The Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa had its origin in 1966, as a Lecture Course at CCT, training students in the field of Architecture for overseas examinations. In 1969, course was moved to the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, as the Department of Architecture to award as Bachelors Degree, since CCT was not a University. In 1972, when CCT was elevated to Campus of the University of Sri Lanka, Department of Architecture was returned to Katubedda;
Further, within the development itself, there was a growth, both in student numbers and the academic programs. At present, department conducts two undergraduate programs, namely,
- Bachelor of Architecture Honours [BArchHons]-Five years duration
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Honours [BLAHons] -Four years duration
The current intake for Bachelor of Architecture Honours [BArchHons] is 60 students. The University envisages to further increasing it to 80 students by 2020 with the addition of space and staff resources.
The degree program in Architecture is accredited by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) of UK; Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA); and Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) since 1995. The B. Arch degree is exempted from the part 2 examination of all the above mentioned three organizations.
The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Honours [BLAHons] was started in 2013 and the first batch of students passed out in 2017. It has an intake of 50 students. The program intends to obtain recognition from International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects (SLILA) in 2018.
In addition, the Department of Architecture conducts four postgraduate study programs, namely,
- Postgraduate Diploma leading to Master of Science in Architectural Conservation of Monuments and Sites.(M.Sc. in ACOMAS)
- Postgraduate Diploma leading to Master of Urban Design (MUD)
- Postgraduate Diploma leading to Master of Science in Interior Design
- Postgraduate Diploma leading to Master of Science in Landscape design [Not in session]
Department of Architecture plays a leading role in academic research on built environment. The department by itself organizes annual International Conference on Cities, People and Places (ICCPP) since 2013. It attracts many foreign academics and the fifth in the series was held in November 2017 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo.
The stage sector agencies in the island have placed a high level of confidence on the Department. The department provides Architectural consultancy services to the prestigious mega projects such as the Colombo Lotus Tower project; proposed District secretariats at Polonnaruwa, Kegalle, and Monaragala; SAARC secretariat at Navimana Matara; Financial Commission building at Rajagiriya; and several others.