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Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1)

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Including an A2 level pass in an Art & Design subject

In a relevant Art & Design subject.

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

DDM

In a relevant Art & Design subject.

Including a higher level pass in an Art & Design subject

UCAS Tariff

120

For entry of this course you will be assessed by portfolio/interview.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Architecture

Imagination, investigation and innovation are the driving forces behind this course. Join us to explore a wide variety of approaches and discover areas that interest you.

This is one of our flagship degrees and is recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects and Architects Registration Board. You'll achieve the first qualification you need on your journey to becoming an architect.

We take a hands-on approach, so you can expect us to push your creativity. Throughout the course, you'll focus on the process of making, and then reflect on what you've designed to boost your technical knowledge. You'll develop the skills all architects need, including drawing, model making and using computer-aided design.

In the lecture theatre, you'll cover history, theory, technology and computing. To give you the support you need, our experienced tutors will run sessions with you individually or in a small group.

Throughout the course, you'll develop your own creative style, and put together your own portfolio to showcase your talents to potential employers after you graduate. The core of architecture is the design studio, and the main emphasis of our course is developing your design ability. Since our key aim is to push your creativity and judgment to the maximum, you can expect the course to be highly demanding.

The four-year course is perfect if you want a degree in architecture, but don't have the standard qualifications. We prepare you for your degree during your Foundation year, bringing you up to speed with academic skills and a firm grounding in advertising. Then you can go on to do the full undergraduate degree.

Modules

Year 1: Design Investigation 1 (Core), Mental Wealth: Professional Life 1 (Core), History and Theory 1 (Core), Technical Studies and Representation 1 (Core), Design Resolution 1 (Core), Design Integration 1 (Core)

Year 2: Design Investigation 2 (Core), Mental Wealth: Professional Life 2 (Core), History and Theory 2 (Core), Technical Studies and Representation 2 (Core), Design Resolution 2 (Core), Design Integration 2 (Core)

Year 3: Design Investigation 3 (Core), Mental Wealth: Professional Life 3 (Core), History and Theory 3 (Core), Integrated Technology (Core), Design Resolution 3 (Core), Design Integration 3 (Core)

For more information about individual modules, please visit our course pages via the link below.

Assessment methods

Studio work is assessed within a design portfolio and supporting studies in the form of a bound report.

We provide students with feedback on their progress throughout the year during tutorials and crits. Final assessment takes place at the end of each academic year. There are no closed book examinations.

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
£14,580
per year
International
£14,580
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Docklands Campus

Department:

School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE)

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.

95%
Architecture

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

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
89%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
89%
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

66%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
76%
Course specific equipment and facilities
68%
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?

84%
UK students
16%
International students
57%
Male students
43%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
E
B

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.

89%
low
Employed or in further education
67%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

41%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
15%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
7%
Design occupations

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.

£19k

£19k

£22k

£22k

£24k

£24k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

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Nearby University
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BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
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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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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.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here