Creative arts and design · Engineering
Architecture
BA or BSc, then further professional parts
Overview
Architecture studies the design of buildings and the ideas, structures and regulations around them. The undergraduate degree is only the first professional part. Becoming an architect takes further study and practical experience set by the professional body. A portfolio is widely used in admissions. Civil engineering and interior design are different courses. Students who enjoy architecture like drawing and models, and they also need to accept a heavy studio culture and a long route to the title.
You want to train towards becoming an architect and can show a portfolio.
Interior design, civil engineering and architectural technology do not automatically lead to the architect title.
People who like design, drawing and thinking about how people use space.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Design studio
- Representation
- History and theory
- Structures introduction
Later years
- Larger design projects
- Technology and environment
- Professional awareness
Skills
Useful before you start
- Drawing or model-making
- Ideas about space
- Mathematics at a usable level
Developed during the degree
- Design
- Visual communication
- Technical judgement
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Design studio, Lectures, Critiques, Workshops.
Assessment often includes Portfolio, Design reviews, Essays, Technical work.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Studio culture often means longer weeks than the timetable.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | ABB–AAB. Art, mathematics or physics can help. A portfolio often matters more than one named A level. Check. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB and 36 for AAB, including 16 or 17 across three Higher Level subjects. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB and AP 5, 5, 4 for AAB, with GPA 3.0/4.0. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Art, mathematics or physics can help. A portfolio often matters more than one named A level. Check.
Often recommended: Art and Design, Mathematics, Physics.
Useful preparation: Design and Technology, Geography.
GCSE and IGCSE
Mathematics is commonly expected. Confirm the grade.
Indicative only. Portfolio requirements are course-specific.
Other ways in
- The architect title requires the later professional parts, not only this degree.
- A portfolio is an admissions requirement at many schools, not an optional extra.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Architect
Direct qualifying route
The undergraduate degree is part one of a longer professional route.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.