About Architecture, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Overview

Take your first step to becoming a registered architect on our BA (Hons) Architecture degree course – accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

You’ll join a distinctive learning environment, with access to cutting-edge facilities, working on stimulating and client-driven design projects. You’ll master key design skills, from the scale of the body's interactions with materials and constructions, to the domains of cities and landscapes, engaging in social, cultural, political, aesthetic and environmental challenges of the world we're part of.

You'll focus, with our passionate and supportive community of professional architects, on the themes, values and methods relevant to architectural education and the profession to ensure your practice is future-proof and industry-standard.

After graduation, you'll have the theoretical and practical foundations to pursue Master’s study and advance in your registration. You can also begin a career in the architecture, sustainability and construction industries, such as architectural design, urban design, and landscape architecture.

Course highlights

• Broaden your professional experience by working with actual clients in our in-house Architecture Project Office
• Experience a professional design studio by working in our dedicated studio spaces, developing your individual and collaboration skills
• Get a taste of working in the architecture industry by taking an optional one-year placement 
• Impress future employers by showcasing your work at our annual Graduate Show
• Enrich your experience and knowledge of architecture by going on site visits to major international cities – past trips include Rome, Venice, Barcelona, New York and Berlin
• Master your communication skills, from hand drawings and models to using professional industry software – including Building Information Modelling (BIM), advanced parametric modelling, and 3D scanning and printing

Accreditation

The BA (Hons) Architecture course is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and provides an exemption from RIBA Part 1.

Due to changes by the Architects Registration Board (ARB), the prescription of all Part 1 Architecture Courses in the UK will end on 31 December 2027. The ARB Part 1 prescription will no longer be required for registration as an Architect in the UK. Students starting this course from September 2025 onwards will finish the course after this date, meaning their degree will not be ARB-prescribed. This will not affect a student's ability to qualify as a UK architect, as the ARB will continue accrediting Master's level qualifications as part of the route to registration. Validation by the RIBA for Courses will remain, and our BA (Hons) Architecture course will continue as a RIBA-validated course. 

This course has also fulfilled the requirements for the exemption of Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) Part I and Part II professional qualifications. Graduates from these programmes are eligible for registration as Graduate Architects with LAM.

Careers and opportunities

You'll develop as a multi-skilled practitioner, able to work in diverse sectors, including construction, engineering, public, creative, and property development.

Many graduates on this course continue their architect training with paid, mentored professional experience in a practice, before studying at postgraduate level for a Master of Architecture degree. 

Graduate jobs

Jobs our graduates have taken on include:

• Architectural designer
• Interior designer
• Landscape architect
• Urban designer
• Planner
• Architectural technologist
• Product designer
• Graphic designer
• Lighting designer
• Set designer

Graduate destinations

Companies graduates have worked for include:

• Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt
• Make
• Re-Format
• Grimshaw
• PAD Studio
• Hawkins Brown
• Design Engine
• Architecture plb
• Hampshire County Architects
• Squire & Partners
• Allies & Morrison
• Penoyre & Prasad

Past students, having completed their registration, have gone on to run their own practices. For example, Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop, DMWA and PCA.

Placement year (optional)

After your second or third year, you can complete an optional work placement to gain professional experience and enhance your skills. It's also a great incentive for employers once you graduate.

You can work for a company, organisation or agency, or you can go self-employed and start your own business with fellow students or by yourself.

Whatever you decide – or even if you just want some employability advice – our Careers and Employability team can support you every step of the way.

Supporting your creative career

Our dedicated Careers and Employability team have extensive recruitment experience across a multitude of areas including the creative sector.

They can provide you with supporting and advice, including:

• Searching for the ideal job through their database of vacancies
• Giving tips on how to write an interesting CV that will catch employers' attention, no matter the role
• Organising mock interviews, so you can hone your technique and familiarise yourself with the recruitment environment
• Writing your startup business proposal – if you're going down the self-employment route
• Researching placement opportunities and applying for creative opportunities 

The team will continue to support you throughout your placement year and beyond, providing you with help for up to 5 years after your graduate.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact University of Portsmouth to find course entry requirements.

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Related information

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