Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Architecture

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,M2,M2

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H3,H3,H3,H3

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DDM

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

DDM

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

T Level

D

Minimum grade C in the Core Component.

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

A-B

The Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the grade achieved.

UCAS Tariff

128-147

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

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Architecture

Take your first step towards becoming an architect with our BSc Architecture course. You will be taught by both leading academics and innovative, practising architects.

You will benefit from seven-day-a-week access to dedicated studio spaces in a newly-refurbished building, as well as use of facilities equipped with digital technologies.

The course comprises half design studios and design briefs, and half lecture-based taught courses. Design projects aim to enable you to prepare a digital and physical portfolio, while lectures are designed to develop your understanding of core academic subjects and practical skills as part of your taught curriculum. Meanwhile, optional field trips to responsibly accessible cities such as London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Paris will give you the chance to look at architecture in a new light.

We sit within the renowned School of the Built Environment, which has strong research and industry links, and is 6th in the UK for research power in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning (Times Higher Education, Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of the latest REF 2021). We have particular expertise in a range of subjects related to our research area of 'urban living', including urban regeneration, housing, mapping cities and places, and digital and analogue representation of buildings and cities.

The learning outcomes of the course have been designed with the needs of employers in mind, and with a view to enhancing the employability of our graduates. You will have the opportunity to boost your employability throughout your studies, with the chance to work on local projects and to carry out ‘live’ design tasks at the conceptual stage for real clients. By working with students from other disciplines, such as surveying and construction management, you will also have the opportunity to gain experience essential to the professional environment and benefit from wider expertise.

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has prescribed our BSc (Hons) Architecture degree under the Architects Act 1997 until 30 September 2023. One of the requirements for gaining a professional architecture qualification is to study on a prescribed course. Our degree is also validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). This is formal recognition from RIBA that our degree achieves the standards needed to prepare students for the professional practice of architecture.

We also offer a two-year postgraduate Master of Architecture programme, enabling you to take the next step towards becoming a fully qualified architect.

**Scholarships**

As part of the cohort joining the BSc Architecture course in 2024, you may have the opportunity to secure an annual £1,000 scholarship for each of the three years of the undergraduate degree (subject to conditions).

**Work experience**

The University of Reading has well-established links with industry within the built environment sector. During the programme, there will be opportunity to work alongside businesses from across the sector, which will provide you with valuable experience that you can demonstrate to employers on graduation.

Modules

The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change.

Core modules:
- Visualisation and Communication in Architectural Design: An Introduction
- History and Theory of Architecture: An Introduction
- Design Studio One
- Construction Technology: An Introduction
- Design Studio Two
- Industry and Practice: The Realisation of Projects
- Construction Technology
- Core Studies
- Design Studio Three
- History and Theory of Architecture: Buildings and Places
- Design Studio Four
- Dissertation
- Realisation 1
- Design Studio Five
- Realisation 2
- Design Studio Six

The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.

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
£27,650
per year
International
£27,650
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 of Reading

Department:

School of Architecture

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.

65%
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

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
74%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
83%
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

62%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
60%
Course specific equipment and facilities
54%
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?

75%
UK students
25%
International students
45%
Male students
55%
Female students
67%
2:1 or above
16%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
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.

£27,000
high
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

91%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
2%
Business, research and administrative professionals
2%
Business, finance 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.

£25k

£25k

£35k

£35k

£46k

£46k

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.

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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