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AHO WORKS STUDIES 2012-2013
Architectural Studies
Programme
Programme
AHO offers a five and a half year master’s programme. It
runs for 11 semesters and the master title requires 330
course credits. The programme is one semester longer
than most other study programmes in architecture, and
one semester longer than the requirements in the Bolo-
gna agreement on master’s studies in architecture. Fol-
lowing this summer’s decision, the EU has accepted 4
year professional training as a minimum for practicing
as an architect.
The architecture programme is continuous, and the
school does not offer a bachelor’s degree. This is the
result of the Norwegian Parliament’s decision made
when adapting the Bologna system of higher education.
This defined some educational programs as continuous,
architecture being one. Consequently, AHO’s education-
al system differs a little from our international partner
schools. It builds our identity and character, gives our
students stability, and provides us with the opportunity
to view the students’ progression through the bachelor
and master levels in context. AHO’s adaption to a 3 +
2.5 systemmakes our basic training compatible to other
architecture programmes as it allows for student ex-
change and change of schools along the way.
AHO’s architectural education has changed a lot over
the last few years. It has undergone changes in structure
and introduced a series of new courses. The architec-
ture programme is built as a relatively rigid three-year
basic training. It is designed to meet the requirements of
quality in learning and individual capabilities. This basic
programme aims at letting the student’s build individual
profiles by consciously choosing from a range of availa-
ble studio courses within the flexible master education.
AHO offers a variety of courses in both the basic
and master architecture programme. The courses are
provided by three of AHO’s four institutes: The Insti-
tute of Form, Theory and History is responsible for the
first-year course, and offers studio courses with a focus
on architecture history and architecture theory. The
Institute of Architecture is responsible for the second
year course that provides basic training in architectural
design, and offers a broad set of design studio courses
in the master’s programme. The Institute of Urbanism
and Landscape is responsible for third-year courses
and offers studio courses in urbanism, landscape and
urban design.
Education at AHO based largely on a studio-based
model. Architectural design courses make up 80% (24
credits) of every semester during the two final years.
The most comprehensive part of the basic programme
is also conducted through studio teaching. In addition
the school offers many elective courses (6 credits) in
theoretical and technical aspects of the discipline.
