BArch Hons UCAS Code
Architects design buildings, spaces, the places in which we live and work; our homes, schools, sports buildings, theatres, hospitals, the environment in which we spend our lives. We work with both new build design and existing buildings with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Our course will equip you with the knowledge to design spaces that improve our surroundings, making a positive contribution to our environment.
Architects design buildings, spaces, the places in which we live and work; our homes, schools, sports buildings, theatres, hospitals, the environment in which we spend our lives. We work with both new build design and existing buildings with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Our course will equip you with the knowledge to design spaces that improve our surroundings, making a positive contribution to our environment.
Our course offers an integrated learning approach with technical, environmental sciences and humanities based subject work taught alongside studio modules.
Year one design studio modules provide a common foundation with a focus on the fundamental skills of design and presentation. In years two and three, you will have the opportunity to choose from up to 12 design studio units so that you can select to work in an area of your own interest.
You will also be part of our vertical studios where year two and three students work alongside each other providing opportunities for peer mentoring and skills transfer in an engaging collaborative environment. With a mixture of teaching, workshops, study trips and collaborating with real clients and experts on projects, our course gives you the skills that architectural practice and design-based industries seek.
Based in University Park, you will have access to excellent facilities to support your studies and research. These include dedicated studio spaces, our workshops and a dedicated technical team.
The quality of work produced by our students is illustrated by the many national and international awards they have won, including the AJ Student Prize 2021 (undergraduate category), the RIBA Bronze Medal (2017) and the RIBA Serjeant Award for Excellence in Drawing at Part 1 (2020).
If you want to become an architect, the BArch course is followed by one year of supervised professional experience before embarking on the two-year MArch Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part II) and one further year's professional experience culminating in a Part Three exam.
This course is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
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This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.
You will have six hours twice a week in Studio over the whole course.
Taught modules - Typical lectures hours are:
Lectures finish early in semester two in year three to allow for focus on Design Studio coursework. There are also additional lectures with invited speakers, academics and practitioners.
Individual and group tutorials, group seminars and workshops are scheduled supporting taught modules throughout the year.
You will spend time away from the university on field study trips and site visits. You will work independently between scheduled studio hours to progress design skills. You will complete independently coursework for all taught modules.
You will also spend some time with our support teams, including:
These teams monitor your academic progress and check on your wellbeing, help you reflect on feedback and act as a first point of contact for any guidance on academic or personal matters you may have.
This studio-based module introduces you to basic design, drafting, model making and drawing skills.
There are two dedicated days of studio tutorials per week.
The semester finishes with the design of a small building that will test your understanding and application of the knowledge gained on this module.
The overall aim of this module is to give you an understanding of the impact that the built environment has on those who inhabit its space.
Through a two-hour lecture each week you’ll broaden your awareness of built environment design issues, illustrate how design decisions impact more broadly on environmental, economic, social and experiential issues and study behavioural psychology and its influence on built environment design.
This module introduces you to the principle of a holistic and integrated approach to building design.
Firstly, you’ll learn about the notion of thinking architecture, the fundamental principles of design and drawing skills and typologies as key areas of study.
Then you’ll focus on methodology and approaches relevant to the studio comprehensive design project with a more intensified examination of topics such as light, narrative and sustainability.
For this module you’ll have one, one-hour lecture per week.
This module introduces you to the technology, materials and techniques used in constructing buildings. It aims to help you understand how these elements form an integral part of the design process. Through two-hour weekly lectures you’ll conduct practical structural modelling exercises. This will help you develop a basic understanding of the qualitative behaviour of structures and the interaction between structural form and the loads that they have to carry.
This module offers you an introduction to the history of architecture from ancient times to the present day. A two-hour weekly lecture aims to familiarise you with major architectural typologies and the social and technological changes that brought them into being.
This studio-based module develops your basic design, drafting, model making and drawing skills. Through the two dedicated days of studio tutorials per week, you will be introduced to historical precedents and computer-aided drawing programmes. These exercises will feed into a small comprehensive design project of a public building.
Introducing you to the environmental agenda as it applies to the architectural profession, you’ll explore the key bioclimatic strategies used to maintain appropriate conditions for the occupants of buildings, thus tying together occupant comfort, building schedule and climate. You’ll have a two-hour lecture per week using both physical modelling and computer simulation techniques to gain a better understanding of the strategies involved and their relationship with building design.
This studio-based module aims to develop your basic skills and approaches to architectural design through a series of design projects. You'll spend two dedicated days in the studio per week with emphasis on the 'craftmanship of architecture', improving the spatial, aesthetic, sensual as well as practical, structural and dimensional qualities of your design.
Dealing with small to medium-scale buildings, you’ll build on knowledge acquired in Tectonics 1, focusing on structural systems, building elements, material, components, connections, construction methods and detailing. During a two-hour lecture each week, you’ll learn how constituent parts come together to construct building entities through investigation and analysis of structural principles, detail, material composition and performance of primary building elements.
Following on from the key principles introduced in the year one module, Integrated Design in Architecture, you’ll further develop your communication and research skills which will underpin your work in both the theorisation and practise of architecture. Through one-hour weekly lectures you’ll explore the research methodologies and skills needed to identify and synthesise relevant and accurate information as well visual communication skills focusing on CAD programs, where skills will be developed through workshops and self-directed exercises.
Building upon the themes covered in the year one module Environmental Science for Architects 1, this module looks more specifically at the flows of energy that occur with and within buildings and how these relate to and integrate with some of the numerous systems employed that may help with their control. You’ll spend four hours per week in lectures studying for this module.
Following on from the previous module, Architectural Design Studio 2A, you’ll continue to spend two dedicated days in the studio per week aiming to develop a more comprehensive understanding of architectural design.
This module introduces construction methodologies related to medium- and large- scale buildings and outlines the first principles of modern methods of construction, including systems and components, prefabrication, and performance envelopes.
This course provides a historical, cultural and philosophical context to the major contemporary debates in architecture today. You’ll gain understanding of architecture's potential as a practically useful and culturally meaningful activity. Key issues from the history of philosophy will be examined alongside a range of building case-studies. This will enable you to develop a series of alternative interpretive frameworks through which buildings may be analysed, criticised, debated and understood. For this module you’ll have a two-hour lecture each week.
This course explores contemporary architecture in relation to major social, economic, political, ecological, and technological transformations after the Second World War. A wide range of topics including consumerism, globalization, mass media, cultural identities and changing economic structures are discussed in terms of their role in shaping architectural theory, practice, and built environment. Two hours of lectures each week employ building case studies, film excerpts, and assigned readings to analyse key concepts.
Introducing you to the context of professional practice, this module prepares you for your year in placement by discussing the year out, how to go about getting the right job and the skills involved in achieving this. Through two hours of lectures each week you’ll look at the important regulatory requirements and processes and the principles and priorities of running a traditional contract on site together with standard documents used in this process.
Building on previous IDA and tectonics modules, you’ll develop the context for integrated building design to an advanced level and to support its application through holistic design practices. Through a series of two hour lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of technical topics will be covered that prescribe a range of multi-disciplinary inputs that an architect is likely to confront when devising a real project. Such thematic topics include daylight-sunlight, materials, façade, structure, building fabric, hydrology, embodied carbon and acoustics.
This studio-based module focuses on practical, architectural design skills through, three thematically connected, but distinctive projects.
You will spend two dedicated days in the studio per week developing the craftsmanship of architecture, its communication and its position in the wider physical, social, cultural, economic, technical and environmental context of the profession.
Following on from the previous module, Architecture Design Studio 3A, you’ll continue to spend two dedicated days in the studio per week aiming to develop skills & approaches in architectural design to a more advanced & complete level, completing in detail a comprehensive building project exploring a thematic topic of your own choice within the wider context of the profession.
Our Language Centre offers many languages, and you may start as a beginner or at a more advanced level and you may be able to choose to study a language as part of this degree.
Learning another language can open career opportunities around the globe and enriches your CV. It could also help you in your studies by being able to access learning materials in other languages. If you are planning to travel or work abroad it will help you to broaden your cultural understanding.
Find out more about learning a language as part of your degree.
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Tuesday 20 January 2026. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.
All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2026 entry.
A levels
AAA
IB
34 points overall
AAA / A*AB
General studies, critical studies, citizenship studies, global perspectives and research, thinking skills
Grade 5 (B) in GCSE English, and maths and one of GCSE physics, chemistry, biology, double science, single science. Grade 4 (C) in GCSE subjects may be considered where your portfolio is exceptional.
34 points overall or 666 in 3 HL certificates
If you have already achieved your EPQ at grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower. If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, and also an alternate offer with a condition of one grade lower if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ.
If you qualify for a contextual offer, your EPQ will be taken into consideration, and the appropriate adjustment will be made to your offer. Please note that if you qualify for an enhanced contextual offer, your EPQ will not be taken into consideration as we are unable to make any further adjustments to your offer.
We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.
Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:
This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.
For those considered for year one entry, our typical offer is as follows:
Access to HE Diploma 36 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 9 Level 3 credits at Merit
We make contextual offers to students who may have experienced barriers that have restricted progress at school or college. Our standard contextual offer is usually one grade lower than the advertised entry requirements, and our enhanced contextual offer is usually two grades lower than the advertised entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must have Home/UK fee status and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
An Engineering and Physical Sciences foundation year is available for those who are not taking the required subjects.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
After you have applied, we will contact you with information on how to submit a portfolio of your artwork.
Your portfolio should contain 16 images of your work from the following four categories:
Your portfolio should show your individual creativity and how you look at, see and visually record the world around you. For sketching, hand and free drawing you are encouraged to draw, sketch or paint something that you are familiar with, for instance where you live, places and subject matter that you know. This is often more informative as to your interests than a drawing or a photograph of a famous building.
Your portfolio must not include virtual 3D computer aided designs. These do not give us an understanding of your design skills or how you communicate through hand and free drawing.
Please refer to our portfolio guidance to hear advice from a member of staff and a student about putting your portfolio together and to see examples of student portfolios.
You will receive an email from us confirming the portfolio requirements in more detail, the format and the submission date. You will also get a notification via your MyNottingham portal.
If you do not receive an email from us within five working days of the notification via your MyNottingham portal, please contact us.
Once we have received your portfolio we will let you know the status of your application via UCAS Hub as soon as possible. Due to the high volumes of applications we receive we are unable to provide a definite timescale on when decisions will be made. We aim to make decisions as soon as we can and will ensure that you receive an update before the relevant UCAS deadline.
On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.
If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.
You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.
The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.
In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
This is the UK undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 25/26. It may increase for the academic year 26/27 and we will update our information once we have received confirmation of the fee from the UK Government.
For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work with both on and off-campus. It is not essential on arrival, however you will need a laptop towards the end of the first semester and for semester two. Allow from £600 for the purchase of a laptop. If you have a laptop already, please check the specification requirements. You will also need to budget for software that is not available through free student licence agreements.
For more information, please check the equipment advice from Digital and Technology Services and the Department of Architecture and Built Environment.
On arrival into the first year you will need drawing and model making equipment. A list will be sent to you along with induction instructions, please allow £150 to £200 for this.
Most of the books you will need are accessible through our libraries.
The department covers the cost of basic design materials (for example, free materials to cover model making).
Alongside your tuition fees and living expenses, you should factor additional costs into your budget to cover printing and additional materials. Whilst the need for printing has been reduced significantly as we move primarily to digital submissions and presenting, printing remains a requirement for design studios throughout the year and end of year presentations.
The department also covers the costs of the return travel and accommodation related to compulsory field trips.
If a build trip runs as part of our design/build studio (which may be situated in the UK or overseas) students choosing to take part are required to make a contribution to the costs of the trip. For example, in previous years students who have elected to take part in projects situated in South Africa, have each contributed £2,200 to £2,500. Some of this contribution may be offset by individual and group fundraising.
Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.
The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.
Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £1,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.
A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.
Students applying to the Faculty of Engineering may be eligible for faculty-specific or industry scholarships.
All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2026 entry.
IB
34 points overall
A levels
AAA
34 points overall or 666 in 3 HL certificates
AAA / A*AB
General studies, critical studies, citizenship studies, global perspectives and research, thinking skills
Grade 5 (B) in GCSE English, and maths and one of GCSE physics, chemistry, biology, double science, single science. Grade 4 (C) in GCSE subjects may be considered where your portfolio is exceptional.
If you have already achieved your EPQ at grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower. If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, and also an alternate offer with a condition of one grade lower if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ.
If you qualify for a contextual offer, your EPQ will be taken into consideration, and the appropriate adjustment will be made to your offer. Please note that if you qualify for an enhanced contextual offer, your EPQ will not be taken into consideration as we are unable to make any further adjustments to your offer.
We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.
Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:
This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.
For those considered for year one entry, our typical offer is as follows:
Access to HE Diploma 36 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 9 Level 3 credits at Merit
6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.
For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.
If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.
Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country.
International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
After you have applied, we will contact you with information on how to submit a portfolio of your artwork.
Your portfolio should contain 16 images of your work from the following four categories:
Your portfolio should show your individual creativity and how you look at, see and visually record the world around you. For sketching, hand and free drawing you are encouraged to draw, sketch or paint something that you are familiar with, for instance where you live, places and subject matter that you know. This is often more informative as to your interests than a drawing or a photograph of a famous building.
Your portfolio must not include virtual 3D computer aided designs. These do not give us an understanding of your design skills or how you communicate through hand and free drawing.
Please refer to our portfolio guidance to hear advice from a member of staff and a student about putting your portfolio together and to see examples of student portfolios.
You will receive an email from us confirming the portfolio requirements in more detail, the format and the submission date. You will also get a notification via your MyNottingham portal.
If you do not receive an email from us within five working days of the notification via your MyNottingham portal, please contact us.
Once we have received your portfolio we will let you know the status of your application via UCAS Hub as soon as possible. Due to the high volumes of applications we receive we are unable to provide a definite timescale on when decisions will be made. We aim to make decisions as soon as we can and will ensure that you receive an update before the relevant UCAS deadline.
On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.
If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.
You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.
The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.
In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work with both on and off-campus. It is not essential on arrival, however you will need a laptop towards the end of the first semester and for semester two. Allow from £600 for the purchase of a laptop. If you have a laptop already, please check the specification requirements. You will also need to budget for software that is not available through free student licence agreements.
For more information, please check the equipment advice from Digital and Technology Services and the Department of Architecture and Built Environment.
On arrival into the first year you will need drawing and model making equipment. A list will be sent to you along with induction instructions, please allow £150 to £200 for this.
Most of the books you will need are accessible through our libraries.
The department covers the cost of basic design materials (for example, free materials to cover model making).
Alongside your tuition fees and living expenses, you should factor additional costs into your budget to cover printing and additional materials. Whilst the need for printing has been reduced significantly as we move primarily to digital submissions and presenting, printing remains a requirement for design studios throughout the year and end of year presentations.
The department also covers the costs of the return travel and accommodation related to compulsory field trips.
If a build trip runs as part of our design/build studio (which may be situated in the UK or overseas) students choosing to take part are required to make a contribution to the costs of the trip. For example, in previous years students who have elected to take part in projects situated in South Africa, have each contributed £2,200 to £2,500. Some of this contribution may be offset by individual and group fundraising.
Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.
The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.
We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.
Students applying to the Faculty of Engineering may be eligible for faculty-specific or industry scholarships.
An architecture degree is the first stage needed to become a registered architect but it's also a degree that employers look for in construction, property, design and creative roles.
You can continue with architecture, with the opportunity to undertake a year's supervised professional experience, the two year MArch Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part II), and a further year in industry to achieve professional architect status in the UK.
Our graduates have gone on to work for a range of top UK and international companies including Alford Hall Monaghan Morris, Cullinan Studio, Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, Hopkins Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Walters & Cohen Architects, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and Wright & Wright Architects.
The average starting salary for architecture and built environment undergraduates within 15 months of graduation was £27,818 (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2022/23).
Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.
Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.
Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.
The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain's leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top 10 in The Graduate Market in 2013-2024, High Fliers Research).
This course is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
From financial support to student life and accommodation, discover more about the Nottingham experience.
At University Park, nature, architecture and student life come together on one unforgettable campus. Explore beautiful green spaces, unwind by the lake and enjoy a vibrant sense of community. It’s the perfect setting for an extraordinary university experience where you can learn, grow and thrive.
Head to our Help and Support hub for frequently asked questions and details of how to get in touch.
