Becoming an Architect: Qualifications

Becoming an architect requires hard work, dedication and – most importantly – many years worth of undergraduate and postgraduate study. Of course, while all students are expected to complete RIBA validated courses, there are a number of different routes to take if you want to qualify as an architect. Many of the postgraduate programmes are also RIBA validated, so your MArch or Diploma may exempt your from the RIBA (part 2) examinations.

Taught Master’s and Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma

Taught postgraduate courses often count towards, or exempt students from, the professional exams in architecture, surveying or town planning. If you want to study for a Diploma in Architecture, Postgraduate Diploma and MArch, then you may wish to check that your course is validated by RIBA so it can contribute towards your professional training.

Professional Qualifications

For many careers in the built environment, such as architecture, surveying and town planning, students will be required to undertake professional development. For architects, this entails the RIBA Part 3 examination, the Examination in Professional Practice and Management.

Members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) are obliged to undertake a programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) throughout their career, which can include a combination of postgraduate degrees, research projects, conferences and technical workshops to form 50 hours of CPD activity in each two-year period. Similarly, surveyors wishing to achieve chartered status must complete the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) to ensure that knowledge and understanding, gained through an approved academic qualification and assessed previous experience-based learning, is applied in practice and measured consistently.

Research degrees: MPhil, MRes and PhD

The UK invests heavily in architecture and town planning, and three Research Councils offer funding to students in these subject areas. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds design-related projects, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funds construction and civil engineering-related topics, and urban and logistical studies may be funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Research at UK institutions focuses on a wide range of national and global topics, such as re-conditioning urban environments and architecture in the developing world.

For course and institution information, see our listings of MPhil qualifications in Architectural Research, History of Architecture, The Built Environment, Ecoversity and more. PhDs in Architecture are offered by many institutions. We also have listings of MA, MSc, PGDip qualifications in Architecture.

Entry requirements

If you’re To be admitted to study for a master’s, or potentially a PhD, you will need a good Honours degree in an appropriate subject, such as architecture, building, engineering, science or related disciplines. Some universities may be able to fund limited places through EPSRC/AHRC/ESRC funded studentships, but most will be self funded