Work Placements and Dissertations

Work Placements

Students of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning carry out one work placement per cycle (Bachelor/Master).

In addition to work experience, the objective of the work placement is to combine what has been learnt in the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning with the tasks entrusted to architects in their professional lives. The placement takes place with one host organisation over a period of 15 working days, not including during periods of teaching.

For the Bachelor’s programme, work placements are carried out with a construction company or design office (Architect, HVAC, Project Manager, etc.). The aims of the Bachelor’s programme are to immerse students in a professional context related to their field of study and to strengthen the links between architectural design and project implementation. The work placement is ‘site’ oriented and focuses on understanding the roles of those involved in the direct management of building construction. The placement can be organised over several periods to cover the different phases of construction. Supervision of structural work remains a priority in the Bachelor’s programme. Work placements with architectural firms or design offices are admissible provided they are “site” oriented and enable the student to understand the links between the project (plans, quantity surveying, special specifications, etc.) and the site.

During the Master’s course, work placements take place with an architectural firm or design office exclusively, or in an administrative entity linked to architecture and/or urban planning (private or public).

A compulsory placement report, complying with the guidelines, must be written by the student. It must detail the work carried out and describe the experience in a structured, detailed and critical manner to the holder of the UE (Teaching Unit), who will decide the quality of the report and whether the objectives of the placement have been achieved.

Dissertations

By producing a personal written project on a subject directly related to architecture, students develop and illustrate their ability to prospect, analyse and summarise.

The final year dissertation (TFE) is an important intellectual written assignment.  It provides the basis for an introduction to the methods of investigating and structuring thought, deepening knowledge, offering objective criticism and verifying ideas.  It should instil in students a taste for questioning and discovery, reflection and clear formulation.  It should also lay the foundations for the personal development of knowledge (learning to learn) and open the door to objective and impartial research.

Completing a dissertation also enables students to develop further research and compare ideas through systematic analysis.

Final projects for FA+U students are carried out during the 2nd year of the Master’s programme and are not necessarily linked to work placements. The subjects must be defined during the 1st year of the Master’s and a progress report must be validated by the end of this year.