ACADEMIC BACHELOR DEGREE STUDY PROGRAMME “ARCHITECTURE” / undergraduate

The BA Architecture program is implemented as a basic component of the study program direction “Architecture and Construction” and is the first step in order to prepare students for architect’s practice or further studies in the field of architecture.

The full BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES IN ARCHITECTURE program takes seven semesters (140 credits / 210 ECTS) and concludes with the BA Thesis defended in front of and judged by the State Examination Commission. In the architecture studies through the semesters, the main emphasis is placed on the design process, students’ will to experiment and innovate, abilities to work and communicate in teams, turning students into keen, capable, and productive design professionals. The students learn how to deal creatively with the most complex design tasks at the same time learning to be socially responsible professionals as well. Currently, there are about 15 students enrolled in the school per year and as a result, faculty can maintain a very individual and considerate approach to every student.

The contents of the program:

The aim of BA Architecture program is to prepare qualified and competent graduates. The objective of the program is to ensure the acquisition of general knowledge and research and analytical skills, to provide students with basics practical skills for working in architecture and to prepare them for further studies in the field of architecture, as well as other related fields of design. The students obtain the adequate skills to analyze the given task or address the issue in a particular context and to work out the idea and concept of being both socially and culturally responsible young professionals. Students are trained to work in teams and individually. They are able to establish a consecutive and reasonable design process in order to solve the varied level of the difficulty design task. The students obtain knowledge about technology and building engineering issues, basic knowledge in construction, and the concept of sustainability. The students acquire sufficient visual representation skills using hand, computer graphics, and digital techniques. The main aspiration is to provide students with the ability of analytical thinking and problem solving: granting the knowledge, intellectual capacity, and practical skills of interrelating apparently separate domains of the architectural realm of theory and practice. The curriculum of the program is designed so that the theory and practice can supplement and overlap with each other.

The course of study is divided into 9 modules: architectural design, fine arts, construction technology, project management, economics and law, urban design, history and theory of architecture, arts and social subjects, BA thesis. The successive years of the program curriculum are built up around the Architectural Design studies – the program is primarily focused on the courses of architectural design. Each academic year the curriculum aims to explore consequently more complex issues and scale of architecture or urban design projects as such:

• (1_st year, 1_st semester) basic principles of architectural design;
• (1_st year, 2_nd semester) private living space and dwelling;
• (2_nd year, 1_st semester) collective dwelling;
• (2_nd year, 2_nd semester) public space and place-making;
• (3_rd year, 1_st semester) building reconstruction / re-use / re-purpose / retrofitting / restoration / renovation / rearrangement / rehabilitation;
• (3rd year, 2nd semester) urban space and planning, urban regeneration.

Although the course outline each study year stays similar, annually students are provided with the unique design assignments updated taking into consideration the topical and current issues that concern the built environment in the city of Riga and beyond. During the semester the evaluation of the student work is strongly influenced by the student’s performance and participation, creative, repetitive, and continuous design process, ability to solve different challenges.

Architectural design is a major part of the study course. Students present their work several times during the year – during mid-term and final presentations. International, as well as local guest critics, are invited to evaluate the work of the students. The study year concludes with a big exhibition usually open to the wider public. Bachelor students after successfully defending their Thesis curate their public exhibition in spring. 

Tuition fee: 5360 EUR  (LV citizens)
Tuition fee: 6700 EUR  (for citizens of EU, EEA, CIS countries, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries)

The course descriptions – here.
Info about discounts – here.
The graduates of the ACADEMIC BACHELOR DEGREE STUDY PROGRAMME “ARCHITECTURE” will be able to continue with the subsequent Postgraduate professional Master’s degree program “Architecture” at RISEBA (or corresponding program in other institutions). Following the guidelines of the Bologna declaration, RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design implemented the 7 + 4-semester education system so the architecture students who will obtain the master’s degree will also receive the professional qualification in order to apply for the architect’s license if preferred. The ACADEMIC BACHELOR’S DEGREE STUDY PROGRAMME ARCHITECTURE is fully accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia until February 2, 2029.

PROFESSIONAL MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMME “ARCHITECTURE” / postgraduate

The RISEBA University of Applied Sciences established 2 years long professional MA program in Architecture (120 ECTS) as a follow-up to the existing 7 semesters long BA program (210 ECTS) in Architecture. The total length of the Architecture studies at the RISEBA (Bachelor + Master) will shape the volume of 330 ECTS or 5,5 full-time study years thus meeting the general requirements of the EU standards for the Architects profession.

The professional RISEBA Master of Architecture program is accredited and included in the following directive of the European Parliament and Council: 2005/36/EK (07.09.2005) on the recognition of professional qualifications. (Annex V, point 5.7.1, page 180)

The graduates of the professional postgraduate program “Architecture” will be eligible to obtain the architect’s certificate and begin professional practice in accordance with the certification requirements for the architects of the Republic of Latvia. MA program “Architecture” is designed to provide students with the professional postgraduate level education and practical experience of high quality in architecture and urban planning, as well as deep theoretical knowledge in architecture and urban planning science, which would be beneficial for correspondent scientific field and grow Latvian intellectual potential in accordance with European Union standards and priorities due to ongoing process of globalization.

Starting 2023 Spring semester, the professional master’s architecture program will offer a Specialization Track –  in landscape architecture and urbanism. This specialization is structured based on the Standard Track – Architecture program modules but will provide concentrated studies in landscape design and urbanism. This specialization does not replace but modifies the current focus of the study. The objective of these studies is to provide the students with an opportunity to gain theoretical knowledge, design skills and required competencies in landscape architecture and to enable work that focuses on landscape and spatial–urban transformation projects. More information about the specialization track  – here.

The institutional vision of RISEBA University of Applied Sciences is to establish a study environment where business meets arts. The Architecture program at RISEBA is considered as a creative director of the studies.

The main study cores of the MA program are as follows:

• architecture, urban planning, and sustainability;
• entrepreneurship, project management, and law studies;
• BIM – building information modeling studies;
• optional studies related to the creative industries and arts;
• study practice in local or international architecture firms or municipal institutions.

The list of the study courses for standard track – download here.
The list of the study courses for specialisation track – download here.
Standard track course descriptions – here.

The fundamental concept of the program is the continuous development of the Master’s thesis during the whole study process. This factor allows concluding that the study process will provide an individual approach to every student’s interests. The content of the Bachelor’s program at RISEBA covers the major part of the knowledge, skills, and competencies ascribed to the Architects profession allowing to establish the Master’s program as a cycle of specialization studies – the concept of urban planning seems very reasonable. The program reflects the needs of contemporary developments (including technological resources and systems) and marks the program as potentially interesting for educational & professional partnership in the future.

The academic staff involved in the program: guest lecturer, architect Dirk Jan Postel (Netherlands), RISEBA Honorary professor, architect Andris Kronbergs, architect, assistant professor Ilze Paklone, social anthropologist, guest lecturer Viesturs Celmiņš, urban planner and architect, guest lecturer Egons Bērziņš, assistant professor Iveta Ludviga, guest lecturer Jānis Rušenieks, guest lecturer Andis Kublačovs, guest lecturer Jana Jākobsone, guest lecturer Jānis Berķis, lecturer Ivars Runģis, guest lecturer, architect Rudolfs Dainis Šmits, guest lecturer, architect, urban planner Mark Geldof, guest lecturer, landscape architect Helēna Gūtmane, guest lecturer, landscape architect Ilze Rukšāne and others.

International opportunities: one semester studies/practice abroad (ERASMUS Programme)

Start of the studies for the upcoming period: February 2023.

Tuition fee: 5540 EUR  (Latvian citizens)
Tuition fee: 6920 EUR  (for citizens of EU, EEA, CIS countries, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries)

• The additional 15% discount (for the first study year) will be given to RISEBA University BA Architecture program graduates.

RISEBA University also supports high-performing and creative students in the financing of their studies and offers a wide range of other tuition fee discounts. More information on the study fees, discounts. More on the study loans and scholarships.

Professional Master’s program “Architecture” is accredited until February 2, 2029.