University of Ljubljana

The Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana is generally considered one of the challenging Central European schools of architecture. Confirmation of its quality comes from numerous successful students and graduates, often achieving enviable results domestically and abroad, as well as its high quality teaching staff effectively covering most contemporary issues of architectural creativity. There are almost 700 students enrolled in the graduate course while the teaching and associate staff includes some 65 employees. Enrolment in the Faculty entails an entrance exam. Each year 120 regular and 45 part-time students are accepted. In the year 2000 the 3000th student graduated from the Faculty. Our graduates are known for their general and professionally profiled knowledge and systematic project approach enabling successful employment in various fields of artistic and architectural endeavours – from graphic design, scenography, interior design, architectural and urban design to physical planning.

The graduate course lasts nine semesters. A student has to pass some 40 exams before graduation. The first three years of the course are intended for education on general professional knowledge and skills needed by a practising architect, while the fourth year and ninth semester are oriented into in-depth knowledge in architecture, urbanism and design. The backbone of the programme is the Studio, in which students on practical examples test knowledge gained from theoretical and methodological subjects. The Studio is led by a teacher with publicly acknowledged work and experience in the field of artistic creativity. The subject is organised as a tutored seminar, with students from various years working together. They choose their tutor (mentor) independently. The graduate course is completed with a diploma thesis with specified content and volume. Graduates are granted the title university diploma of engineer of architecture. The Faculty also provides a two-year specialist and master’s course and a three-year PhD course. Alongside the regular course the Faculty is also involved with research work and facultative engagements in numerous domestic and international workshops and Summer schools.

The Faculty of architecture in Ljubljana is already today part of the international university and research network in which the physical location of a University centre is losing in relevance. At the Faculty we are pursuing increased co-operation between faculties with ties between the best foreign universities, to increase or maintain the high level of domestic excellence in research and teaching assignments. Thus we are ensuring synchronisation of the faculty course programme and method of teaching with European university standards, above all to enable easier transition on accession to the European Union and easier integration in ongoing European inter-university and inter-faculty programmes. We are developing various kinds of co-operation and are present in European integration processes through various programmes (Socrates, Tempus, Ceepus, etc.). We are also introducing intensive international exchange of students on the graduate and post-graduate levels.

Based on internationally comparable programme guidelines, foreign teaching experiences and European standards, and above all principles of ensuring competitiveness for our graduates on the European level, we are gradually adapting our course programme and reaserch endeavours to new conditions. Hereby numerous new issues dealing with technological possibilities have emerged, brought about by modern tele-communication means, increased individuation in modern society, new ecological sensibility and needs for new theoretical models for understanding, monitoring and directing these processes.

Key person:
Tadeja Zupancic Strojan

University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana (SL)

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