Architecture is truly interdisciplinary: it combines arts and sciences, exploring not just how we make buildings, but how human beings interact with their environment.
The need for a more sustainable and resilient built environment is recognised in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability lies at the heart of everything we do on the course, but it does not end there. Architecture looks at how people react with buildings and how we can create design processes that are more inclusive and accessible and how we can encourage as many people as possible to participate in the designing process. The lectures and seminars, site visits and supervisions cover a huge range of topics and in higher years students get the opportunity to explore their particular interests through the dissertation. The course is taught in our state of the art studios and workshops. All costs of materials and software are covered by the Department. The course aims to have 45 students a year and prides itself in offering a friendly atmosphere and having an active and supportive student society (ArcSoc).
The BA (Hons) undergraduate course in architecture at Cambridge has an international reputation and is ranked as the top Architecture course in UK in the Guardian Best University subject rankings 2023 and has been for many years. There is a strong emphasis on academic research in the Department which feeds directly into the teaching. The Department came top in the Research Excellence Framework and boasts world-leading research in a wide range of fields. The range of topics covered is very large, allowing students to concentrate in the second and third years on the areas they most enjoy and the opportunity to explore diverse fields.
In terms of accreditation, the three-year course carries exemption from ARB/RIBA Part 1, which is the first stage in qualifying as an architect. Students who gain sufficient marks in their final examinations can continue to the MArch degree which carries ARB/RIBA Part 2 or to our Apprenticeship which offers an alternative route to qualification while working. Students receive a mark in. each year and a final degree mark which is based on 30% second year and 70% third year. Many students use the transferable skills gained in the architecture degree to work in a wide variety of careers.
To find out more about the structure of the course, follow the links below. Prospective students should be aware that the courses continue to change in reaction to changes in practice and new discoveries in research. The details shown on this website and in the various prospectuses are thus subject to change and revision.
