Architecture (Professional Placement Year)

Use architectural design principles to respond to complex social and environmental needs with our ARB-prescribed Architecture degree.

• Study an Architecture degree at our RIBA Award-winning Locksbrook Campus building.

• Work with a range of local, regional, national and international organisations on real-world projects.

• Create innovative designs that respond to the needs of communities, social initiatives and complex issues such as climate change.

Where we live and work shapes who we are – whether we’re in a built or natural environment. On our Architecture degree, you’ll learn about the relationships between conservation, planning and the use and reuse of spaces in response to crucial issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and supporting fair societies.

How we design, create, reinvent and repurpose our built environment is constantly evolving, and we’ll prepare you to be a responsive, resilient, flexible and imaginative practitioner. You’ll work on projects and live briefs with external collaborators from your first year on the course.

Bath is a World Heritage City that has always been at the cutting edge of architecture; the balance of old and new here is evident in everything from the city’s famous Georgian buildings to the recently redeveloped former Herman Miller factory site that has become Bath Spa University’s state-of-the-art Locksbrook Campus. BA Architecture at Bath Spa teaches you about buildings and materials in relation to their location and within their historic and future contexts.

Prescribed Architecture course
The ARB has changed the requirements around accredited learning in architecture and will stop prescribing all undergraduate architecture qualifications from December 31st, 2027. This will not affect a student's entry into the profession. ARB will continue to maintain the standards required to join the profession by accrediting programmes at master's level (Academic Outcomes and Practice Outcomes).

RIBA will continue to validate undergraduate (Part 1) and master's level (Part 2 (Academic Outcomes) and Part 3 (Practice Outcomes)). Students wishing to practice as a RIBA Chartered Architect will require RIBA validated Part 1, 2, and 3 qualifications. We will maintain our RIBA validation.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Course Structure

Working on a range of projects, you’ll be introduced to the key practical and conceptual skills of architectural design. You’ll develop a solid foundation in research theories and methodologies to support your design skills as you start to understand and develop your own professional practice. Using our unique and interconnected local and regional environments as a starting point, you’ll also be introduced to the historical and theoretical contexts of architecture in relation to place, space, community, and our collective ethical and sustainability responsibilities to our environment.

In your second year, you'll engage with complex, real-world projects and practice-based, peer-to-peer learning to continue to develop your practical, creative and professional skills. You’ll deepen and expand your architectural design knowledge. We’ll help you further develop your practical understanding of, and expertise in, research, project design and project management, and your ability to work collaboratively – an essential skill for all design professionals.

The third year is your Professional Placement Year. We’ll help you as you use your own creativity, knowledge and practical skills to successfully realise real-world collaborative and interdisciplinary projects. You’ll consolidate your experiences, expertise and professional practice into a comprehensive portfolio that clearly articulates the skills and professional experience you've developed during your BA Architecture degree.

Our Architecture course is entirely assessed by coursework. You'll be assessed by a variety of methods that may include: Reports,
Reviews, Reflective learning and professional practice pieces, Proposal papers for projects, Project progress reports, Project evaluations, Portfolios and Presentations.