BA in Architecture - University of Cambridge

The Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge offers an undergraduate program on a full-time basis for a duration of 3 years. This is also the only degree that combines the intellectual challenges of both arts and sciences with the opportunity for creative design. 

The Department of Architecture at Cambridge is regularly lauded as one of the leading architecture schools in the world, students study under the guidance of world-renowned researchers and ground-breaking practitioners.

Creativity, curiosity, and strong intellectual grounding are central to the course. The innovative design program is balanced with outstanding teaching in the history and philosophy of architecture, contemporary culture, and urbanism, as well as construction, structural design, and environmental design.

Admission Requirements

Academic Eligibility

• Students are expected to have Mathematics to A-level (A* or A grade), Advanced Higher (A grade), Higher Level in the IB (40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level), or another equivalent. 
• Students have AS or A Level/IB Higher Level Mathematics or Physics or A Level/IB Higher Level in an essay-based subject.

International Qualifications

In addition to the main qualifications, typical offer levels for a range of qualifications, including the European Baccalaureate, International A-Levels, and the International Baccalaureate. Please note that International AS and A-Levels (offered by Cambridge International, Oxford AQA, or Pearson Edexcel) are recognized as equivalent to UK Board GCE AS and A-Levels.

For many Cambridge courses, certain subjects are required to a high level and all Colleges expect such subjects to be passed, normally with the highest grade available. 

Minimum English language requirements

• IELTS Academic1 – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element.
• TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) – normally a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element.
• Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency – accepted with a minimum overall score of 200, with no element lower than 185.
• Cambridge English: C1 Advanced – accepted with a minimum overall score of 193, with no element lower than 185, plus an assessment by the Language Centre. Following assessment, the University Language Centre may advise further action from the applicant (eg enrolment at one of the Language Centre courses, or completion of an IELTS test).

Course Structure

Usually, students are taught in the studio of the Department of Architecture – where they have their own dedicated design space – two days a week, during which they are set projects that require them to produce models and drawings to communicate their ideas. Students will be supervised on studio work in individual tutorials and group critical reviews, which encourage them to explore different approaches and develop essential design skills. The resulting portfolio accounts for 60 percent of their overall marks each year.

Lectures, classes, and visits to completed buildings or buildings under construction/restoration cover the rest of the curriculum. In addition to the two studio days, in the first-year students typically attend six or seven lectures each week; and three classes, and three small-group supervisions each fortnight, for which they are required to complete essays and undertake preparation.

Year 1 (Part IA)

The studio work introduces the possibilities of architecture, with an emphasis on understanding and developing proficiency in traditional modes of architectural representation – models, collages, perspectives, elevations, plans, and sections. Students also master basic CAD skills, used in studio presentations. A study trip abroad is typically offered during the Easter vacation. 

Students take five lecture-based papers:

• Introduction to Architectural History/Theory (pre-1800)
• Introduction to Architectural History/Theory (post-1800)
• Fundamental Principles of Construction
• Fundamental Principles of Structural Design
• Fundamental Principles of Environmental Design

Assessment is through coursework. 

Year 2 (Part IB)

Students choose from various options for studio work, with projects ranging in scale from mapping studies and interior interventions, to reasonable-sized buildings. Emphasis is on integrating the technical skills learned in Part IA and in the ongoing Part IB lectures with their studio output. A voluntary study trip is usually offered.

In addition, students take five papers that build on their Part IA knowledge:

• Studies in History and Theories of Architecture, Urbanism, and Design 
• Principles of Construction
• Principles of Structural Design
• Principles of Environmental Design

Assessment for all of these papers is through coursework. 

Year 3 (Part II)

Students choose from three studio options that vary in approach but all require them to produce a building design at the end of the year, the technical realization of which is allied to a coherently framed conceptual approach. Again, a voluntary study trip is usually offered.

Four lecture-based papers, all examined entirely through coursework, carry 20 percent of the student’s overall marks:

• Advanced Studies in Historical and Theoretical Aspects of Architecture and Urbanism
• Management, Practice, and Law
• Advanced Studies in Construction Technology, Structural Analysis and Environmental Design Related to Case Studies
• Architectural Engineering

A written dissertation of 7,000-9,000 words on a topic of the student choice accounts for the remaining 20 percent of your marks.

Study Costs and Fees

As an international student at Cambridge, there are three costs you need to consider. These are your:

1- Tuition fees

The tuition fees for international students registered in the undergraduate course in Architecture are around 39,953.87 US dollars. 

2- College fees

All international/overseas fee status students, and those Home fee status students who aren't eligible for tuition fee support (eg affiliate students), normally have to pay College fees in addition to University tuition fees.

The College fee covers the cost to your College of providing a range of educational, domestic, and pastoral services and support.

Annual College fees may vary between Colleges and in many cases are fixed for the duration of your course. For further information please visit the link. 

3- Living costs

Your living expenses may be higher than for a UK student (eg if you stay in Cambridge/the UK during vacations). In 2020-21, the minimum resources needed in Cambridge for the year (excluding tuition and College fees) are estimated to be approximately $15,839.41, depending on lifestyle.

Scholarships

The Cambridge Trust offers a small program of scholarships for undergraduate students who are set at the Overseas fee rate. Most of the Trust's scholarships are part-cost awards which will pay only part of the cost of studying in Cambridge.  

Eligibility

The eligibility requirements for part-cost scholarships are:

• significant academic achievement and potential
• financial need

Funding for international students with financial needs is highly competitive. If you do not require financial support in order to study at Cambridge, please do not apply for a scholarship. You will only be eligible for a scholarship if the university is satisfied that you have financial needs.

Scholarship Application 

• Applicants intending to pursue a course of undergraduate study at the University of Cambridge should complete and submit a UCAS application by the deadline of 15 October.
• To apply for funding from the Cambridge Trust you will first need to gain an offer of admission to a Cambridge College.  
• Once you have an offer of admission to one of the Cambridge Colleges, you will be invited by your College to complete an application to the Trust to be considered for funding. 
• You do not need to apply directly to the Trust for funding, as the Trust only considers applicants who are put forward by their Colleges.