MSt in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment

The IDBE master’s is part of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s mission to empower individuals and organisations from the built environment to use leadership and collaboration to tackle critical global challenges facing our future.

This programme aims to:

• Equip professionals for strategic decision making, inventive problem solving, and team leadership
• Develop skills in effective collaboration and communication, particularly between clients, consultants, contractors, specialists and occupiers
• Provide a strategic overview of the production of the built environment, including current challenges faced by the construction industry such as global climate change and sustainability.

The master's is aimed at practising professionals with at least three years' work experience in the built environment since graduating and is for all those involved in the commissioning, design, construction and management of projects in the built environment. The course attracts students from a range of professions from across the sector including, but not limited to; architects, engineers, surveyors, asset managers, planners, landscape architects, project managers, facility managers, surveyors, urban designers, property developers and contractors, who wish to develop their understanding of and responses to the global challenges and opportunities facing the built environment. It is delivered by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership in association with the Departments of Architecture and Engineering.

The master's is part-time and lasts for two years. During that time, students spend six separate residential weeks studying in Cambridge at three-or four-month intervals as well as taking part in online modules. Each of these residential weeks comprises an intensive programme of formal lectures (from leading practitioners and university academics), workshops and seminars, and a design project in small interdisciplinary teams.

The programme explores how successful, sustainable built environment projects rely on the coordinated effort and visioning of multiple disciplines and professions, and it encourages the integration of skills between specialists from different background disciplines to improve project design.

The core modules are:

1. Leadership, professionalism and interdisciplinary practice
2. Sustainability and resilience 
3. Innovation and technology
4. Design thinking
5. Research skills

The programme examines these modules across a diversity of contexts:

1. Living environments
2. Working environments
3. Moving environments
4. Heritage environments
5. Future urban environments

Learning outcomes

Understanding and awareness

Have a broad and strategic understanding of the global social, environmental, economic and  ‘system pressures’ affecting the built environment, and the resultant challenges and opportunities associated with the production of the built environment

Develop a multi-disciplinary perspective on sustainability and resilience in the built environment.

Understand the role of design in addressing future and current challenges, and, how design choices can influence environmental, social, and economic outcomes.

Awareness of the contribution made by the built environment to the quality of peoples’ lives including their physical health, mental well-being and other social outcomes.

Develop an argument for the ‘business case’ for improvements in the quality and delivery of projects in the built environment, as well as understanding the limitations and challenges associated with it.

Leadership and change

Understand own personal leadership motivations, values and agency, and how these align with wider business needs and drivers.

Develop the ability to communicate sustainability-related messages effectively to a variety of audiences.

Develop leadership skills to assist with engagement  and influencing change including effective communication and presentation, listening, building coalitions, negotiation, identifying key leverage points, influencing/inspiring others, and resilience.

Understand professional ethics including personal and professional responsibilities to individuals and to wider society as a whole.

Critical evaluation and analysis

Have a reflective attitude towards practice and on-going learning, including a way to share, measure, assess, and/or track personal progress.

Awareness of the differing (and sometimes conflicting) motivations and values of professional colleagues from other disciplines.

Able to be reflective and reflexive regarding sustainability worldviews or paradigms and the assumptions that shape those views.

Understand and interpret academic and practitioner theory, and apply this to an organisation and/or project.

Engage with complexity and contradictions in the knowledge base, challenge and critically review evidence, and apply your own opinions and judgement to sustainability issues.

Professional and interdisciplinary practice

In a collaborative and interdisciplinary context, be able to pursue a reasoned argument, including the critical evaluation of assumptions, abstract concepts and evidence in the making of judgements, together with the ability to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution – or identify a range of solutions – to a problem.

Have a clear position on the role of the professions in delivering better places and spaces for the future.

Critical awareness of current issues and new insights emerging at the forefront of the built environment and which advance professional practice.

Have a positive approach towards continuing professional development including an independent and self-directed learning ability to advance knowledge and understanding.

Have an understanding of the needs and expectations of end-users and other stakeholders, including society, and how to capture them on specific projects.

Engage with actors across subject disciplines, institutional sectors and functional silos in order to advance project goals.

Work effectively in a collaborative group setting (in situ and remotely).

Innovative, creative and strategic response

Have an understanding of the status of knowledge and the way in which techniques of enquiry and research are used to create and produce new knowledge, technologies, and innovation in the built environment.

Understand how design decisions based on inventiveness, originality and the application of knowledge can create innovative solutions to problems.

Understand a variety of responses to built environment challenges from different disciplinary backgrounds, including policy impacts, social engagement, and passive & technical innovation.

Be able to confidently draw upon learning from best practice cases of how the built environment is responding to complex sustainability challenges.

Respond innovatively and creatively to project challenges and opportunities.

Academic research

Develop an understanding of research methods and associated research skills.

Able to locate and access relevant leading-edge insights and research on issues of relevance.

Able to undertake sound research.

Able to write in a clear, concise, coherent and academically rigorous way

Open Day

The Open Day usually takes place at the beginning of November. The event is suitable for those considering applying for postgraduate study at the University. It provides opportunities to meet with academics, explore the Colleges, and find out more about the application process and funding opportunities.  Visit the Postgraduate Open Day page for more details, including international events taking place.

The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership runs 'Meet the Directors' virtual open day webinars throughout the admissions period. Visit the CISL website for dates and registration details.

Find out more

Visit the IDBE website for full information about the course.

If you have any questions about the application process, contact the MSt Admissions team: mst.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 746262.

For all other enquiries, contact the Course Administrator, Becky Stanley: becky.stanley@cisl.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 768837.

Teaching

As an applied, industry-oriented master's, the IDBE Programme is designed to support personal and professional development. It comprises a blended approach to learning, with six week-long residential workshops in Cambridge and remote learning coordinated through a virtual learning environment. In addition to attending the residential workshops, it is estimated that students need to undertake at least three to four hours of work every week to complete the programme successfully.

Four key principles underpin our distinctive approach to learning:

Flexibility – The programme is designed for an internationally diverse cohort, working full-time.

Residential time is kept to a minimum, blended with a flexible E-learning programme and dedicated tutor support for assignments.

Peer-learning – Students come from a wide range of built environment disciplines and locations. Sharing experiences and insights builds a deeper understanding of how the industry can respond to the challenges of sustainability.

Practical relevance – The programme equips students with the skills to translate cutting-edge academic insight and research, into practical relevance.

Personal application – Students are encouraged to identify personal opportunities for leadership and engage in reflective practice throughout the programme, supported by peers and tutors.

Each residential workshop comprises an intensive programme of formal lectures (from leading practitioners and university academics), workshops and seminars. A design project relating to the theme of the week is undertaken in small interdisciplinary teams, which present their design proposals to reviewers at the end of each of the weeks. Through the design project students apply and implement what they have been taught, as well as benefiting from the knowledge and expertise of their team members; in this, the design projects support experiential learning.

In preparing the four individual written assignments (one 4,000-word case study; one 3,000-word essay; one 7,000-word group project; and a 15,000 word dissertation in the second year) students are supported by academic supervisors whom they meet on an individual basis. The assignments are progressive in that they help to build the capacity to write clearly and concisely, to reflect on experience, to undertake a formal literature review on a given topic, to frame research questions, to conduct an investigation involving the collection and analysis of data, and to draw evidence-based conclusions.

Feedback

Students are given formal feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout their course, including during supervisions. Feedback from supervisors also results in an annual progress report at the end of year one and termly reports during year two.

Assessment

Thesis

• Dissertation: 15,000 words maximum.

Essays, projects and written papers

The reflective case study (4,000 words) is the opportunity for the student to reflect on and to critically analyse a recent project on which he or she has worked in practice. Students are expected to account for the successes and difficulties encountered, provide commentary on the effectiveness of the team and offer conclusions of relevance to other practitioners.

The literature review essay (3,000 words) develops research skills in searching, analysing and writing a critique of the academic literature. There are no prescribed titles; however the focus must be built environment related.  Students are encouraged to venture beyond the boundaries of their home disciplines.

The group research project (5,000 – 7,000 words) is produced collaboratively by members of a group of 5-7 students. It represents the outcomes of an original piece of research undertaken collectively. It is up to the group – guided by a tutor – to choose a topic for the research.

Practical assessment

In the six course weeks students are asked to work in small multidisciplinary groups to think, discuss, draw, write and persuade in order to come to a unified solution to the set problem over the course of a few half-days. At the end of each week all teams present their solutions to their fellow students and a review panel of studio leaders and stakeholders.

Other assessment

Each student gives a presentation on one of their first year assigments to their fellow students and the course directors.

The fees for 2022 entry will be £11,295 per year, which includes college membership and tuition fees. This does not include accommodation and meals, but you will benefit from reduced rates at Wolfson College.

Students will be expected to cover the application fee (£70) and any costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence during residential sessions in Cambridge.

Sources of funding

University of Cambridge CamFunds website

Prospects Postgraduate Funding Guide - provides information on sources of funding available to UK, EU and overseas students.

Sources of government funding and financial support - including Professional and Career Development Loans

Applications will be accepted online until 16 May 2022.

The Apply Now button on the right will take you to the Applicant Portal, where you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and request references.

An application is only complete when:

1. you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
2. you have paid the application fee
3. your referees have provided their references.

If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.

In addition to the academic entrance requirement, applicants need to have at least three years of professional experience in the built environment since graduating.

Selection Process

Applications are considered as they are received (rolling admissions).

Find out more about the application process and what you need to do and consider as a potential applicant.

Supporting documents

Below are details of the Course Specific Questions and other supporting information you will be asked to provide before you can submit your application. These are marked with an asterisk (*). References and transcripts can be provided either at the time of submitting your application or shortly after.

If you have any questions, please contact ICE Admissions: mst.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.

References

You will need to provide the details of two referees who can provide academic or professional references. You will be asked to provide email addresses for your referees so that they can submit their reference via the online referencing system, so it is important for you to ensure that your referee is able to provide a reference for you before you submit your application form.

If your referees are unable to use the online referencing system, or do not have email addresses, please contact the ICE Admissions office for further assistance. 

Your referees should be two senior people acquainted with your work and who are able to comment on your academic and/or professional suitability to undertake the course. Ideally one of these references will be an academic. If this is not possible, two professional references will be accepted.

The referees should describe:

• How long they have known you and in what capacity.
• Their opinion of your experience, achievements, professional interests, and the capabilities which you will bring to the course.
• Whether they believe you will fit well on a Master’s level course concerned with the built environment and requiring interdisciplinary group work and individual research.
• Whether they consider you to have the enthusiasm, commitment and determination necessary to complete the course successfully.

Academic transcripts

A transcript is a list of all the courses you have taken during a programme of study, with the result you obtained, and with the credit value if applicable.

If you are currently studying, please provide a transcript listing the courses taken during your programme of study, with the results or grades obtained for each. Current Cambridge students should upload a copy of their unofficial transcript from their Student Self-Service.

If you have previously completed degree-level study, please provide a transcript or degree certificate for each degree-level programme you have studied, showing the date the degree was awarded and the final class or grade obtained.

The transcript should be uploaded via your Self-Service, using the 'Academic - pre-decision' category. Please note that we may also ask you to send the originals via post if we make you an offer of admission and supplying these may be a condition of your offer.

If your documents are not in English, you must also upload a full translation of each document, prepared by a registered translator.

Research proposal*

Please include a research proposal on the template provided relating to a built environment topic aligned with the scope of the programme. It is possible for this proposal to evolve once accepted on to the programme, providing it remains aligned sufficiently. The proposal should be 500-1000 words in length, and outline the topic you wish to research, mostly during the second year of the course.

The proposal should include:

• A straightforward, descriptive, and informative outline of the scope of the research and what is intended to be achieved.
• An account of why this topic is relevant and worth investigating from a built environment perspective.
• A proposed main research question (or hypothesis), which should be focused and not overly broad,
• A brief account of the approach you will take, i.e. the research design and methods.
• A discussion of the likely data sources that your research will draw upon, and how you intend to gain access.
• A short bibliography, i.e. a list of sources you have used.

You will also be asked to provide a short summary of your proposal in your application form.

Curriculum Vitae*

You are required to provide a professional CV with your application.

Professional qualifications

If you have professional qualifications or memberships relevant to your application, you may upload documentary evidence, stating the date the qualification or membership was obtained.

This is not a requirement for this course but may support your application.

Personal statement

You are not required to submit a separate personal statement but please use the space within the application to demonstrate your:

• Relevant professional experience and interest in the built environment.
• Motivations for undertaking a postgraduate degree focused on the built environment, interdisciplinary working and sustainability challenges.
• Your ability to apply the learning to your workplace.

Letter of support from your employer

The Master’s is designed for those in full-time employment, with assignments undertaken in a work-based context. If you will be in employment during your studies, please ask your employer to provide a letter stating that they support your application and understand/accept that in undertaking the course you will need time away from work to attend the residential sessions. If appropriate, an employer may want to indicate their appetite for implementing some of your learnings from the programme.

If you are self-employed or in any other position not requiring the approval of an employer, then please provide a note signed by yourself in lieu of the letter of support from an employer.