If you enrolled before the 2025/2026 academic year, consult the list of Programmes and Regulations available on your School website.
MSc in Architectural Design and History
Architectural Design and History – ADH is the Master of Science programme at Politecnico di Milano, Mantova Campus, designed to educate architects capable of addressing the major challenges of contemporary architecture. The programme combines advanced design, technical expertise, and a solid humanistic background, offering students a comprehensive, critical, and international education.
One of the programme’s key strengths is its connection with the UNESCO Chair “Architectural Preservation and Planning in Heritage Cities”, which links Mantova to a global network of 950 universities. This gives students the opportunity to engage with ideas, research, and experiences from all over the world. In addition, every spring, the MANTOVARCHITETTURA festival brings leading figures in contemporary architecture to Mantova, offering students the chance to meet visiting professors, designers, and internationally renowned critics.
Studying ADH also means living and learning in a unique place: Mantova, a city included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a capital of the Renaissance. Here, students experience every day the beauty and value of a historic urban environment, while also enjoying the high quality of life of a contemporary Italian town that is welcoming and human-scaled.
All candidates for admission to Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Programmes at the School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering are required to submit an application for career assessment using the specific function available on the University website, in the Online Services section.
Graduate Students from the AUIC School Automatically Entitled to Admission
The following are automatically entitled to admission to their first-choice Programme and precede all other candidates in the ranking list.
Students who have gained a Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science), in accordance with the admission requirements, from the Politecnico di Milano and who:
- graduated within 4 years of their initial enrolment;
- have a fulfilled N/V parameter* by 10th October of the second calendar year after their initial enrolment;
- hold certification of English language learning by the established deadline.
For the “Architectural Design and History - Progettazione Architettonica e Storia” Programmes, the N and V parameters are as follows: - Students enrolled since the A.Y. 2021/21: N/V 104/27.
The N and V parameters (number of ECTS and weighted average) required can be found in the student’s Study Plan.
Students Admitted with Assessment of Merit
Students not automatically entitled to admission, external students and students transferred from another Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Programme are subject to assessment of merit.
The following are required for being admitted to a Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Programme in Architectural Design and History:
- a Class L-17 qualification (or Class 4 ex Min.Decree 509/1999), without curricular integrations, or a qualification obtained abroad that is recognised as being suitable;
- a laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) or 3-year university qualification (Min.Decree 270/04, art. 6), subject to fulfilment of the essential educational activities given in the table relative to the laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) in Architecture and Science (class L-17), held to be a mandatory curricular requirement, in compliance with Directive 85/384 EEC and relative recommendations.
Admission to the LM-4 Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) programme in Architectural Design and History is only permitted if the selection test is passed; the selection test consists of a comparative assessment that considers the student's past career (on the basis of the documents presented by the applicant when pre-enrolling) and possible other important and suitably documented training or professional experiences.
To be admitted to the LM-4 Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) programme in Architectural Design and History, Politecnico di Milano has established a knowledge of English as a pre-requisite.
In line with European Union standards, the programme is structured as a coherent academic path that combines design studios, subject-specific courses, integrated modules, and electives. Open to both Italian and international students, it fosters exchange across different cultural backgrounds through the presence of international faculty and the use of English as the language of instruction.
The programme equips graduates to engage creatively and critically with both design and research. In the first year, students learn to connect architectural design and history, explore restoration and survey methods, and test design solutions in historic contexts through the integration of architecture and landscape. The year is completed by two lecture-based courses focusing on materials and the history of architecture.
In the second year, the focus broadens to urban design in historic settings, the environmental sustainability of the built environment, and the management of architectural heritage. These themes are addressed through an interdisciplinary approach that brings together urban design, landscape architecture, architectural technology, environmental design, economics, and heritage evaluation.
The programme culminates in the Final Workshop, Antico e Nuovo, a preparatory studio for the final thesis organised into three sections. Here, architectural design is combined respectively with landscape architecture and building technology, with conservation and exhibition design, and with structural strengthening and art history.
Electives further enrich the curriculum by offering both humanistic and technical perspectives, including spatial representation, diagnostic methods for conservation, conservation design for historic buildings, architectural theory and history, and building information modelling for existing heritage.
There are a large number of career opportunities, in general and in the specific sector, among which: freelancing or working for professional studios; companies; public administration; research, public consultancy and private institutions; international entities.
For information on the programme structure and course organization:
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND HISTORY
For information on student services, as well as the educational and research opportunities offered by the Mantova Campus:
Know more about the programme through a current student’s experience. Book your online one-to-one meeting through #Askastudent – Our voice for your choice project.
- For further information about the Master’s Degree
- For further information on the registration process