Der Masterstudent in Architektur zeigt in seiner Schlusskritik seine Arbeit über das Boot.
Masterstudierende verteidigen in der Schlusskritik im Plenum ihre Arbeit.
Die Zwischenkritik und Projektion im icRoom.
Blick. vom Architektur-Atelier nach draussen in den Schnee.
Der Masterstudent in Architektur bei seiner Zwischenkritik Projektion.

Master of Arts in Architecture Designing Change

Architecture today emerges within a world in transformation – ecologically, socially, and technologically. This is precisely where the Master’s programme at the Institute of Architecture (IAR) begins: it expands the competencies of architects so they can actively shape change rather than simply respond to it. Building on a solid Bachelor’s education, the programme fosters an open and process-oriented mindset. Students learn to think within complex systems, take responsibility, and develop an independent architectural position – locally grounded and globally informed. We understand the Master’s programme as a journey into the unknown: students navigate their own path of learning while, as pioneers, contributing to the architecture of tomorrow.

Fastlinks:
Study Programme | Organisation | Facts

Developing Design Agency

At the core of the programme lies the built environment as a living space – embedded in complex social, economic, and ecological interrelations. Under the concept of Open Architecture, we explore approaches that understand buildings as part of larger systems and rethink forms of coexistence as well as the use of resources. The insight that architecture in times of transformation can only be planned to a limited extent opens up space for innovative strategies and new aesthetics.
Architectural education takes five years in total: during the Bachelor’s programme, you acquire a broad professional foundation; during the two-year Master’s programme, you deepen this knowledge and develop your own design agency.

What You Will Gain from the Master’s Programme

  • You sharpen your understanding of the cultural and built environment – and learn not to simplify complexity, but to work with it productively.
  • You translate multifaceted questions into precise architectural and constructive responses –across all scales, from detail to city.
  • You develop an independent position and the tools to articulate and defend it – through design, writing, and discourse.
  • You investigate the pressing questions of our time with both intellectual freedom and strong academic guidance – developing strategies for meaningful action and impact.
  • You qualify for demanding roles in architectural practice, research, teaching, and interdisciplinary fields – becoming a sought-after designer in a world searching for new answers.
Das Jahresthema des Masterarchitekturstudiums an der HSLU.

Annual theme: Lucerne 2050, +120’955

The built environment is facing profound changes. With a projected population growth of over 100,000 people in Central Switzerland over the next 25 years, the question arises as to how additional housing and living space can be created without jeopardizing the landscape, quality of life, and social cohesion. The Swiss Spatial Strategy 2050 – the country’s official spatial planning framework – promises vibrant centers, protected landscapes, intact townscapes, a prosperous economy, efficient transport networks, and a climate-friendly energy supply. But can all of this easily be reconciled? The annual theme «Lucerne 2050, +120,955» puts this to the test: Drawing on current debates, students develop architectural and urban design strategies for municipalities and cities in Central Switzerland. The focus is on questions of density, resources, mobility, and new forms of cohabitation. The objective is to design robust, long-term, and yet adaptable concepts that actively shape spatial and social transformation.

HUB Architektur.

Architecture HUB

The Architecture HUB is the platform of the Institute of Architecture IAR. It offers a vivid insight into the institute’s diverse activities: work from the individual modules, portraits of our staff members, and a collection of institute lectures are brought together in one place. The filter menu allows users to search for and access content directly.

Studium in Master of Arts in Architektur.

Study Program

Overview of the master's program

Aufnahmeverfahren.

Admission / Study Models

Qualifications and registration

Haltung des Master of Arts in Architecture.

Attitude

A journey into the unknown

Dozierende des Masterstudiums Architektur an der HSLU.

Lecturers and Staff

Architecture from practice and teaching

Facts

Degree

Master of Arts Hochschule Luzern/FHZ in Architecture

Field of activity

Architect

Admission

Diploma from a university of applied sciences or a bachelor’s degree in architecture from a Swiss or foreign university

Applicants must submit a portfolio and go through an admission interview with the head of the master's program

Application deadline

Spring Semester 27: 15 October 2026 (deadline only for applicants requiring a visa); Spring Semester 27: 31 December 2025 (deadline only for Swiss and EU-citizen)

Commencement of studies

Fall semester: September                                        Spring semester: February

Semester dates

Spring Semester 2026
Contact study: 16 February to 30 May 2026
Easter break: 3 April to 7 April 2026
MAA Excursion: 16 to 20 March 2026
Exam phase (preparation and examinations):  
1 June to 4 July 2026
Summer break: 13 July to 12 September 2026

Fall Semester 2026
Contact study: 14 September to 19 December 2026
MAA Excursion: 12 to 16 October 2026
Christmas holiday: 19 December 2026 to
3 January 2027
Exam phase (preparation and examinations): 
11 January to 6 February 2027

Spring Semester 2027
15 October 2026 (deadline only for applicants requiring a visa)
31 December 2025 (deadline only for Swiss and EU-citizen)

Language of instruction
  • German
  • English
Student counselling
Study fees

Registration fee (one time, upon registration):  CHF 200.–
Tutition fees (per semester): CHF 800.–
Additional semester fees for foreign students*: CHF 500.–

For more fees and charges see also this overview

*Foreign students are those who enter Switzerland for the purpose of studying or who have their place of residence under civil law abroad at the time of enrolment and for whom the FHV contribution of a canton does not apply.

International

In the third semester, there is the possibility of spending an exchange semester abroad at a partner university.

Place of study

Horw

Time model
  • full-time
  • work-study

Everything You Need to Know About the Master of Arts in Architecture