BSc (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA)

Imagination, investigation and innovation are the driving forces behind this course. Join us to explore a wide variety of approaches and discover areas that interest you. 

This is one of our flagship degrees and is recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects and Architects Registration Board. You'll achieve the first qualification you need on your journey to becoming an architect. 

Download our yearbook to view examples of our students' work.

We take a hands-on approach, so you can expect us to push your creativity. Throughout the course, you'll focus on the process of making, and then reflect on what you've designed to boost your technical knowledge.You'll develop the skills all architects need, including drawing, model making and using computer-aided design.

In the lecture theatre, you'll cover history, theory, technology and computing. To give you the support you need, our experienced tutors will run sessions with you individually or in a small group. 

Throughout the course, you'll develop your own creative style, and put together your own portfolio to showcase your talents to potential employers after you graduate. The core of architecture is the design studio, and the main emphasis of our course is developing your design ability. Since our key aim is to push your creativity and judgment to the maximum, you can expect the course to be highly demanding.

The four-year course is perfect if you want a degree in architecture, but don't have the standard qualifications. We prepare you for your degree during your Foundation year, bringing you up to speed with academic skills and a firm grounding in advertising. Then you can go on to do the full undergraduate degree.

Architecture students come to us from varied educational backgrounds, so the first year of the course is partly about assessing your abilities and giving you the tools to learn. The year is organised to help you develop the practical skills an architect needs, such as drawing, model-making and computer-aided design.

Over the three years of the course, you'll develop your creativity and critical judgement and create a high-quality portfolio that shows your practical, academic and professional skills.

You'll also gain knowledge of the history and theory of architecture, art and design, the technology of building, the building industry, environmental and sustainability issues and the regulatory framework in which architecture is produced.

You'll learn to use creativity, conceptual skills and judgement to identify human needs and requirements, and to meet or express them spatially. 

You'll also gain experience in physical making and workshop skills, using a range of media (drawing, models, computers, photography, film-making) to develop your ideas and create architectural proposals.

We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up-to-date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.

• Tawjihi: 60% for Foundation
• 3 x AS Levels: Foundation
• US High School Diploma: GPA 2.0 for Foundation
• US High School Diploma: GPA 3.0 + SAT1 1070 for Direct Entry to Bachelor's
• International Baccalaureate (IB): 25 points with minimum 15 at Higher Level for Direct Entry to Bachelor's
• 3 x A Levels: Direct Entry to Bachelor's

By completing this course successfully, you'll be exempt from Part 1 of the Architects Registration Board (ARB) examination. Exemption from all three parts allows you to register as an architect with the ARB.

Many of our students go on to study further, eventually becoming fully qualified architects. The majority stay on at the University of East London to study on our MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) course or our Landscape Architecture MA.

If you'd prefer to go straight into the world of work, the skills you'll have learned - analysis, creative thinking, using IT and communicating through drawings and words - will be useful in many other areas.

BSc (Hons) Architecture provides an excellent base for exploring a variety of employment opportunities and for further study in the field of design. Many architecture students go on to work in other creative industries such as animation, graphic design, computer game design, film, fashion, and interior design.

During your time with us you'll develop your own creativity, and you'll put together your own individual design portfolio to showcase your talents to potential employers after you graduate.

The portfolio is the primary tool for gaining employment and needs to show a broad range of skills and a level of maturity that proves you are ready to take on the challenge of a career in architecture.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.