1.University of Bath

Personal Statement

Your personal statement should describe your motivation for choosing architecture and information about your relevant non-academic interests and achievements. You can demonstrate a commitment to the discipline by describing and reflecting on any related work experience you have carried out, books you may have read and notable buildings you have visited or been inspired by.

IELTS - Overall score of 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in all components.

Typical Offer: 38 points with 6 in HL Mathematics or 7 at SL Mathematics, with the majority of offers to candidates studying Mathematics to HL.

The following is a list of IB subjects considered 'less effective preparation' for our degree. This list is not exhaustive and is only included for guidance:

Business and Management Information Technology in a Global Society Theatre Arts.

2. University of Edinburgh

IB: Award of Diploma with 34 points overall and grades 655 in HL subjects. SL: English at 4 and Mathematics at 6 or Mathematical Studies at 7. Evidence of artistic ability is required.

IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component

What you will study

Year 1

In Year 1, you will learn about the building blocks of architectural design. You will work on projects that look at architectural elements and assembly in different contexts. At the same time you will be taught the fundamentals of technology and environment, art practice and architectural history.

Year 2

This year works towards integrating your developing design skills in more complex and rewarding urban contexts with ambitious building programmes. It includes a field trip to a European city where design projects are situated. You will continue to apply your knowledge of technology and environment to your design work. You will also take an option course that allows you to broaden your learning in subjects across the University. At the end of Year 2, you can select whether you wish to take the three-year BA or four-year MA honours programme.

Year 3

The three-year BA route offers a direct route to ARB part 1. You will study design and its cultural and technical contexts. The MA (Hons) programme is a full honours programme with an integrated placement period in Years 3 and 4 where you study through distance learning as you gain professional experience. In this year, you will be able to develop your own personal interests in architecture with a range of studio options within the design courses.

Year 4

The final honours year sees the completion of the placement period. You will then undertake an immersive design project and complete a dissertation.

3.University of Cardiff

Obtain Diploma with an overall score of 36 points. Good academic combination of subjects.

We also require all candidates to submit a small portfolio. This should consist of 4 sheets of

A4 size reproductions of some of the applicant’s art and/ or design work. In general we do

not accept any portfolios in digital format but require printouts only. The portfolio need not

be architectural in any way and may include drawing, painting, sculpture, photography,

graphics, product design or any other work in visual design. We will not be able to return

your work to you, so please do not send originals. The copies may be in any appropriate

format (photographic, photocopy, digital printouts), but please make sure that they are of

sufficiently high quality to do justice to your work. Letters of verification confirming that the

portfolio is the applicant’s own work must accompany the portfolio. The letter should be on

the School/ College headed paper and signed by a tutor. In the case of mature students, the

letter should be written and signed by someone with connections to the industry- ie, architect.

The portfolio should be sent to the Admissions Administrator at the School.

We will not consider your application until we have received both the UCAS form and the

portfolio. Where a portfolio is of exceptionally high quality, lower academic qualifications

may be acceptable. Mature students who do not have these or equivalent qualifications, but

who have strong motivation and relevant skills and experience, should contact the School to

discuss the possibility of being admitted.

Entry to the MArch is invited from graduates from other schools who have at least an upper

second class degree giving exemption from RIBA Part 1. Selection is based on an interview

with design portfolio.

The majority of courses at Cardiff University request an IELTS score of 6.5 or 7.0.

What is the personal statement?Why do we need to see it? Does it matter?

The personal statement on the UCAS application form gives you an opportunity to convince

an admissions tutor of your suitability for the chosen degree programme. The information

below is intended to help you prepare for writing your personal statement. For further

information on personal statements, please visit the UCAS website.

Since many students are offered a place at university without attending an interview, the

personal statement is an ideal way to show what personal attributes and skills you have to

help you secure a place on a course. In essence, it can help you to stand out from the many

other students that may have the same predicted academic grades as you. If you are invited to

an interview, the personal statement may form the basis to some of the questions asked, so

remember to keep a copy for reference.

Therefore, the personal statement is a vital part of the admissions process in deciding whether

a student is offered a place at Cardiff.

The personal statement can also make a difference later in the application process if you

narrowly miss the required grades for the course. In these instances, the university is likely to

look at your personal statement again to see if your interests and experience demonstrate any

extra skills that could help you succeed on the course.

Dos and Don'ts: a basic guide to follow when writing your personal statement

Do thorough research into your chosen degree courses to ensure the course content and entry

requirements match your interests/abilities.

Do take time over your application, structure your application well and be prepared to write

at least three drafts before submitting your form to your tutor.

Do take time to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

Do print out a copy to check for errors and ask a friend/relative/teacher for their feedback.

Do be positive – about the course and all you have to offer.

Don’t give excuses – always be positive about what you have done and achieved.

Don’t waffle – make sure that all information noted is relevant and you show how skills

learnt from hobbies/outside interests are transferable to your chosen degree.

Don’t tell lies – you might get caught out, especially if asked to elaborate on your personal

statement at an interview. Remember that UCAS uses a similarity detection service to detect

copied work.

4.University of Sheffield

International Baccalaureate=37

Additional requirements: Art and design portfolio

English language requirements: If English is not your first language, you will have to provide evidence of your English language skills. We accept a range of examinations equivalent to an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher with a minimum of 7.0 in both speaking and listening. You can find out more about equivalences here.

5. University College London

IB DiplomaPoints

36

Subjects

A score of 17 points in three higher level subjects, with no score lower than 5. No specific subjects are required but a comprehensive portfolio of creative work is required at interview stage.

British Council International Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Version)

Prior to 2016 entry

Standard level: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests.Good level: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests.Advanced level: Overall grade of 7.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.

2016 entry onwards

Standard level: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests.Good level: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.Advanced level: Overall grade of 7.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.

6.University of Kent (Kent School of Architecture) – not nice faralia

IB 34 points including Maths at four points.

Candidates will normally only be considered for Stage 2 direct entry if they are taking or have already completed Stage 1 of a course that has RIBA and ARB Part 1 validation. A minimum Stage 1 average of 60% is usually required.

Your portfolio is an important part of the interview and admissions process in the school.  It should contain the strongest examples of your work as an artist or designer.  In many ways, your portfolio provides the prompt for much of the discussion during an interview, so it should be organised and tidy.  It is entirely up to you how you choose to organise your portfolio.  For example, the portfolio can be ordered chronologically or ordered according to types/styles of work.

As interviewers we want to see a broad range of examples of your skills and talents.  Please provide as wide a spectrum of these, whilst not repeating examples of techniques and styles.  Therefore, do not include too many sketches or drawings if a small selection will demonstrate your skill in a particular medium.

Your portfolio should include any media relevant to the course you are applying for.  This may include sketches, paintings, ceramics, textiles, photography, etc.  Any large scale work that you would like to show, but is too big to bring along, please photograph and document as part of your portfolio.  However, we are not just interested in skills alone.  We want you to use these skills to demonstrate your ability to observe, think and create.  We want to see:

Observational skills: Can you record and render a scene realistically?  Life drawing, still life drawing, urban/rural landscapes, etc

Artistic, conceptual, creative thinking: Can you demonstrate your design process from beginning to end of a project?

Analyses of colour, form and space

Please note that it is essential to demonstrate an aptitude for freehand and/or observational drawing. Portfolios which consist purely of design technology or 3D design work for instance may not necessarily meet our requirements.

We are receptive to the inclusion of digital work, whether time-based or static.  Please include any films or animations that you would like to show, but please notify us prior to your interview so that we can arrange equipment to view it.  Digital portfolios either online or on CD/DVD are also acceptable.  When sending digital portfolios to the school to be viewed outside of the interview process, please ensure that the all images/work is viewable and the files conform to standard formats.  All images should be saved in JPEG format and documents in PDF.

7.University of Newcastle

A minimum of 37 points. All candidates will be required to submit a portfolio for review as part of the selection process. Standard Level Mathematics or Mathematical Studies required at grade 5 if not offered at Higher Level. 

Applicants whose first language is not English require a minimum score of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

Our Architecture BA Honours degree is your first step towards qualification as a

professional architect.

This design-based degree is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects

(RIBA) and provides exemption from the RIBA Part I examination.

You will work on design projects that involve manual and computer-aided

drawing and model making and we encourage you to develop your own design

style.

You also develop the knowledge to understand the implications of your design

decisions. 

Strong design culture, with studios accessible 24/7

Consistently highly ranked in major university league tables

Field trips in the UK and Europe; community projects in the UK and

Africa

We offer all qualifications required to become an architect, meaning you can

complete your full training in Newcastle.

8.University of Strathclyde

IB: 34

Maths/Physics Higher Level

9.University of Liverpool

IELTS IELTS 6.5 (normally including writing at 6.5 level)

International Baccalaureate 36 points with no score less than 4