More than 1,000 people sign petition to save ‘unique’ University of Sheffield degree

A petition to save a “unique” University of Sheffield postgraduate degree has reached over 1,000 signatures.

The dual Master’s in landscape and architecture (MALA) course is set to close this year. It is currently accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Landscape Institute, and is the only integrated degree of its kind.

The petition – which was started by 2024 BA graduate Sam Penrose – calls the decision “shocking”, adding that the course has “strong reputation as such a significant and unique course within education”.

Jo McCafferty, a RIBA external examiner, is quoted in the petition as saying: “I have consistently witnessed and reported the value of this combined course, the quality of its teaching and its wider benefit on the work of the students studying the pure architectural courses.

“This course should be expanded, valued, promoted and celebrated – not cut. It is absolutely counter to the core principles on which the School of Architecture was founded and why students are attracted to it from around the globe.”

The university’s student protection plan says there is a “low risk” of discontinuing a programme due to insufficient enrolments but that they “track student demand and may choose to close a programme to future cohorts where demand is declining or as part of a refresh of our wider portfolio”

“From time to time we may also decide to suspend recruitment to a programme for a fixed period. We have significant experience of managing changes of this type and of ensuring that such changes do not impact negatively on existing cohorts of students.”

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A former graduate of the degree, Olivia Hellman, also says in the petition: “The dual accreditation from the RIBA and Landscape Institute offered an unparalleled progression route that I could not have pursued elsewhere. It is disheartening to imagine future students being denied access to such a transformative experience.”

Fellow graduate, Emma Koch, added it was a “huge loss to the individuals, School [of Architecture and Landscape], and the industry”.

A spokesperson for the university said: “Unfortunately we have seen a very low number of students register their interest in some of our postgraduate Landscape and Architecture courses, so we have decided to suspend recruitment to those particular programmes for 2025.

“We are very proud of our School of Architecture and Landscape, which is highly respected and has strong connections with the professions. We are still offering postgraduate courses in these fields.”