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Architecture (with Placement year)

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

4 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.

UCAS Tariff

112

from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Architecture

Our architecture studios are exciting, creative places with industry-standard equipment. Here, our experts will deliver a learner-centred and research-led approach to architecture.

You’ll become skilled in developing design concepts, experimenting with different media, and representing your ideas through drawings, physical and digital models.

But you won’t be restricted to the studio. You’ll go on site visits so you can analyse the language and style of buildings, their construction, and see projects taking shape in real life. Together, we’ll explore building design, ‘buildability’ and sustainability.

There’s also an optional European field trip each year, to cities such as Lisbon, Venice, Rome and Vienna. It’s a great chance to explore how architecture contributes to shaping our urban life.

Your future career is important so you’ll learn about the construction business and project management. We have a network of visiting designers, artists, historians and theorists who deliver workshops, lectures and tutorials. You can also choose to take a placement as part of your BA (Hons) Architecture degree, and gain industry experience.

We make sure your course is relevant to the real world, by helping you to engage ethically, politically, and sustainably with the changing landscape of the built environment, better preparing you for the world of work.

At ARU, we believe it's important to recognise our students' hard work. That's why, at the end of each academic year, we showcase and celebrate your achievements with an End of Year Show.

When you complete your degree course, you will have fulfilled the first part of the three-part process to become a registered architect in the UK.

On our BA (Hons) route, you'll study Level 4, 5 and 6 modules over three years in Chelmsford. You have the option to take a foundation (Level 3) course at ARU College in Cambridge for a year before starting the main part of the course.

On our BSc (Hons) route, you'll take a Level 3 foundation year at ARU College in Cambridge, then transfer to Chelmsford where you'll take Level 4 modules in your second year. If you pass these modules, you'll be eligible to transfer to Year 2 (Level 5) of the BA course. If you are not eligible, you'll continue on the BSc, taking our Level 5 modules in your third year.

Our ARB prescribed Architecture course has also been awarded RIBA Part 1 Full Status, unconditionally. This is subject to ratification by the RIBA Education Committee. This gives further credibility to our degrees and offers greater career prospects to our students.

Modules

Year 1 core
History and Theory of Architecture (Introduction)
Folio Skills
Essential Skills for Architecture
Architecture and Planning Design Studio A
Architecture and Planning Design Studio B
Design Explorations
Building Technology
Elements of Construction Design
Year 2 core
Advanced Construction Technology
Environmental Building Performance
Site Studies and Planning
Architectural Design Studies 1
Architectural Design Studies 2
Modernism and Beyond
Site Studies and Design
Ruskin Module
Year 2 optional
Architectural CAD
Modelling Sustainable Architecture
Year 3 core
Work Placement Engineering and the Built Environment
Year 4 core
Construction Technology and Innovation
Conversion and Adaptation of Buildings
Professionalism, Values and Ethics
Architectural Design Studies 3
Architectural Design Studies 4 (Dissertation)

Assessment methods

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to help measure your progress. These will include design projects, presentations, timed assignments, exams and coursework.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
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:

Chelmsford Campus

Department:

School of Engineering and the 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.

64%
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

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
77%
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

67%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
82%
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?

76%
UK students
24%
International students
64%
Male students
36%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
D
E

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.

£24,000
high
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

38%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
34%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
6%
Business, research and administrative 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.

£37k

£37k

£42k

£42k

£49k

£49k

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 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