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Architectural Technology and Practice

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

Access to HE Diploma

D:15,M:24,P:6

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits with 45 at Level 3

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification

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

DMM

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112-120

We encourage you to outline all your qualifications and achievements in your application to provide us a full picture. Your offer will typically be based on your predicted and/or achieved grades from full level 3 qualifications or above e.g. A levels, BTEC Ext Diploma, Access to HE, etc. Any subject specifics are outlined below in the Further Information section, and these specifics are applicable across all equivalent qualifications. A strong application/performance and appropriate experience will be taken into account where typical criteria is not met.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Architectural technology

**Boost your career prospects by studying in a CIAT Centre of Excellence. Through live projects, you’ll gain the latest industry thinking in design, technology, architecture, sustainability and construction. With an exceptional track record for graduate employability, this course has a longstanding reputation for nurturing high-calibre and forward-thinking architectural technologists.**

**KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE:**

**ACCREDITATION:** This course is accredited by the Chartered Institue of Architectural Technologists (CIAT). We are one of only a few CIAT Centres of Excellence in the UK and abroad.

**STUDENT SATISFACTION:** Our Architecture courses are rated in the top 15 in the UK for satisfaction with feedback (Guardian University Guide 2024) and for student experience (Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2024).

**RAISE YOUR PROFILE IN INDUSTRY:** Our longstanding links with companies – both locally and overseas – will inspire and enthuse you. Our associations span major names such as Akarstudios, Virgin Atlantic, Interserve, Benoy Architects, Jacobs, Bouygues UK, Pick Everard, Maber, Lathams, WCAC Group and Millar Management. There are regular guest lectures by leading experts from industry too.

**LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:** Practical architectural design and technology projects will form the basis of your study. This is supported by field trips, placements and industrial guest lectures as well as studies relating to management, procurement, contracts and professional practice. Computer Aided Design, Building Information Modelling, sketching and model making will play an important role in presenting your ideas.

**WORK EXPERIENCE:** Between stages two and three of the course, we offer you the chance to go on an optional year-long placement in industry. We strongly encourage you to take this rewarding opportunity and we will support you to find a suitable placement.

**EXPERT TEACHING:** Join one of the UK's oldest standing courses accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT): we gained our original accreditation back in 1997 and have built an impressive reputation ever since. Our teaching team will ensure you are taught to a high professional standard and that you have all of the relevant skills required when you graduate.

**WHAT YOU'LL COVER:**
Your first year provides an overview of a wide range of areas including design analysis, Architectural CAD, and Environmental Design and Services. In your second year you will cover topics such as Sustainable Cities, Procurement, Contracts and Legal Studies, and Technology and Structures. Modules in your third year will give you the opportunity to learn about Professional Practice and Project Management, Advance Technical Design and Detailing, as well as carrying out an Integrated Project.

**HOW YOU WILL LEARN:**
Practical architectural design and technology projects will form the basis of your study. This is supported by field trips, placements and industrial guest lectures as well as studies relating to management, procurement, contracts and professional practice.
Computer Aided Design, Building Information Modelling, sketching and model making will play an important role in presenting your ideas.

**YOUR CAREER.**
Our graduates work in architectural practices or take on many different types of roles in consultancy and with central and local government, property developers, building contractors, housing associations, banks, retail enterprises and manufacturing companies.

**STUDY OPTIONS:**
This course is available with a Foundation Year option.
This course is available with an Industrial Placement Year.

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
£14,900
per year
International
£14,900
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Derby

Department:

Department of Engineering

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.

82%
Architectural technology

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

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
82%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
88%
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

70%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
55%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
68%
Male students
32%
Female students
73%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
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.

£18,000
low
Average annual salary
87%
low
Employed or in further education
82%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

37%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
29%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
15%
Design occupations

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

£27k

£27k

£31k

£31k

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.

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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