School: TU Delft
Location: Delft, Netherlands
Undergraduate program: Bachelor in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences (taught in Dutch only)
Graduate program: Master of Science in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences
Number of students: N/A
Number of faculty: N/A
Strengths: A focus on quality of life issues and small space/density challenges under the tutelage of some of the best experts on the subject in the world
Website: tudelft.nl/en/architecture-and-the-built-environment
Notable alumni: Jacob van Rijs and Winy Maas of MVRDV, Henk Döll, Dick van Gameren, Marlies Rohmer, Carel Weeber
The overview: Beyond drawing on the Netherlands’ impressive architectural culture, the 110-year-old architecture program at TU Delft’s Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment puts an emphasis on the profession’s technical and scientific aspects. Also key to the MSc Architecture program is Research by Design, which lets students pick a specialization in topics like Materialization and Design Development, Future Cities and Architectural Engineering. Studios are taught by academics and practitioners from top firms, while learning is bolstered by a top-notch model-making facility, studio spaces and frequent excursions, workshops and seminars. Courses at the Masters level are taught in English.