Architectural Technology BSc(Hons)

Course in brief

As an architectural technologist you will be the technical member of the design team, making sure that designs are buildable, durable, sustainable, economical and easy to maintain.

This course will prepare you for industry challenges, encouraging you to push the boundaries, exercise professional judgement, and understand that architectural technology is about peoples’ lives, as well as impacts on the built and natural environment, and society.

You will learn to take architectural design projects from concept to completion, focusing on building technology, function and performance. You will gain extensive knowledge of design processes, construction methods, environments, materials and the latest technologies. This includes the opportunity to learn Building Information Modelling (BIM) to level 2, giving you a competitive advantage when you graduate.

With a focus on interdisciplinary learning, you will work with students from related courses on projects that mirror the real-world working environment. You will gain insight into building services and professional practice and develop your theoretical knowledge and skills through field trips and visits to construction sites.

The option of a salaried placement year gives you the opportunity to gain vital work experience, enhance your CV and make valuable industry contacts.

Our course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE).

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code K236

Full-time 3 years
With placement year 4 years
Part time 4–6 years

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, the Chartered Institute of Building and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers

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Apply now with UCAS

Start in 2018: how to apply

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBC–CCC (112–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

We will generally make you an offer if your predicted grades are at the top of this range. If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still make you an offer if you have a good GCSE (or equivalent) profile or relevant non–academic achievements.

International Baccalaureate
28 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language, maths and a science.

Foundation degree/HND
International foundation may be considered. HND and Foundation Degree may be considered for year 2 entry.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum 5.5 in the other three elements.

Studying part-time
Part-time students should apply direct to the university.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Course structure

Through a shared first year across our construction and building courses, you will gain a thorough introduction covering key aspects of the industry.

Core modules become more tailored to architectural technology from your second year. In your final year you apply what you have learned to more complex projects and have the freedom to choose option modules in areas that interest you most.

You will learn through lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratory practicals, guest lecturers from industry and coursework. You will also take part in fieldwork, site visits, surveys, workshops and projects, both individually and in groups, often with peers from related courses.

You also have the option to enrol on this course part-time, giving you more flexibility in the way you choose to study.

Architectural technology student and lecturer

Year 1

In your first year you will explore fundamental elements relating to the industry.

Modules

Building Technology and Design
Introduction to the Built Environment
Indoor Environment and Building Services 1
Land and Construction Surveying
Construction Materials

Year 2

In your second year you will build on the knowledge and skills you have gained in your first year and begin to explore aspects of architectural technology in more depth.

Modules

Built Environment Professional Practice
Cost and Contract Administration
Construction Methods and Technology
Indoor Environment and Building Services 2
Architectural Technology
Building Information Modelling

Placement year

Our students have been on placement in organisations including: Morgan Sindall, Osborne, Savills, ARCH-angels Architects, Orbit Architects, A&M Architectural Partnership, Mann Williams Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers, Alan & Green, rpa:group, and Deacon & Richardson.

Final year

In your final year, you will develop and complete both an individual design project and a research project. You will also choose from option modules, giving you flexibility to specialise in areas that interest you most.

Modules

Advanced Architectural Technology
Honours project

Option modules

Project Planning and Analysis
Sustainable Construction
Building Pathology and Life Care
Environmental Impact Assessment

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

At Brighton, you will have the opportunity to learn Building Information Modelling (BIM). The industry standard BIM application is widely used in the UK construction industry to manage and deliver building construction projects from concept to completion. Gaining skills and experience in BIM, as part of your studies, can help to give you a professional advantage when you graduate.

You will begin to develop your knowledge and skills in BIM by gaining a comprehensive understanding of modelling a building in a 3D environment, applying contractual requirements and learning about the building lifecycle.

You will then have the opportunity to further investigate BIM's capabilities. The UK government currently states that all publicly-funded projects must now meet the BIM protocol, which has resulted in a push for a fast adoption of BIM in the industry, meaning there will be a growing demand for professionals who have BIM experience.

Course statistics

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Careers and employability

Recent graduates are now working in companies including: Mace, Osborne, McAlpine, Morgan Sindall, Gatwick Airport, Frankham, Delta Green, Berkeley Group Plc, HNW Architects and Hemsley Orrell Partnership. Others have progressed to postgraduate and MPhil/PhD studies.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,040 GBP

If you choose to take the professional placement (sandwich) year offered on this course you will pay a reduced fee during this year. Our fee for the professional placement year is £1,230 for home students and £2,000 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2018–19.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Just two miles north of Brighton city centre and the seafront, Moulsecoomb is the largest of our five campuses with more than 8,000 students. A wide variety of subjects are taught here, from engineering and product design to business and law.

Students benefit from many professional-standard facilities, including a flight simulator, design and digital media suites, and specialist research laboratories. The campus library, Aldrich, offers long opening hours and a diverse collection of books and journals for students from all subject areas.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy our basketball and badminton courts, fitness suite and climbing wall. The campus is also a few minutes walk from the South Downs National Park, providing a great place to relax during the summer months.

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Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. We recommend Unihomes and House Share when you’re balancing learning with placements, shifts and other commitments, because they give you more choice and flexibility.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Moulsecoomb campus map

Find out more

Construction and building news

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