Situated Practice MA examines how architecture cross-pollinates with other contemporary creative arts, and challenges students to engage with architecture’s expanded field, including public art and curatorial work, highlighting the overlap between practices, methods and approaches. You will be empowered to explore new forms of hybrid practice between public art, design, architecture and curatorial work, creating your own site-related project from physical installations and digital interventions to site writings, ending with a highly innovative professional creation in your portfolio.
You will learn about spatial theories and practices in art, architecture, performativity, urbanism and writing, developing a robust understanding of research methods that redefines public space and engagement and the notion of site, through design practice-led research.
The Situated Practice MA is designed for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the environments we inhabit and create meaningful engagement with communities and cultural institutions. We welcome applicants with interdisciplinary ambitions, whether you are interested in public art, experimental architectural interventions, seeking professional development alongside employment, or pursuing curatorial, spatial, or site-specific artistic practices.
Graduates from this course gain critical and innovative skills to develop into transdisciplinary practitioners who undertake projects that address the specific concerns of sites and transforming them appropriately. You gain a strong understanding of art and design practice-led research methods, specifically relating to approaches towards criticality, performativity and textuality.
Graduates from the Situated Practice MA have gone on to careers in industry sectors such as construction, built environment and property, and academic research, and higher education. Roles have included architects, artists and arts officers, producers and directors, and architectural technicians. Example employers have included Civic, Alison Brooks Architects, and Nuve Lab.*
Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of graduates in the 2018–2024 cohorts
This course is delivered by the Bartlett School of Architecture , part of the UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and Built Environment studies ( QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 ).