Situated within the Royal College of Art, a world-leading art and design institution, the program encourages interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with other Schools within the RCA and external partners. The pathway has a strong emphasis on practice-led and experimental research, preparing graduates for diverse careers in academia, architectural and urban design practices, human rights organizations, and social and environmental coalitions.

The MRes Architecture Pathway recognizes a demand for a new type of graduate and a new type of research training, acknowledging that in the last decade architectural practice has become increasingly research-led with a proliferation of industry-based research departments. In the context of large-scale social and environmental concerns, professional innovation and spatial research acquire profound importance, suggesting new models of collaboration between academic and non-academic institutions. This has led to a growing need for architectural knowledge outside traditional disciplinary domains.

The School of Architecture currently provides research specialism in the areas of architecture & media, city design, social movements, future of work, and cultural infrastructure, which are seen as essential to contemporary architectural and urban research. However, the program welcomes strong applications for other fields of interest as well as traditional academic research.