ADN, I cannot speak for the program although I did want to do an exchange in Brussels while in undergrad. Anyways, before considering chasing a Master's degree in Europe, you are best to check with the CACB to see if they recognize the program.

If your goal is to return to Canada and acquire a license to practice architecture, it would be unfortunate that you chose a program which is not accredited making you illegible for intern architect status.

Thank you Non Sequitur,

I have consulted with the CACB, although they are very reluctant to answer any questions regarding whether or not they recognize any particular non-Canadian program. They simply say you must request an assessment of academic qualifications when you begin the intern process. Short answer: we can't tell you.

Ideally I would like to become a licensed architect, however I am very limited financially. But would really like to study abroad for a couple of years. I have investigated several other programs, namely, the Dessau Institute of Architecture and the TUT in Tampere, Finland.

My hopes was to find someone who had attended any of these programs and returned to Canada or the United States and successfully begun the licensing process. If anyone has or knows of someone I would love to hear from them!!

ADN, the best and easiest way to study abroad is to go through a Canadian university which has connections to European schools. Normally you would pay Canadian tuition fees through your home university and spend a semester or two elsewhere as long as you can demonstrate that the courses offered are compatible.

I know that Carleton's school of architecture has such opportunities. Just last week one student was visiting my construction site and was proud to say she was going to be spending the next semester in an architecture school in spain. This way, you still travel/study abroad, and your academic qualifications remain accredited. Schools with mandatory COOP probably don't offer this.

Architecture school is long, expensive and acceptances are limited for good reasons. I am afraid, if you want to eventually practice architecture at home, you're in it for a long haul.

Thanks again for the non-response Non Sequitur.

I would like to study abroad for a number of reasons. An M.Arch in Canada will take me upwards to 3.5 years and cost $10,000 a year. In several European programs I can get an M.Arch or similar in 2-2.5 years for free! I've always wanted to live abroad for a substantial amount of time. But thank you for your insight.

Again, I would love to find someone who received their Masters in Europe and returned to Canada. I want to know what challenges they faced regarding professional designation.

Wait.. how can you get away with free tuition in Europe?

If you're aiming for the cheap route... a word of advice if I may, you'll be facing a rather difficult climb once you return to Canada. One reason why hardly any European programs are accepted for licensing/intern status in Canada is because as a registered architect, you are expected to know our National building in addition to any other local codes PLUS architecture is a product of it's environment therefore studying in another country/continent will not expose you to the same building techniques, trades, materials and laws your future license will depend on.

I assume that you have no background in architecture and therefore you are unfamiliar with the path to actually becoming an architect in Canada. My answer is not, as you claim, a "non-answer". There are no short-cuts in architecture.

Non-Sequitur,

Firstly, my apologies for the 'non-response' comment, believe it or not that was a typo.

I am quite familiar with the architectural industry. I have two degrees; one in architecture one in urban planning. I currently work as an Urban Designer for a large firm and have several years of experience as an architectural designer and urban designer. I am also aware that it will be an uphill battle upon returning to Canada to get certified. I work with severally internationally trained and very talented individuals who have given up on certification. A sad reality that should be remediated given Canada's prominent roll as an immigrant destination.

What I am trying to do is gauge how difficult that battle will be. I am trying to understand if the programs which I have identified (that I have done considerable research on and have concluded that they are of high quality) would be best to enroll in. I will apply to Canadian schools as a contingency plan.

Again, if anyone is familiar with the following schools and could tell me about their experience it would be very much appreciated.

DIA, M.Arch - Dessau

TUT M.Sc. Arch - Tempere

KU Leuven, M.Sc. Arch - Brussels, Ghent

Regards,

Fair enough, I assumed you were applying from outside the discipline since prior academic info was not given in the OP. Still curious how a Canadian resident can score free tuition in another country... we can't even get Quebec level fees in Ontario unless you've lived there for a few years. Best of luck, but this may not be the best place to seek info on specific schools unfortunately.

AND, I wonder if you managed to get in to KU Leuven. Domus magazine has recently announced that KU Leuven is one of 50 architecture school in Europe, so I assume it should worth the reputation. If you did have searched about the info, may I possibly ask what was their request for the portfolio? Their university website is like a labyrinth, and I couldn't find any information about a portfolio that should be handed in when registering.

Cheers!