology. Foreign universities also take theory and hand painting techniques as important inspection points. For our students, no matter what choices we make, we must devote ourselves to learning and strive to improve our comprehensive strength, Only then is it possible to realize his "dream of a famous school"!
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