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Architectural Design and Technology

Entry requirements


A minimum of 2 A Levels required including 2 relevant subjects.

Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

HNC (BTEC)

P-D

HND (BTEC)

P-M

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29-31

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D*

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

T Level

M

If T Level isn't in a relevant subject, you will be required to submit a portfolio for consideration.

UCAS Tariff

112-128

From a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Extended Diploma or OCR Extended Diploma, including 2 relevant subjects or a BTEC relevancy. For detailed information on accepted qualifications, please view our Course Entry Statement (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/documents/course-entry-requirement-statement.pdf) Solent University is a proud champion of widening participation. For further information about our contextual offer, please visit our website (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/what-next/contextual-offers)

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Architectural technology

**Ranked first for student satisfaction, and third for graduate prospects in the Complete University Guide 2021 UK league tables (subject 'Architecture').**

Are you a creative thinker with a passion for technology and architecture? Professionally accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, this course explores three branches of the fascinating architectural technology industry: design, technology and professional practice. This is complemented by modules in sustainable environmental design and Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Our award-winning graduates gained First and Second (Highly Commended) at the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)’s 2017 Student Awards for Technical Excellence in Architectural Technology, and Commended in 2018.

Taught by a dedicated and well-qualified team, the architectural design and technology course is professionally accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, meaning that the curriculum meets the specific needs of the architectural technology industry. The curriculum equips students with a strong grounding in architectural design, construction technology, technical design and professional practice. Students also have the opportunity to qualify as a BREAAM Accredited Graduate.

Solent architectural design and technology students have the opportunity to showcase their final-year projects to employers and the public at our end-of-year Summer Show, and in the past students have secured graduate employment as a result.

Students also have the opportunity to work in our architectural technology studio. Fully-equipped with the latest version of industry standard software, this modern studio space was developed to give a sense of the feel and atmosphere of a working professional studio, bringing students together from various built environment courses to collaborate as they would in the real-world workplace.

Solent students will study in the heart of an exciting city undergoing significant development, from the royal pier project, the new cultural quarter and Watermark West Quay to Solent University’s own Spark building.

Strong industry links allow study projects to be linked to real-world briefs, giving students the opportunity to work with clients and employers. This full time course is also offered on a part-time day release basis for students progressing from a relevant HNC.

**What does this course lead to?**
This course prepares graduates for a range of careers within a number of organisations, such as architectural and architectural technology practices, local authorities and building contractors.

The majority of our graduates find employment as architectural technologists within architectural practices, such as ADAM Architecture, HPW, Stride Treglown, HGP Architects and even as far afield as Spain and Australia. Some graduates work for local government, such as Hampshire County Council and Dorset County Council.

**Who is this course for?**
This architectural design and technology course is ideal first step for those who want to attain chartered status with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists or the Chartered Association of Building Engineers after graduation.

Modules

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Architectural Design Development
Construction Technology
Architectural Communication
Architectural Design Realisation
Building Law Management
Science of Materials

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Architectural Design
Technical Design
Sustainable Refurbishment
Advanced Construction Technology
Building Information Modelling
Procurement and Project Management

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Sustainable Architectural Design
Sustainable Technical Design
Contracts Administration and Specifications
Professional Practice

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (Please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each year)
Final Major Project
Research Dissertation

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed with a mixture of design-based portfolios, e-portfolios, essays, research projects, reports and presentations.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,125
per year
International
£16,125
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Science and Engineering

Read full university profile

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.

84%
Architectural technology

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

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
94%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
84%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

86%
UK students
14%
International students
76%
Male students
24%
Female students
62%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
D

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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
40%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
4%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

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.

£28k

£28k

£28k

£28k

£33k

£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 is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here