Teaching
Most teaching will take place in the design studio. Your design projects will be exhibited at the end of each year.
The rest of the curriculum will include lectures, seminars, workshops, and supervisions to build on the practical and professional skills which can be used in your design projects. Please check the department website for updates on the course outline for 2025 entry.
Assessment
You are assessed on studio work at the end of each term through a combination of a portfolio, presentations and coursework. These will account for 50% of your overall marks each year.
The rest of the curriculum will account for 50% of your overall marks each year and will be assessed through coursework.
You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.
Year 1 (Part IA)
You begin studio work with design projects which introduce you to the core skills of design.
As well as studio work, you take five compulsory papers:
- Professional Skills I
- Materials and Fabrication I
- History and Theory of Design I
- Form and Forces I
- Mathematics and Programming I
Year 2 (Part IB)
You work on a further three projects in the studio. Project briefs will be more open and require interdisciplinary engagement. You will analyse solutions in diverse contexts of people and cultures.
As well as studio work, you take four compulsory papers:
- Professional Skills II
- Materials and Fabrication II
- Form and Forces II
- Mathematics and Programming II
You also choose three further papers from a range of topics.
Examples of options may include:
- History and Theory options from the Architecture Course
- Natural Materials and Structures
- Robotics, Automation and Advanced Fabrication Techniques
- Advanced Building Physics
- Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence
- Design and Policy
- Advanced Studies in History and Theory of Architecture
- Artificial Intelligence
- Introduction to Data Science
Year 3 (Part IIA)
Your studio projects will become more complex as the design projects grow in scale. In these projects, you will begin to learn how to test, communicate and evaluate solutions. This will involve integrating knowledge and skills from previous years.
As well as studio work, you take one compulsory paper:
You also choose five further papers from a range of topics including those listed in Year 2.
Year 4 (Part IIB)
You will work in the studio on a full-year design project.
You will also complete a dissertation project of your choice. This is a major independent project and an opportunity for you to show creativity and mastery in design. You will also focus on at least one of the fundamental design disciplines, using theoretical, experimental and/or computational methods.
Your studio and dissertation projects will allow you to make use of the knowledge and skills developed in Parts I and IIA.
You also take one compulsory paper:
For further information about this course and the papers you can take see the Department of Architecture website.
Changing course
Students can change to the Architecture course after Year 1.
In rare cases, it may be possible to change to another course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.
You might also have to:
- take part in an interview
- complete an admissions test
- produce some written work
- achieve a particular grade in your current studies
- do some catch-up work
- start your new course from the beginning
For more information visit the Department website.
You can also apply to change to:
You can't apply to this course until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed 1 year or more of your original Cambridge course.
You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.
