UCAS code K100
As the first UK university to award a RIBA-validated degree in Architecture, the University of Liverpool has a long and proud tradition of excellence in architectural education and research. Our approach to teaching embraces contemporary debates around sustainability, climate change, equality and diversity, reflecting the industry today.
The programme aims to provide a comprehensive foundation in architecture, which demands knowledge of many different but interrelated disciplines, and the development of personal as well as technical skills. RIBA Part I validation is awarded on completion of your studies.
Each year contains core modules in the history and theory of architecture; building structures and construction; and approaches to design. Environmental issues are considered at every level of study and you will also have an opportunity to learn about practice management. These knowledge modules will be combined with studio design, which accounts for 50% of your credits in each year.
We encourage a creative and individual approach to the future, allowing us to respond to your individual strengths and to the increasingly specialist, complex nature of future professional life. From day one, we will support and nurture your creative voice, both in the Design Studio and in the decisions you make regarding your study options.
Master of Architecture (Integrated) MArch
You have the option to transfer to the Master of Architecture (Integrated) MArch, which will allow you to complete RIBA Part 1 and Part 2 in four years instead of the typical five. The first three years of the Integrated MArch mirror those of Architecture BA (Hons). Please note that the transfer is subject to successful pass marks.
This programme is validated at Part 1 level by the RIBA. From September 2025 onwards, the Architects Registration Board (ARB) are no longer offering accreditation for Part 1 level courses and instead will only offer accreditation at master’s-level.
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is the independent statutory regulator of architects in the UK, and is also the UK's Competent Authority for Architects. In order to call yourself an architect in the UK you must be registered with the ARB.
ARB ensures that all registered architects meet the required standards and have the necessary qualifications to practise, as well as upholding relevant legislation and investigating any complaints made against a member.
In order to register in the UK, students who begin the BA Architecture course from September 2025 onwards will typically need to hold an ARB accredited UK qualification at masters-level, and a Part 3 or a practice qualification.
Completing the BA Architecture course is therefore an important step towards gaining entry to a masters-level qualification. The Liverpool School of Architecture is currently initiating approval for an ARB accredited masters-level qualification, to replace our outgoing ARB accredited Part 2 qualification.
Dating all the way back to 1837, the Royal Institute of British Architects is the UK's chartered body for architecture. It was founded to promote the advancement of architecture and maintain high-quality design and customer service. RIBA chartered membership is voluntary and is not a legal requirement to practise as an architect. However, membership allows an architect to use the term “chartered” and the RIBA suffix.
The typical route to becoming a Chartered Architect in the United Kingdom is a combination of academic studies at a university and practical experience. It involves training for five years at university and completing a minimum of two years practical experience before final qualification.
We were the first University in the UK to award an RIBA validated degree and have had continuous validation since. Our first degree, the BA Hons in Architecture is a three year degree giving RIBA Part 1 validation on completion. Our second degree is the Master of Architecture (MArch Hons) giving RIBA Part 2 validation. We recommend that our MArch graduates take the Part 3 Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture qualification through the route offered by the RIBA (Chester), with which we have close links.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
In year one, all modules are compulsory.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| DESIGN STUDIO 1.1 (ARCH115) | 30 |
| DESIGN STUDIO 1.2 (ARCH125) | 30 |
| CONTEXTUAL STUDIES 1 (ARCH135) | 30 |
| TECHNICAL STUDIES 1 (ARCH145) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. This course has been updated for 2027 entry as part of a review of all our programmes. This review has considered refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. Please note, as at all times, the University reserves the right to make reasonable changes, including to content, entry requirements, or fees, or to discontinue programmes. Applicants will be informed of any significant change.
In year two, all modules are compulsory.
If you take semester one abroad, you must take compulsory modules ARCH225, ARCH236 and ARCH246 when you return.
If you take semester two abroad, you must take compulsory modules ARCH215, ARCH211 and ARCH271 before you leave.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. This course has been updated for 2027 entry as part of a review of all our programmes. This review has considered refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. Please note, as at all times, the University reserves the right to make reasonable changes, including to content, entry requirements, or fees, or to discontinue programmes. Applicants will be informed of any significant change.
In year three, all modules are compulsory.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| DESIGN STUDIO 3.1 (ARCH315) | 30 |
| DESIGN STUDIO 3.2 (ARCH325) | 30 |
| CONTEXTUAL STUDIES 3 (ARCH335) | 30 |
| TECHNICAL STUDIES 3 (ARCH345) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. This course has been updated for 2027 entry as part of a review of all our programmes. This review has considered refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. Please note, as at all times, the University reserves the right to make reasonable changes, including to content, entry requirements, or fees, or to discontinue programmes. Applicants will be informed of any significant change.
Design Studio strand:
Teaching methods primarily involve small group tutorials and/or one-to-one tutorials, where students can discuss their design ideas and receive formative feedback. Tutorials are mandatory twice a week in year one and mandatory once a week in year two and year three, with a second day each week for optional tutorial feedback. Studio days are therefore set aside each week and kept clear from other modules. Studio culture is central to the programme, with students encouraged to work alongside each other within the School of Architecture using the dedicated desk space provided for self-led learning, with studio days also being structured around these spaces.
Design studio also includes opportunities for students to present their design ideas verbally and visually via reviews and receive formative feedback from several sources: external reviewers from architectural practice and associated disciplines, internal fractional and full-time staff, as well as peer review from students in the same year group and/or other year groups.
Design studio learning is supported by talks and lectures, fieldwork in the form of site visits and precedent study trips, as well as specialist consultation tutorials and seminars in areas such as environmental design, structure, construction, fire and life safety and equality, diversity and inclusion. Analogue and digital communication skills including drawing, drafting, sketching, model making, process work and graphics are taught, practised and developed throughout the course.
Contextual studies and technical studies lecture-based strands:
Each 30-credit lecture-based module runs across both semesters and is usually comprised of three nested components, each supporting the broader module theme, with either a technical focus, for example structure and construction, environmental sustainability, design principles, fire and life safety and equality, diversity and inclusion, or a contextual focus, for example history and theory, research and evaluation skills, professional practice and ethics, building studies and urban design.
These module components are primarily delivered as formal lecture series offering expert knowledge on several key topics, primarily delivered by internal full-time and fractional staff members, as well as external specialist speakers. Each 30-credit lecture-based module is usually assessed based on a combination of assessment types, including formal written exams and take-home exams as well as coursework essays, reports and portfolios.
Seminars are used to support learning in a range of lecture-based modules, enabling greater depth of discussion, usually as a follow-on from the delivery of lecture content, and allowing optionality in areas that students wish to investigate further. Group tutorials also support learning in the development of some coursework tasks, as well as individual or group consultancy tutorials to support design studio tasks.
The assessment strategy involves both formative and summative methods. Design studio modules employ formative assessment via regular design tutorials and reviews, and summative assessment is through design portfolio submissions, as a signature pedagogy for architecture. Lecture-based modules employ formative assessment via class tests, seminars and tutorials, and summative assessment is via formal written exams and take-home exams as well as coursework essays, reports and presentations.
The assessment load is distributed across the programme, with all 30-credit modules having a maximum of three summative assessment points each. Assessment deadlines are carefully distributed across both semesters to maximise student engagement with learning, and support student welfare.
In accordance with the University’s Code of Practice on Assessment, the pass threshold for the BA Architecture modules is 40% across all three years. All modules are mandatory and each assessment component, i.e. the different assessment tasks for nested subjects within each module, must be passed. The marks achieved in years two and three are weighted in the calculation of the overall degree average based on a ratio of 30:70.
At Liverpool, we take a distinctive approach to education through the Liverpool Learning Framework. This means teaching that is engaging, inclusive and designed to help you succeed during your studies and beyond.
You’ll develop specialist subject knowledge alongside the skills employers value most, including:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
We also embed key priorities across our curriculum, including AI literacy, employability, and sustainability, helping you prepare for the future and make a positive impact in the world.
We’re committed to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide. Choose to spend a year at XJTLU in China or a year or semester at an institution of your choice.
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.
Broaden your world by spending an additional year of study at a partner university abroad following your second year of study.
Take a semester of your second year of study at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Spend a summer abroad on a study placement or research project at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:
Students studying Architecture BEng at XJTLU can study this course at the University of Liverpool. Read more about Architecture BA (Hons) as part of the 2+2 programme .
The natural next step for ambitious XJTLU students who want to build a brilliant career.
The Liverpool School of Architecture benefits from modern studio, work and seminar/review spaces, including a new, £23 million extension.
Our facilities include a Print Media Design Suite, computing labs, workshops, a laser suite, a CNC router room, 3D printers and research labs. A team of dedicated technicians will help you to get the most of these facilities and to realise your ideas.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
The ambition the school of architecture has is unmatched by any other in the UK.
Want to find out more about student life?
Chat with our student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
The BA in Architecture is a first step into the profession, into which many of our graduates go. The programme is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) at Part 1 level and is an important step towards gaining entry to a masters-level qualification (MArch), which is accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
This programme is also an ideal preparation for further study and hugely valuable in a whole range of other careers. Recent graduates have gone on to work in the following:
We also hold an End of Year Degree Show to conclude your BA studies and showcase the range of work produced during your time on the programme. We invite a number of architect firms to attend the event, many of whom have gone on to make job or work experience offers to our graduating students.