BA (Hons) in Architecture

Define what architecture can do for sustainable life on the planet, and learn how to succeed in architectural practice, with our RIBA-accredited and Architects Registration Board-prescribed degree course.

From the design of a family home to an entire city, architects help to shape the world we live in.

You’re fascinated by the built environment and have ambitions to create spaces that are innovative, meaningful and purposeful.

By studying BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) Architecture at ARU, you’ll gain the theoretical, technical and design skills to do this – and to work as a professional architect.

Our architecture studios are exciting, creative places with industry-standard equipment. Here, our experts will deliver a learner-centred and research-led approach to architecture.

You’ll become skilled in developing design concepts, experimenting with different media, and representing your ideas through drawings, and physical and digital models.

But you won’t be restricted to the studio. You’ll go on on-site visits so you can analyse the language and style of buildings, and their construction, and see projects taking shape in real life. Together, we’ll explore building design, ‘buildability’ and sustainability.

There’s also an optional European field trip each year, to cities such as Lisbon, Venice, Rome and Vienna. It’s a great chance to explore how architecture contributes to shaping our urban life.

Your future career is important so you’ll learn about the construction business and project management. We have a network of visiting designers, artists, historians and theorists who deliver workshops, lectures and tutorials. You can also choose to take a placement as part of your BA (Hons) Architecture degree, and gain industry experience.

We make sure your course is relevant to the real world, by helping you to engage ethically, politically, and sustainably with the changing landscape of the built environment, better preparing you for the world of work.

At ARU, we believe it's important to recognise our students' hard work. That's why, at the end of each academic year, we showcase and celebrate your achievements with an End of Year Show.

When you complete your degree course, you will have fulfilled the first part of the three-part process to become a registered architect in the UK.

ARU is an innovative global university with students from 185 countries coming to study with us. We've once again been named as one of the top 350 institutions in the world in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 – and one of the top 40 universities in the UK.

Our community is incredibly important to us, and we're proud of the role we play in our cities and the wider region – including the positive effect on jobs and the local economy.*

Students, businesses, and partners benefit from outstanding facilities, which include our new School of Medicine in Chelmsford, and the Science Centre in Cambridge. Many of our facilities, activities, and events are open to the wider community.

Why choose ARU?

There are many reasons.

Ambition

We’re not only academically ambitious for ourselves but for our students.

We’ve been named one of the top 350 institutions in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021, for the fifth successive year – and one of the top 40 universities in the UK. We're also listed in the Top 10 for social inclusion in The Times Good University Guide 2021.

Students are at the heart of our University, and we're delighted that our final-year undergraduates also rate their educational experience highly

Excellence

We were named as the UK’s leading university for education and sports science courses in the 2021 Guardian League Table. We're especially pleased to be one of the Guardian's top 20 UK universities for ‘Value added’, which measures how well we support our students, regardless of background, towards achieving their potential.

As well as this, our Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Silver award recognizes the quality of our courses and high levels of student satisfaction.

Collaboration

We’re a place where collaboration, research, and scholarly activity inform everything we do. Many of our courses are recognized by industry and a large number are professionally accredited, making our students career-ready.

Each year, we also help 2,000 businesses grow with interns, training, research, and collaborative programs.

Impact

We’re purposeful, challenging, and curious about our world. Our academic excellence has been recognized by the UK’s higher education funding bodies, with 12 areas classed as generating world-leading research. We deliver impactful research that tackles pressing issues and makes a difference, from saving lives to conserving water.

Enterprise

While our head is full of ambition, our feet are planted in the world around us. We pride ourselves on being as enterprising as we are innovative and nurture those qualities in our students, with mentorship, support, and start-up funding on offer through the Anglia Ruskin Enterprise Academy.

Enthusiasm

Our sheer can-do attitude sets us apart from others. We find that enthusiasm is infectious, letting the results speak for themselves and being the only UK university to be named a global 'rising star'.*

* Research carried out by Hatch Regeneris for the University and College Union, 2020

Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014

* Higher education consultants Firetail, table published in the Times Higher Education, August 2016

Our History

Our story starts in 1858 when the art critic, patron, and philanthropist John Ruskin opened the Cambridge School of Art. The art school grew to become Anglia Ruskin University, shortened to ARU, and it’s still at the heart of our modern-day campus in Cambridge.

Becoming ARU

Over the years, a number of colleges and institutes have become part of ARU. They include the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) and the Essex Institute of Higher Education (formerly the Chelmer Institute – itself formed from the Mid-Essex Technical College and the Brentwood College of Education). At first, these colleges combined to become Anglia Polytechnic, and then Anglia Polytechnic University in 1992.

A national and international presence

As well as our four main campuses, we have a number of partner institutions in the UK and overseas, giving you the chance to study for an ARU qualification near to home. The first partnerships were formed in the early 1990s.

Our International Office, set up in 1992, fosters further links and makes sure that our international students receive the support and information they need.

Courses

Our early expertise in the arts and education has broadened, and today we offer courses in computing and technology, engineering, law, business, economics, life sciences, and more.

We’ve been a leader in the field of health and social care since 1992 when nursing training was transferred from local health authorities to ARU. As well as our three highly regarded nursing courses, we train midwives, paramedics, operating department practitioners, and social workers.

Of course, the arts and education are still important to us. We train early-year professionals on our Chelmsford campus and at our partner college in Peterborough. Our MA Children’s Book Illustration is a world-renowned course that builds on the long tradition of the Cambridge School of Art. We’ve embraced 21st-century variations on our more traditional arts courses, too – including computer games art, and music technology.