Architecture
Cardiff University
UCAS Code: K100 | Master of Architecture - MArch (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Extended Project
EPQ in a subject relevant to Architecture. For applicants taking the EPQ qualification, an A in the EPQ can be recognised to lower the entry requirements by a single grade. For example an AAB offer would be "AAB from 3 A levels or ABB from 3 A levels and a grade A in the EPQ". Please note that any subject specific requirements must be met.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
You must have or be working towards English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (if you require a Tier 4 visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements) and GCSE Maths grade B/6 or equivalent qualification (subject and grade). If you are taking A-level Maths (or equivalent), GCSE Maths is not required. Core Maths may also be accepted in place of GCSE Maths.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
36-34 overall including 6 in one HL subject or 666 in 3 HL subjects.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in any subject.
T Level
Accepted subject: Design, surveying and planning for construction.
The Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the A Level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.
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About this course
The Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) has a reputation for being one of the best in the UK. Our aim is to make the world a better place through contextually sensitive, sustainable and beautiful architecture.
Through our courses, we support our students to become well-rounded and capable individuals, by addressing the full range of skills required to be an architect. These include creative design, building construction and performance, environmental design, issues of sustainability, matters of professional responsibility and the duties of an architect, and an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of architecture and urban design.
The BSc/MArch is a unique degree course as, after successful completion of the three-year BSc (or equivalent qualification from another university), students will spend most of the first year of the MArch in architectural practice. This is followed by a single, final year based in the school.
Part 1 and Part 2 of the UK professional qualification for architects are fulfilled by the BSc and MArch degrees, respectively. Both degrees are approved by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
Most of your time on these courses is spent in the design studio, working on architectural design projects that grow in scale and complexity as you progress through them. Many of the skills mentioned above are developed through and integrated into design. We offer a range of working spaces, workshops and computer aided design facilities to support this.
You will be taught both by permanent academic staff and tutors from local and leading UK practices, providing an exciting mix of design approaches and experiences. As the leading school of architecture in Wales, we have good links with the Welsh Government, construction industry bodies and professional practice locally, and we also have strong international links.
If you already have a first degree and wish to apply for the MArch Part 2 only, please visit our postgraduate pages for more information.
**Distinctive features**
* The Welsh School of Architecture is consistently placed among the top-ranked architecture schools in the UK on the basis of its teaching and research as noted in league tables and the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
* Our Architecture BSc is a three-year degree course in its own right, but can lead on to the two-year MArch course and eventual qualification as an architect, following completion of the Part 3 programme (Diploma/MA in Architecture: Professional Studies).
* Two-thirds of the BSc course is currently based on project work in the studio.
* We currently run study visits to architectural sites in the UK and overseas as a regular feature of the BSc course, and MArch units are regularly based in Europe.
* During the first year of the MArch course students are based in an architectural practice, undertaking a combination of practical and academic work.
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.
The Uni
Main Site - Cardiff
Welsh School of Architecture
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Architecture
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Architecture
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Architecture had a difficult time a few years back during the great recession, but those days are over and the degree is in demand as house building and infrastructure have increased in importance. Most working architects secure jobs in the architecture industry, more usually starting as assistants rather than full-blown architects or chartered technicians. Some, however, move into management, design or marketing roles, where they find their planning, design and project management skills are very welcome. Nearly half the architecture-related jobs last year were in London or the South-East, and this group are rather more likely than average to find their jobs through personal contacts, so polish your networking skills, or see if you can get work experience if you want to succeed as an architect.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Architecture
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£29k
£33k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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