Bachelor of Arts (Hons) - Architecture
- 3 years
- Duration
- 30,890 GBP/year
- Price
- September
- Start
- June
- Deadline
- Bachelor
- Degree
- Campus
- Format
- London / United Kingdom
- Location
Program description
The BA Architecture programme at Central Saint Martins is built on a vision of critical care, embedding racial, social, and environmental justice at its core. It equips students to develop new forms of architectural practice focused on positive, regenerative impacts on people and planet, moving beyond minimizing harm. The curriculum champions cooperation over competition, encouraging collaborative making and reimagining the architect's role to work across disciplines with ecologists, activists, and communities.
Students are supported to become agile, proactive learners who embrace change, integrating both digital and traditional skills to engage with rapidly evolving modes of representation and production. The course, situated within an arts school, emphasizes the vital relationship between making and thinking, fostering a personal, critical approach to design. Through live projects and collaborations with external partners, students gain real-world understanding of their role within a broader spatial practice.
Program structure
Stage 1
- Unit 1: Practicing Ethics 1 – Introduction to Study in Architecture in Higher Education (ISHE)
- Unit 2: Design for Collective Action (Design Studio 1.1)
- Unit 3: Materials, Environments and Structures (Technical Studies 1)
- Unit 4: Collective Spaces (Design Studio 1.2)
- Unit 5: Fundamental Agencies (Contextual Studies 1)
Stage 1 establishes the foundation for critical spatial practice through studio projects and workshops. Students learn to design for diverse environments, exploring different scales and building typologies. The year also introduces essential climate literacy and the ethical responsibilities inherent to architecture.
Stage 2
- Unit 6: Design Concept and Spatial Design (Design Studio 2.1)
- Unit 7: Critical Agencies (Contextual Studies 2)
- Unit 8: Detailed Design (Design Studio 2.2)
- Unit 9: Technical and Environmental Integration (Technical Studies 2)
- Unit 10: Creative Unions
Stage 2 deepens conceptual and technical skills, integrating material experimentation, ethics, and legislation to achieve greater design resolution. A major collaborative project with other disciplines demonstrates how interdisciplinary work transforms practice. The stage also focuses on cultivating your personal design voice, specifically in responding to the climate and biodiversity crises.
Stage 3
- Unit 11: Design Thesis (Design Studio 3.1)
- Unit 12: Accounts of Agency (Contextual Studies 3 – Dissertation)
- Unit 13: Design Synthesis (Design Studio 3.2)
- Unit 14: Strategic Technical Thesis (Technical Studies 3)
- Unit 15: Practicing Ethics 3
Stage 3 synthesizes all acquired skills into comprehensive design projects that critically integrate social, cultural, and sustainable strategies. Through a self-directed major project and a written dissertation, you reflect on your development and explore future professional directions. This final stage prepares you to launch a career with a coherent, ethically engaged, and personally defined architectural practice.
The Working Week
Price
Tuition fee:
- 30,890 GBP per year*
*Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course.
During your studies, you may need to cover extra costs which are not included in your tuition fees. You might need to budget for materials and equipment specific to your course. You may also need a laptop or other digital tech/software.
Requirements for applicants
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
136 UCAS tariff points which can be made up of one or a combination of the following accepted full Level 3 qualifications:
- Three A Levels at grades AAB
- Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Level 3 or 4)
- Distinction, Distinction, Distinction (DDD) at BTEC Extended Diploma
- Distinction at UAL Extended Diploma
- Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferred subjects include Art, Art and Design or Design and Technology)
- Equivalent EU/international qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma (35 points)
- And five GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A–C) including English Language, Mathematics and a double award at Science, or two separate sciences such as Physics or Chemistry, and one other subject (Art and Design or Design Technology are recommended).
Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your portfolio.
Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered.
The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
- Related academic or work experience
- The quality of the personal statement
- A strong academic or other professional reference
- Or a combination of these factors.
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
Please note that these qualifications alone will not be sufficient to secure entry to the course.
English language requirements
- IELTS score of 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking
About the university
The University of the Arts London (UAL) produces and encourages the creativity essential for a better future. Its colleges have been at the forefront of innovative education since 1842, creating work with a lasting impact on people and the planet, driven by curiosity, imagination, and purpose.
London is fundamental to UAL's identity, providing a vital context where the university connects and exchanges ideas with individuals from all walks of life. Globally, its creative network influences education, culture, business, and society.
Through innovative research and creative instruction, UAL's faculty and staff bring fresh perspectives to education. The university enables students to build the careers they desire by working with them at every level - from pre-degree to postgraduate, and from short courses to online learning.
UAL's colleges
Ranked second in the world for art and design, UAL comprises six distinct colleges:
- Camberwell College of Arts
- Central Saint Martins
- Chelsea College of Arts
- London College of Communication
- London College of Fashion
- Wimbledon College of Arts
Together, they form a community of creatives, innovators, trailblazers, and storytellers, united in their mission to reimagine the future.
Courses in the visual arts, animation, screen, communication, fashion, media, and performance are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
