Implementation of the education

Last edit: 12/12/2011
Approved: 12/12/2011

Structure of the education

Structure of the education

The Academic year in KTH consists of an autumn and a spring semester. Each semester consists of two study periods. Each period lasts for seven weeks, followed by an examination. In addition to the four regular exam periods, there are three additional re-examination periods: in January, June and August. One academic year lasts for 40 weeks and equals 60 ECTS credits.

Students are expected to study two courses per period. The curriculum of the programme covers four terms of full time studies. The first two terms will focus on disciplinary training, integrated with skills training, in accordance with program objectives. The first half of the second year will be partly devoted to research training.  The second half of the second year will be spent writing the dissertation.

Courses

The programme is course-based. Lists of courses are included in Appendix 1: Course list

The programme is largely course-based, with some research training in the form of assignments in specific courses and a dissertation requirement. Appendix 1 includes the plans for the courses in the programme. A typical course will consist of a series of lectures combined with a project or a set of exercises, some of them resulting in term papers, project reports or oral presentations.

The placement of elective courses depends on the tracks. The electives are capstone courses.  Students are free to choose any two courses per period out of the existing electives, depending on their profiles. Any decision to choose electives outside the various tracks of the programme must be approved by the programme management.

The sequential nature of the courses implies that it is difficult to be successful in the capstone courses without passing earlier courses. The courses in term 1 are thus prerequisites for the remaining courses in the programme.

Grading system

Courses in the first and the second cycle are graded on a scale from A to F. A-E are passing grades, A is the highest grade. The grades pass (P) and fail (F) are used for courses under certain circumstances.

Courses in the first and the second level are graded on a scale from A to F. A-E are passing grades, with A being the highest grade. The grades pass (P) and fail (F) may be used for courses under certain circumstances. Any changes in these rules, especially due to cooperation with universities with different grading systems, will be published beforehand, subject to approval by the ABE School and students will be informed accordingly.

Conditions for participation in the programme

To be enrolled in the programme, students must be duly accepted into the programme with a valid admission letter issued by KTH Central Admissions Office. They must also pay their Student Union dues at the start of each semester to enroll in the programme.

To be enrolled in a course would require selecting the course if it is an elective, in addition to signing an attendance list at the beginning of the course. Participation in class exercises and projects are a compulsory part of enrolling in any course.

Before May 15 and November 15 the students are required to make study registration and course selection for the coming semester. At least 45 credits from the programme must be completed during the first academic year including the re-examination before promotion to the next academic year. Students who have not fulfilled this requirement must set up an individual study plan. The main goal of the study plan is to assist the student to complete the remaining courses during the next academic year. The study plan will consist of a time plan for completing outstanding coursework as well as suitable courses from the next academic year. In selecting courses for the following academic year, special consideration will be given to the student satisfying the prerequisites of the courses they would like to take.

Recognition of previous academic studies

KTH has a policy for recognizing previous academic studies. The decision on recognizing documented results from similar education at other universities is taken by the vice dean of education at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment upon application by the student.

Studies abroad

There are at present limited possibilities for non-EU Master’s students at the school of Architecture and the Built Environment to exchange semester three for studies abroad. For Swedish students in the programme, however, there will be opportunities for exchange under existing agreements.

 

Degree project

A dissertation/degree project (30 credits) is required for satisfactory completion of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree (MSc). The degree project is graded according to the grading scale A-F. The student’s program of study should support the dissertation. The dissertation supervisor, the Chief Examiner of dissertations and the head teacher of the Theory of Science and Research Methods course sequence will help the student plan a program of study appropriate to the student’s specific research interest.

The dissertation is a written report of an individual student’s investigation of a question of significance to the discipline. Dissertations address a substantive issue through theoretically based research relevant to the practice of the discipline and may serve as a preliminary study in developing a program of research.

The prerequisite for starting the degree project for all tracks is 60 credits of coursework to ensure they have sufficient knowledge of the discipline. This must include the research preparatory course sequence for the respective tracks to start the thesis. This means, for the Real Estate Management, Financial Services as well as Building and Real Estate Economics tracks, students will need, in addition to the above, passes in the research preparatory course sequence:

• Quantitative Methods in Real Estate Development and Financial Services
• Advanced Issues in Real Estate Development and Financial Services
• Theory of Science and Research Methods

For the other tracks passes in the last two of the above three courses is a requirement.

In particular, each student’s dissertation/thesis proposal has to be approved by the examiner of the Theory of Science and Research Methods course to be registered for the dissertation. Current research interests and supervisory capacity of the division will determine the issues covered in the dissertation project. Further details for dissertation can be found in the

KTH regulations:

http://intra.kth.se/regelverk/utbildning-forskning/grundutbildning/examensarbete?l=en_UK

Degree

Students who have fulfilled all the requirements in the Master's programme (120 ECTS) will be awarded the "Degree of Master of Science (two years)". An application for the degree certificate should be submitted to the Masters administrator.

 Documents to hand in to the Masters administrator are: 1) The application form; 2) A copy of student union card, copy of receipts or a certificate from the student union office; 3) Attested photocopy of the previous university degree.