Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture (RIBA Part II exemption)

The Birmingham School of Architecture is celebrating its Centenary year and has a long and proud standing in England’s “second city”.

School Rationale

Over 50% of the World’s 6 Billion people now live in cities. By 2050 this will have passed 80%; the future is urban. Taking an international perspective, the school’s programmes will explore innovative approaches to design and intervention in urban space.

We will critically explore relationships between built form, terrain, space, scale, culture, developmental processes and sustainability, within an interdisciplinary, research informed, project based dialogue.

Post Graduate Diploma course

The course is predominantly based on contemporary architecture, with an emphasis on the conceptual and theoretical, whilst striking a balance with more practical concerns.

The course is arranged via 3 key design programmes; architectural investigations which encourages disparate influences to generate architectural form, architectural synergies which embraces the realms of technology and environment in influencing design, and architectural speculations which asks students to challenge the conventions of culture and design.

We encourage an understanding and debate about an appropriate balance and hierarchy between three key factors of site, programme, and a conceptual / theoretical position. This balance shifts with each programme.

Programmes are delivered via a series of units, each with its own philosophy to further test the response to the project.
           
The final project, architectural speculations makes reference to the School’s rationale by focusing on “Urban Futures”. Students seek clues within existing culture and society to speculate on what our urban future will be. The work on display here conveys this agenda, whether it be a world where water is scarce or  a capital city that has flooded and needs a new way of operating.

The speculations are just that, suggestions and speculations of what might be. We believe that the role of the architect is not simply to respond in a reactive way to a static world but to be pro-active and understand how design can influence the whole of society.

 

How To Apply:

Portfolio Advice

To assist the interview we require you to prepare a self appraisal document to bring along to the interview. The course director will discuss this with you at some point during the interview. Please note that without this document we would be unable to continue with the interview.

We suggest that the self-appraisal is between 2 and 4 sides of A4, and is presented as a combination of bullet-points and key paragraphs. Specifically we ask you to include:-

A summary of your education since leaving school
An analysis of your portfolio and working methods whilst on your BA course
Your relevant work experience to date
What are your strengths and weaknesses both as a student and in the workplace
Architectural issues you are particularly interested in
Your reasons for applying to our course

As well as this document we require you to bring at least the following work in your design portfolio to enable us to ascertain your suitability for the programme:-

Final project from BA course
Other projects from final year or second year
A copy of your written dissertation
Selected sketchbooks

A range of work from your practical training year or architectural employment (this includes technical work as well as design and presentation work)

Evidence of your RIBA Part 1 exemption (e.g BA certificate)

The interview will last for approximately 25 minutes and will include a brief tour of the school. It may also be possible to meet with some students who are on the course should you wish.

Applications from overseas shoud be in the following format:

We would like the following format for portfolio applications on a cd.

A PDF single file with a maximum of 20 sheets. . The file must be a pdf, we will not accept individual jpeg images or files for specific programs such as Autocad

This should be a mix of academic projects and professional experience (approx 70-30 split).

 There is no point showing work from the early years of the course, we want to see the best work.

Each sheet should include the project title and a meaningful description.

Files must be a MAXIMUM of 5MB so they can be emailed easily.

should be a second file which has an electronic application form, certificates, references etc, again, in PDF format.

Application Information

notes for applicants:

Each year we take about 40 students onto the course. Students applying for the PG Diploma course MUST possess RIBA Part 1 exemption in order to be eligible.
We welcome applicants from other schools of architecture, not just from our own BA course. Over the last few years we have welcomed students from the following schools of architecture: kingston, manchester, greenwich, liverpool, liverpool john moores, newcastle, oxford brookes, portsmouth, plymouth, leicester, brighton, north london, bath, u.w.e, and nottingham.

Student without RIBA Part 1 exemption should consider approaching the Architects Registration Board (arb.org.uk) for a direct examination to be awarded RIBA Part 1 exemption or alternatively they are eligible to apply for the MA Architectural Studies course. This course is a 48 week full time course which consists of 12 of the 16 modules from the Diploma course. It is ideal for overseas students looking for a UK Masters qualification, or for students looking to improve their portfolio in anticipation of a direct examination with the Architects Registration Board. Please note that this MA does not award RIBA part 2 exemption.

Applications are welcomed from October until about the end of July, although great interest in the course often means that we are normally full by the end of June.

Students on their year out should consider applying after Christmas but before Easter to ensure that their professional practice portfolio is developed enough. An earlier application my not reveal enough progress since completing the BA course.

Students applying for the part time mode of the course MUST be employed in an architectural practice, and have an fully qualified architect as a mentor. In some cases we can make allowances for other scenarios, but these will need to be agreed before taking your place on the course.

There is some ability to switch from the full time mode to part time studies at certain places in the course if your circumstances change.
We wish you luck with your application.