This is a foundation module that introduces the fundamental principles, processes, and methods of architectural design.
The module aims to engage students in the experimentation of architectural space and to familiarise them with the creative process of producing architectural forms.
A series of small-scale design exercises provide students with the opportunity to deal with the fundamental issues of space, form, use, construction, and site as design generators.
Model making, hand drawing, technical drawings and graphic communication skills are taught as an integral part of the design projects.

This module provides the basis for an understanding of architecture on the wider built environment of cities, territories and landscapes. It introduces architecture as a cultural and contextual phenomenon within its locality and in the global context.
It aims to raise the student’s awareness of architecture and the built environment as an intrinsic part of our society, as well as to recognise architecture as a cultural product that expresses programme, form, tectonics, site conditions and social practices.
Students analyse and explore diverse spatial experiences, from notable international sites and buildings to the local landscape and urban conditions, exploring Macau as an urban laboratory.
Lectures are complemented with field experience, including site visits, walks through the city and exercises to discover, explore, express and question the key topics covered in the module.

This module introduces methods of representation as means of observing, thinking, and drawing architecture. It aims to deepen students’ visual perception, providing essential representation skills and techniques. The module explores the theory and practice of sketching and interpreting three-dimensional objects and introduces students to the technical standards in engineering drawings. Students work through a structured series of exercises to draw accurate engineering drawings and sketch increasingly complex objects, figures and spaces.
Alongside extensive hand drawings, students are introduced to essential concepts and techniques of 2D computer-aided design.

Building upon Architectural Studio I, this studio intends to consolidate students’ basic design skills addressing the issues essential to the training of an architect.
The studio approaches architectural space as an interface for human living, focusing on its relation to the measures and uses of man and in its tectonic materialisation.
Through a design project for a small habitation, students work through a design process that guides them from the conception of space to the internal organisation and hierarchies of the building, the articulation of components, and realisation through building materials and construction.
The studio develops 2D CAD skills, introduces 3D modelling and further expands modelmaking, hand-drawing and graphic communication skills.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the history and theory of Western and Asian architecture, from ancient times to the nineteenth century.
The study of Pre-Modern architecture focuses on the development of major architectural movements and their significant buildings in Europe and Asia, and on the analysis and interpretation of buildings in terms of their form, aesthetics, technology and socio-cultural background highlighting the relationship between architectural production and their geographic, historical, political and temporal contexts.

This module introduces the fundamental knowledge of construction materials and construction methods and their potential applications. Emphasis is placed on tectonics, the relation between materials and construction techniques, and the ethical and environmental aspects of its selection and application.
The lectures progressively introduce a framework for understanding the properties and environmental impact of fundamental building materials and how they are used within the construction industry.
Students develop an understanding of how the site, programme, culture, and environment influence the choices of material, structure, and construction techniques and, in turn, how these decisions impact the overall development of architectural projects.

Building upon Sketching and Engineering Drawing I, this module intends to consolidate students’ representation skills and techniques as a means of exploring their surrounding environment, drawing and conceiving architecture. It aims to deepen students’ visual and conceptual perception, enabling them to read/explore and interpret space through the instrument of drawing.
Students engage in a range of freehand drawing exercises to explore diverse representation techniques, such as fast sketching, observational drawings, perspective sketching, and life drawing.
Alongside extensive hand drawings, this module also aims to help students build up their ability in 2D computer-aided design, which is used for drafting, analysis, and communication in architectural design projects.

This module introduces and explores the main concepts of academic and digital literacy. Students will gain an overview of research intent and design, methodology and technique, format and presentation, and data analysis and management. Furthermore, this module will guide the students in writing and reading tasks required in an academic context and help them to plan and write essays in academic language and format. To succeed as a student and in the professional world the module's content will help the students develop skills to create and perform academic and professional presentations. Furthermore, educational and digital literacy operate rapidly into the emergence of new forms of communication and interaction; therefore, they are crucial to be understood and used effectively and efficient way. This module will prepare students with the appropriate ability to find, evaluate, and compose clear information through writing and other media on various digital platforms.

Most “Thinking and Reasoning” courses offered in colleges and universities are taught and designed by professors from departments of philosophy and sometimes psychology. Not surprisingly, the questions asked and the critical thinking skills these questions are expected to stimulate and develop tend to be framed, in varying degrees of explicitness, by the instructor’s own disciplinary training and interests. Hence, it is often that “Thinking and Reasoning” courses speak of “higher-order thinking”, “philosophic and logic systems”, “analytical forms of reasoning”, and so on. This module takes a practical approach to thinking and reasoning as a liberal arts standard core module for beginning university students. In designing this course, particular attention is given to critical and analytical skills that are more immediately applied or “useful,” i.e., learning competencies that can be readily transferable across disciplines.
Nevertheless, the module focuses on issues of application, decision and judgment, tangible outcomes and results, and transferable strategies through a rigorous examination of the processes of thinking and learning at the undergraduate level. In other words, the module aims to enhance students’ capabilities to see things from different perspectives, emphasizing the role of imagination and creative thinking in articulating ideas. It will develop competencies in critical thinking and working collaboratively with others.

This studio focuses on the development of architectural design tools and processes, with emphasis on analytical skills, programmatic development, spatial organisation, and presentation of concepts and design.
The studio aims to engage students in the design of architectural space in response to use and programme, considering the site and cultural context.
Through the design of a small-scale public building, students engage in design processes that explore the programme and use as drivers of spatial organisation the integration on the site and cultural context and the relationship between form and structure.

This module introduces students to the history and theory of Modern architecture through significant works, from the Industrial Revolution to Postmodernism.
It analyses Modern buildings as products of their time and context impacted by a complex constellation of artistic, cultural, theoretical, social, economic, and political forces - and examines the influence of technological advancements and ideological manifestoes in the development of Modern architecture.
There is a focus on notable works - from Europe, Asia and North America - and their relationship both with their local context and global trends over time.

This module explores digital modelling techniques and fabrication processes applied to architecture. Students are introduced to digital techniques as tools for design and discourse in architecture, modelling complex spaces and producing detailed renders and line drawings for presentation. The course focuses on the production of visual contents and images for presentation, as well as introducing digital analysis for environmental and structural systems.
Students also learn how to create physical models to test and explore design solutions as the architect’s primary tool, along with drawing and research. Digital fabrication technologies provide an opportunity for architecture students to take over their digital plans and empower them to control the full process from the digital design to the physical model.

This studio focuses on the analytical and critical approach to architecture, exploring architectural design in response to existing structures, current conditions and future ambitions.
The studio engages students on the critical observation of existing architecture within the built environment, aiming to understand their history, fundamental conditions, characteristics, elements, stakeholders and contextual relations.
Through the project of adaptive-reuse of an existing building, students are asked to reimagine a sustainable future for existing architecture, integrating conflicting constraints - new uses, flexible programme, comfort standards, contemporary technologies and materials, environmental technologies, economic constraints - with the building history, structure, stakeholders and contextual development.
Emphasis is placed on the articulation between the new intervention and the existing structure, the integration of construction technology, and the relationship with history and context.

This module aims to explore the principles, techniques and methodologies for heritage conservation and intervention in old buildings.
It examines the meaning of heritage, the value of conservation and the adaptive reuse of buildings and public spaces. It also addresses issues of cultural identity, authenticity, and sustainability in architectural rehabilitation.
Students are given insights on how to identify and categorise the structural and constructive pathologies of ancient buildings and to identify the adequate intervention methodology, its criteria and technical solutions. Methodologies for maintenance of the buildings after rehabilitation are also approached.

This module provides an introduction to structural principles in architectural design, addressing the static and dynamic analysis of structures.
Students learn how to analyse, model and predict the behaviour of structural systems.
The module provides an understanding of the action of forces and the physical behaviour of structural systems. Emphasis is placed on integrating design parameters with consideration for the site, intended usage, safety, efficiency and architectural integration.

This module presents the key philosophical concepts as developed in the Aristotelian tradition, including (1) natural being, (2) human being and (3) the source and end of being. Students will first acquire an overview of philosophical anthropology, ethics and ontology. Students will then be exposed to Confucian thought and specifically Thomistic perspectives on virtue and natural law. The study of ethics goes beyond abstract considerations of right and wrong conduct or just and unjust behaviour to encompass inquiry into what constitutes “the good life” or a life worth living. A special focus will be given to the relevance of the Western Canonical tradition on value judgments and moral questions.

This module provides an understanding on the Chinese National Culture, it’s History and Philosophy. Furthermore, the module provides an overview of the key features and evolution of the China's political and legal system. There will be several topics covered in this course, including Chinese political ideology and organizations (the Chinese Communist Party and state institutions), legal and judicial systems and institutions, legislative systems and processes (the People's Congresses and the Political Consultative Conferences), and bureaucratic processes. In addition, the course introduces the concept of the One Country Two System and its operation.

This studio focuses on the integration of diverse programmes on architectural design, with emphasis on innovative spatial materialisations of mixed-used buildings.
The studio deepens the understanding of the evolutive nature of architectural form in response to contextual changes at the economic, social and cultural levels.
Through the design of a mixed-used building, students articulate different uses and contrasting functional requirements, explore the relation between programme and spatial organisation, consider technical requirements and statutory constraints, and respond to the site and local socio-economic conditions.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the history of architecture in Asia, from ancient times to the twentieth century, and to introduce students to vernacular architecture through the study of this built form in Asia.
The history of architecture in Asia covers key regions and analyses different indigenous building types in Asia, in both traditional and contemporary times, focusing on the relationship between architecture, geography and climate to develop an understanding of local built form as a means of expression of people and their culture.

This module explores the principles of environmental technology - both natural and artificial - and the fundamental approaches to sustainable architectural design. Students develop a critical understanding of environmental conditions and systems and how they impact the operation of a building and are affected by the built environment.
The module explores the potential of environmentally sustainable systems and the approaches, materials, strategies and technologies to deal with them, enabling students to implement them when developing design solutions for greener buildings. It focuses on the integration of innovative strategies and active environmental technologies in the design of sustainable buildings to maximise their comfort and minimise their environmental impact. Historical and contemporary case studies are used to illustrate the technical content of the module.
Students are also introduced to the methods and criteria for building performance evaluation and international environmental assessment and certification systems.

This module introduces spatial computational thinking as a method to generate parametrically driven prototypes with the capacity to produce innovative architectural structures.
It aims to provide students with an opportunity to explore the integration of generative procedures within architecture, learning the necessary skills to control elements within a 3D environment.
Through a series of guided design exercises, students use parametric modelling tools for analysing and generating building elements. They enable them to structure their ideas as algorithmic procedures that integrate data structures, material properties, spatial concepts and functions, aiming to explore diverse and innovative spatial solutions.

The studio emphasises the application of building technologies in the design of high-rise architecture through the exploration of innovative high-density housing.
The studio combines the analysis of historical prototypes and local housing traditions with contemporary standards and technologies to develop residential architecture typologies appropriate to 21st-century urban lifestyles. The designs are engaged at the small-scale of individual apartments and at the macro-scale of the overall building block, incorporating spaces for socialising and public spaces to create a sustainable community ecosystem.
Students develop innovative alternatives to conventional housing models in Macau. In focusing on the creation of new organisational and functional strategies for residential developments, the studio covers issues relevant to both high-rise architecture and urban design.

This module engages students in the study of cities from an architectural perspective, understanding their origin, form, structure and evolution through times.
It introduces cities across continents, from ancient times to contemporary China, analysing their unique urban morphologies and the dynamic - economic, technological, political, religious, cultural and social - processes that shape them. Case studies are used to highlight key urban models, their characteristics and evolution overtime.

This module explores the integration of building systems in architectural design, consolidating the fundamental knowledge of materials, construction techniques, building structures and environmental technology previously acquired.
It explores the integration of building systems for design and performance evaluation, emphasising how successful integration consolidates the building elements holistically without compromising the integrity of each component, contributing to a better design.
The module makes use of Building Integration Modelling (BIM) and further explores its integration in the architectural design process.

"Art Appreciation" is a Liberal Arts module that aims to develop students' ability to discuss, analyse, understand and criticise works of Art. Through multi and interdisciplinary approaches, this 2-credit module equips students with a broad overview and knowledge of the theoretical, historical, and cultural aspects and relevance of the Arts in general and the Sacred Aesthetical tradition. The ten sessions will focus on the analysis and appreciation of works of Art based on aesthetic value, historical context, tradition, and social relevance. The assumption, function, and nature of the Sacred Arts (such as painting, sculpture, music, literature, etc.) related to creativity, imagination and innovation will be at the core of this module. Students will learn to deepen their sensitivity to self, community, and society and discover their identity through Art with respect to their background, culture, and nationality. By providing measurable standards for understanding artistic intent and expression through the essential elements of Aesthetics and Beauty, Art and Transcendence, students may increase their Appreciation of the arts' role in today society.

This module provides students with an overview of major debates, trends, and factors that influence China's foreign policy. It will help students understand the pillars, principles and actors that shape the Chinese foreign policy. In this regard, the following topics will be explored in the course: the module will examine the actors, principles, constraints, and tools involved in the process of making foreign policy. On the other hand, the module will describe China's relations with the rest of the world through case studies. In order to achieve this, the course combines theoretical lectures, guest speakers, group exercises, and practical workshops. Additionally, this module will prepare students to conduct research on Chinese foreign policy.

The Architecture Capstone Project I and II form a two-studio sequence that culminates the BAS program, integrating the acquired knowledge in the development of an urban plan and a comprehensive architectural design within the socio-cultural context of Macao.
The Architecture Capstone Project I focuses on the understanding of urban communities and the improvement of their public spaces and buildings. This studio encourages students to challenge the existing urban plans and to reimagine them from a public perspective, establishing synergetic relationships between buildings, public space and cities.
Students develop teamwork skills by undertaking in-depth site research of a selected area within the Macao Masterplan and developing a new strategic vision and collective urban plan.
This is followed by individual work to develop a small urban detail plan, define the building site and programme, and explore independent design-based research that provides the conceptual background for the subsequent development of architectural design in Architecture Capstone Project II.

This module explores major contemporary issues that impact architecture and the built environment nowadays and emerging practices extending the boundaries of the discipline. It examines key theoretical concepts developed from Postmodernism onwards to uncover the critical theories behind architectural form. Architecture and the built environment are analysed in relation to a broader cultural and social context to understand key contemporary challenges and drivers in architectural practice and theory.
The module explores the relation between architecture and urbanism, integrating urban research with architectural design methodologies, to examine how urban and architectural forms are developed. Emphasis is placed on the dialogue between critical theory and design practice to provide students with an intellectual background necessary for the development of their own architectural ideas.

This module introduces students to a range of advanced structures and construction techniques, focusing on the role of building technology in the advancement of architectural design.
The module aims to provide students with an understanding of the behaviour of both horizontal spanning and vertical structures. It explores the relationships between load-bearing mechanisms and various structural and architectural forms through the analysis of case studies of significant structures.
Local codes, building industry standards, structural conditions of sites and foundations are also addressed.
Special attention is given to experimental structures and materials and their architectural potential. Students explore the design implications of structural systems, particularly in the case of large-scale and high-rise buildings.

The Architecture Capstone Project I and II form a two-studio sequence that culminates the BAS program, integrating the acquired knowledge in the development of an urban plan and a comprehensive architectural design within the socio-cultural context of Macao.
The Architecture Capstone Project II builds upon the research and urban plan developed in Architecture Capstone Project I, providing the students with the opportunity to develop a critical position and undertake a project aligned with their research interest and professional ambition. The studio focuses on the coherent integration of multiple considerations - site, context, programme, concept, materials, structure, technology, environmental - through innovative architectural design.
Students produce a comprehensive architectural project based on a self-directed programme and design-based research to demonstrate competence in architectural theory and design.

This module prepares students for the marketplace with professional knowledge building regulations, project management, cost control, methods of project delivery, and entrepreneurship. It reviews the functional and operational activities and processes in typical architecture practices, and the common issues and concerns of practice managers. It will provide general knowledge of the legal obligations and bureaucratic procedures for an authorized person to practice architecture in Macau. Interaction, cooperation, or possible conflicts with other specialized practices related with project and construction will be addressed. Ethical issues for professional conduct, such as ownership of intellectual property and conflicts of interest, are considered. The module addresses issues related to architect registration; architect/client/consultant/contractor relationships; project management; tendering procedures; bills of quantities; scheduling techniques; measurement conventions; organization, management and other professional practice issues; legal responsibilities and relevant statutes. Analyses of relevant cases studies in architectural practice are also included.

This module prepares students for life after graduation, guiding them in the development of a portfolio, and providing practical professional experience in a real-scenario environment. Students are required to prepare and present a portfolio incorporating their unified body of work, incorporating a full range of projects, assignments, skills, and other work done by the student. As the most essential document for demonstrating the individual architect's quality and competency, the portfolio can be used nationally and internationally for entry into the marketplace or application to postgraduate study programs.
All architecture students must complete two hundred and forty (240) hours of internship in an approved architecture office. The time distribution may be determined by the student together with the office (assumed to be 8 weeks, with a workload of 35 hours but other combinations are possible).
During their internship, students must keep a log of their work, and examples of their work outputs. At the end of the module, students are required to present a summary of their internship in the form of a report or panel.

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. By exploring how interconnected elements, such as economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection are crucial for the well-being of individuals and societies, this module empowers students to become positive change agents of change, today and in their future professional practices. The module will help students understand sustainability from cultural and canonical philosophy perspective and put into practice the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, they will become familiar with the Laudato Si” Sustainable Goals on “care for our common home”. In addition, this module will allow to practice social outreach and to engage with the University of Saint Joseph’s sustainability agenda for Macao.

The course aims to develop a basic understanding of China’s historical relations with the world. Specifically, it explains the socio-historical environment and cultural identity of Macau, covering key aspects of its development over four centuries. The module will enhance understanding of the key socioeconomic aspects in the relationship between China and the Portuguese speaking world. The course addresses Macau’s past and present, including the basic concepts, theories, principles and spirit of the Constitution and the Basic Law. It covers residents’ fundamental rights and duties, political structure, economy, and culture. Furthermore, key events that have shaped its geographical space, its demography and its plural communities will also be covered. The students will study and explore aspects of the history, economic and administrative development, and the social, cultural and artistic patrimony of Macau through lectures, film, fieldwork, and reading of local writers and specialists who had written about Macau and its people.