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Architecture and Environmental Design

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

including Mathematics, plus preferably one of Art, Physics, Chemistry or Design & Technology. Excluding General Studies, Thinking Skills, Global Perspectives and Research, Critical Thinking.

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

To include 15 level 3 credits in maths units achieved at Distinction.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,M1,M1

including Mathematics and preferably an art-based subject

Extended Project

A

If you have already achieved your EPQ at grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject. If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, and also an alternate offer with a condition of one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ. If you qualify for a contextual offer, your EPQ will be taken into consideration and the appropriate adjustment will be made to your offer. Please note that if you qualify for an enhanced contextual offer, your EPQ will not be taken into consideration as we are unable to make any further adjustments to your offer.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English grade 5 (alpha grade B), Mathematics grade 5 (alpha grade B), one of Physics grade 5 (alpha Grade B) or Double/Combined Science grade 55(BB). Grade 4 (C) in GCSE subjects may be considered where your portfolio is exceptional.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36

including either Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches 5 at Higher Level or 6 at Standard Level, or Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation 5 at Higher Level only and preferably an art-based subject at Higher Level. Mathematical Studies not accepted.

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

D*D

Acceptable when taken alongside A Level mathematics grade A.

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

D

acceptable alongside two A Level grades AA to include A Level mathematics.

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

D*DD

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma Engineering D*DD including Distinctions in each of "Engineering Principles", "Calculus for Solving Engineering Problems" and "Further Engineering Mathematics".

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A

including Mathematics and preferably Art or Design & Technology. This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Higher grades AAABB.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,B,B

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades AA, including Mathematics and preferably Art or Design & Technology.

A Level mathematics also required. For applicants with T Level qualifications without A Level mathematics the Foundation year (H100) is recommended.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

A

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with A Level grades AA, including Mathematics and preferably an art-based subject.

UCAS Tariff

112-153

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

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About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Architecture

If you are thinking about studying architecture and have an interest in environmental design, our four-year course will give you the specialist knowledge and skills needed to design environmental systems for buildings.

When you graduate, you will have the expertise to confidently develop high-quality architecture that shows a comprehensive understanding of climate and the need to keep building occupants comfortable.

Based on University Park, you will have access to excellent facilities to support your studies and research. These include dedicated studio spaces, workshops and research labs equipped with the latest renewable energy technologies.

In years two and three there’s the opportunity to choose from up to 12 different studio units which means you can select based on your area of interest. With a mixture of teaching, workshops, field work trips and working with customers on projects, our course gives you the skills that architecture practices are looking for. You’ll also be part of our vertical studio which sees year two, three and four students (K100/K230) working alongside each other, providing great opportunities for peer mentoring and skills transfer.

You will have the opportunity to submit your work to international competitions such as CIBSE Young Engineer Award and the Royal Academy British Institution Award for Students’ Work.

Our students have won many national and international awards including the AJ Student Prize 2021 (undergraduate category), the RIBA Bronze Medal (2017) and the RIBA Sergeant Award for Excellence in Drawing at Part 1 (2020).

If you want to become an architect, the MEng course is followed by one year's supervised professional experience before embarking on the two-year MArch Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part II) and one further year's professional experience culminating in a Part Three exam.

This course is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and is exempt from the Part One professional exam. It is also accredited by the Engineering Council through the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Modules

In year one you will develop key design skills and techniques as well as looking at fundamental ideas and concepts relating to environmental design, construction, structural design, and architectural theory. You will also learn important mathematical tools that support the design of environmentally responsible building systems. The second year explores the concepts behind the active and passive systems used to provide healthy, comfortable conditions for building occupants and includes modules such as: electricity and the built environment, tectonics, architectural humanities and environmental design. In year three you will progress to advanced environmental design techniques and complete a major studio project, designing a complex building. Your fourth year will develop your ability to tackle complex building briefs and your independent research skills.

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
£28,600
per year
International
£28,600
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

The Uni


Course location:

University Park Campus

Department:

Department of Architecture and Built Environment

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.

88%
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

97%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
94%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
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

46%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
76%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
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?

83%
UK students
17%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
95%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A*
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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
90%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

68%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
7%
Other elementary services occupations
5%
Architects, town planners and surveyors

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.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£30k

£30k

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 criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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