Architecture
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: K100 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
120-128 points to include a minimum of 3 A levels. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
122-128 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 50-54. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25-26 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H3-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3
A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
120-128 Tariff points. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
T Level
A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
UCAS Tariff
120-128 points to include a minimum of 3 A levels, or equivalent. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
120-128 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate. A relevant subject or experience in Art and Design is required.
You may also need to…
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About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.
**Overview**
Take your first step to becoming a registered architect on our BA (Hons) Architecture degree course – accredited by Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
With client-driven projects and professional placements, you'll learn from the best in architecture and how to shape cities and communities for the better. Our teaching team of professional architects and focus on sustainability ensure your practice is future-proof and industry-standard.
After graduation, you’ll have the theoretical and practical foundations to pursue Master’s study and advance in your registration. You can also begin a career in the architecture, sustainability and construction industries, such as landscape architecture, interior design and historic building conservation.
**Course highlights**
- Fast-track your architect registration by completing this degree and getting Part 1 qualification – an ARB requirement
- Broaden your professional experience by working with actual clients in our in-house Architecture Project Office
- Experience a professional design studio by working in our dedicated studio spaces, developing your individual and team skills
- Get a taste of working in the architecture industry by taking an optional one-year placement
- Impress future employers by showcasing your work at our annual Graduate Show
- Enrich your theoretical understanding by going on site visits to major international cities – past trips include Helsinki, Barcelona, New York and Berlin
- Advance your abilities in key software used widely in the industries – including Building Information Modelling (BIM), advanced parametric modelling, environment evaluation software, and 3D scanning and printing tools
**Careers and opportunities**
Many graduates on this course continue their architect training with paid, mentored professional experience in a practice, before studying at postgraduate level for a Master of Architecture degree.
You can use your skills in areas such as design practice, planning and historic building conservation.
**Graduate jobs**
Jobs our graduates have taken on include:
- Architectural designer
- Interior designer
- Landscape architect
- Urban designer
- Planner
- Architectural technologist
- Product designer
- Graphic designer
- Lighting designer
- Set designer
**Graduate destinations**
Companies graduates have worked for include:
- Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt
- Make
- Re-Format
- Grimshaw
- PAD Studio
- Hawkins Brown
- Design Engine
- Architecture plb
- Hampshire County Architects
- Squire & Partners
- Allies & Morrison
- Penoyre & Prasad
Past students, having completed their registration, have gone on to run their own practices. For example, Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop, DMWA and PCA.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Communication: Fundamentals
- Design: Architectural Application
- Design: Exploration
- Design: Interpretation
- Histories, Theories and Matters of Concern
- Technology and Environment: Exploration
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Communication: Creative Practice
- Design: Architectural Investigation
- Design: Architectural Narratives
- History and Theory of Modern Architecture
- Technology and Environment: Design Practice
Optional modules in this year include:
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice
- Modern Foreign Language
- Professional Experience
- Student Enterprise
- Thematic Design
Placement year (optional):
On this course, you can do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Communication : Professional Practice
- Design: Major Project
- Design Major Project Reflective Synthesis
- History and Theory: Dissertation
- Technology and Environment: Discovery
There are no optional modules in this year.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through coursework and presentation. You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed 100% by coursework in all years.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
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
£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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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?
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