Design & Architecture

It is a requirement of the Bachelor of Design in Architecture that you pass all core units for the degree. The school has created a series of thresholds through which students must pass in order to progress to the next stage.

Studio is central to the Bachelor of Design in Architecture and the teaching is structured in such a way that the knowledge and skills learned in one semester build on those learned in the previous semester. You are required to pass Architecture Studio 1A before you will be allowed to proceed to Architecture Studio 1B and Architecture Studio 2A before you proceed to Architecture Studio 2B and so on. A fail in any Studio unit will prevent progression to the next unit, causing a 12-month delay in studies.

Whilst architectural history and theory, communications, technologies and art processes units are core to the degree, they are taught in relatively self-contained ways that complement the work in studio. If you fail any of these units in first year you will be allowed to progress to second year, but you will still be required to re-enrol in the failed units and pass them in their own right.

You will not be permitted to enrol in Architecture Studio 3A unless you have passed all first and second year core units. You will not be allowed to proceed to Architecture Studio 3B until you pass Architecture Studio 3A.

Applying for honours

If you qualify for, or have been awarded, an undergraduate pass degree in Design, the Bachelor of Design in Architecture (Honours) provides you with the opportunity to extend your potential in a research task under the supervision of a member of academic staff. The honours degree requires an extra year of full-time study.

It will allow you to develop a deeper level of academic thought and research in an area of particular interest, identified during your three years of study in the Bachelor of Design in Architecture.

The award of honours is an avenue by which the best students can be recognised. By its nature, an honours degree carries more weight or prestige than the pass degree. It is highly regarded by employers and other universities.

Course opportunities

You will have the opportunity to complete an architectural professional practice unit in third year, which will prepare you for master's level study in architecture. In this unit of study, you will develop your understanding through the design development of a project and take this to development application level using current practice.

The School of Architecture, Design and Planning has a number of school-specific exchange programs available to you. As a student, you may undertake exchange in the second year or first semester of the third year of your degree. It is usually easier to obtain studio space at the start of the overseas academic year which, in the northern hemisphere, typically commences in September.

Professional accreditation

Becoming a registered architect will open the world to you as the work of architects is no longer confined by geography. As a graduate, opportunities lie both within Australia and overseas, with a number of our past students having great successes internationally. By engaging with the environment, community and needs of clients and stakeholders, work as an architect can have a profound effect on people's lives around the world.

When you successfully complete the Bachelor of Design in Architecture (or equivalent), the next step towards becoming a registered architect is the Master of Architecture, a 2-year professional program that prepares you for the complex and challenging architecture profession.

When you graduate from the degree of Master of Architecture, you will be entitled to registration as an architect under the Architects Act 1921 (NSW), subject to obtaining two years of approved practical experience, at least 12 months of which must be subsequent to graduation, and passing an architectural practice examination before registration.

As a student, you are eligible for student membership of the Australian Institute of Architects. Here you will receive each issue of Architecture Australia, the New South Wales chapter Bulletin, and the AIA News. You may also attend Institute functions. Admission to Associate Membership of the Australian Institute of Architects is based on two years approved practical experience.

Careers & future study

Career Pathways

• Registered architect*

• Project manager

• Property developer

• Urban planner

*Subject to completing further requirements. See Professional Accreditation.

Future study

Eligible candidates may proceed to an additional honours year in the Bachelor of Design in Architecture, or to the Master of Architecture. The Bachelor of Design in Architecture also provides for admission to a range of Sydney postgraduate and graduate entry coursework programs.