Paris School Of Architecture

The Paris School of Architecture is an independent institute of architectural education with an international focus based in central Paris. All courses are taught in English and the school prepares its graduates to operate across Europe and the rest of the world.

The PSA is an entrepreneurial school, teaching students who wish to branch towards a particular specialism of architectural design having completed their undergraduate architectural studies elsewhere, or who are considering establishing their own practice following graduation.

The 2-year post-graduate course of study at PSA offers a bespoke and innovative mode of architectural study reflecting the changing nature of the architectural practice.

The course is specifically aimed at graduates of 3-year degree courses who wish to use their post-graduate study to specialize in a particular field of architecture. Members of the school combine their traditional architectural studies with emerging and disruptive subjects and technologies, in which they become specialists.

Located in the center of Paris, the school is positioned at the heart of Europe in one of the world's greatest international cities.

Continuing this international focus, our program of study prepares graduates to be leaders in the fields of architecture, construction, philosophy, journalism, and emerging technologies.

The Paris School of Architecture equips its members with the artistic, philosophical, intellectual and technical skills required by industry to produce exceptional future professionals. Set in the center of Paris, informed by the European design and construction world, with Master Classes provided by the faculty of leaders in the creative industries from all over the world, the School is deliberately international; producing the next generation of global architectural practitioners.

The school was established to offer an alternative route into architecture and associated disciplines in response to the radical changes in architectural practice in the past two decades. Most schools of architecture follow a pedagogical methodology adopted nearly a century ago that has become less relevant to the realities of architecture today. The Paris School offers a new system, combining core architectural components with emerging professional requirements, better preparing its graduates for work in practice, establishing their own practices, or work in other fields such as property development, construction management, journalism, curatorship, video game design, and virtual reality.

A European School

The school was founded by practitioners in Paris who work around the EU, who have either taught or graduated from the schools in Europe and the US.

As the English language cements its position as the global lingua franca, and regulatory reform by the European Union brings greater uniformity to architectural practice within the bloc, the need for an anglophone European school in Paris has never been more pressing.

In addition, the school places importance on the study of architectural, legal and construction terminology being pertinent to different jurisdictions to allow graduates to work seamlessly across Europe and the world. This cultural exchange promotes and reinforces the international focus of the school and its pedagogy.

A New School

In development since 2015 and opening for its first intake in September 2019, the Paris School offers a range of programs, from undergraduate and graduate study, to distance learning, language study, and summer schools.

The first courses will commence on 23rd September 2019, when the first intake of year 1 students join the school (equivalent to the first year of masters studies).

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) will apply to the school, the two-year course offering a total of 120 Credits.

The school is also completing the process of registration with Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles who accredit private educational institutions in France. Our cohort of students will form a critical part of our course development, with a student council with the power to propose additional subjects as technologies and cultures evolve, develop exchange relationships with other institutions, and amend and vote on the school’s charter and leadership.

Academic Life

The pedagogy of the Paris School of Architecture is rooted in testing the complex and divergent issues in which architecture exists through a single, comprehensive, year-long studio project.

Developing a post-graduate architectural project from September until June allows for a greater time of research, narrative, representational expression, philosophical engagement, and craft output than found in other institutions with semester-long briefs.

Such projects are intellectually demanding, and critically rigorous, with graduates leaving with portfolios with projects of great depth and complexity.

Reinforcing this project-driven pedagogy, are a series of Master Classes, which bring professionals from the worlds of design, law, film, communication, and building procurement. These Master Classes not only serve to impart specialist knowledge, grounded in professional practice, but to feed into the studio project, allowing each student to develop highly individual responses.

Each academic year culminates at the end of year show, a public gallery exhibition of each student’s work held in central Paris. This offers our students the opportunity to showcase their work to family, friends, and potential employers and investors.

Assessments of the year-long studio project are made following a final presentation on the day before the opening night of the end of year show. Additional assessments on each Master Class are made on a subject by subject basis, depending on the subject in question. All Master Classes must be passed in order to exhibit at the show.

One unique element of the pedagogical philosophy of the School is that we do not implement a grading system, meaning that projects are judged as either a Pass or a Fail. This encourages maximum freedom of expression and allows students to take risks and innovate. Exceptional studio projects may be awarded a Distinction, as the discretion of the Head of Year. Students who wish to undertake French language courses during their studies will be able to do so. This will help the student with their day to day activities while they are living in Paris. These will be offered at both beginner and intermediate level.

The PSA studios are equipped as necessary for students to undertake their studio projects, including 3d printing capabilities, laser cutting machines, printers, projectors, and model making equipment. It is highly recommended that students purchase a laptop computer for the two year period.