Why study this course?
This postgraduate course combines an apprenticeship with study over a four-year period. Funded by their employer, participants complete RIBA parts 2 and 3 whilst working as architectural apprentices.
You may be interested if you are:
- an individual hoping to study RIBA parts 2 and 3 part-time whilst working as an apprentice in an architectural firm (having already secured your apprenticeship position)
- an architecture practice that already has an apprentice who they would like to fund in completing this course alongside their apprenticeship
As an apprentice you will join London Met’s revered School of Art, Architecture and Design. The design and technology teaching for this postgraduate architecture course is carried out by a combination of practitioners and academics, ensuring the programme maintains relevance. With its campus located in a thriving cultural area of London, the School also boasts strong links to architectural and construction industries.
This course is designed to enable architecture practices to retain talented apprentices, so they may continue to work four days a week in the office whilst studying our Architecture (RIBA 2) - MArch and Examination in Professional Practice (RIBA 3) - PG Cert courses on a part-time basis. Over their four-year postgraduate journey to fully-qualified status as an architect, the apprentice will progress through a combination of work-based training and university study.
95% funding is available for smaller practices as well as 100% funding for larger levy-paying practices. You can find out more about employing an apprentice and getting funding here.
To express interest in this programme and begin your application, both apprentices and architecture practices can contact Sandra Denicke on s.denicke@londonmet.ac.uk.
More about this course
Our Architecture Apprenticeship is fully integrated with our long-established and highly-regarded RIBA 2 and RIBA 3 courses. The apprenticeship will lead to the Part 2 award of a Master of Architecture (MArch) (on the successful completion of the first three years of study), and the Part 3 award of PG Certificate in Professional Practice in Architecture (on completion of the end-point assesment in the fourth year of study).
Our students have had considerable success in the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards, winning the RIBA Silver Medal in 2002, 2003 and 2012, together with numerous commendations and other awards.
Architecture at London Met is taught in Aldgate, in east London’s creative heart. Students will benefit from access to all our art and design facilities, which cater to textiles, ceramics, furniture-making, printing, high-end digital reproduction and film-making, as well as photography equipment, workshops and specialised technicians.
The course will include the development of designs and design strategies with regards to wider urban and landscape concerns in central London and beyond. These designs will address the integration of social, cultural and economic as well as environmental and sustainable concerns, preparing apprentices for their futures as architects working in the profession and other parts of the construction industry, both locally and internationally. Apprentices will learn to work collaboratively and collectively and be able to critically analyse a given situation in order to contribute to appropriate solutions.
Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to start or enhance a career – they allow the apprentice to be employed and to be paid, whilst learning and gaining a qualification in their chosen occupational area. If you're an employer, apprenticeships can also help enhance your business by utilising your levy to recruit an apprentice who can have a positive impact on your organisation.
Get a closer look at our students' achievements at LIVENESS, our School of Art, Architecture and Design's online summer show.
Assessment
Design projects will be assessed via a portfolio and a presentation at the end of the course. The history, theory and practice coursework is assessed through seminar papers and an essay. The technology studies are examined in portfolio and through a dissertation, coursework and professional reports.
Fees and key information
Apply nowEntry requirements
The apprentice will be required to have:
- a good degree in architecture
- passed RIBA / ARB Part 1
- GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4, or equivalent Level 2 qualification (you'll be asked to evidence your grade with a certificate)
- the ability to demonstrate talent as a designer and the motivation to complete the course successfully
- already be employed as an apprentice at an architectural practice
- agreed the terms of this apprenticeship with their employer prior to applying
For those with an Education Health and Care plan (EHC) or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and Maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. For those for whom British Sign Language is their primary language, British Sign Language qualifications are accepted as an alternative to English qualifications.
Selected candidates are asked to attend an interview with their portfolio, which should include a wide range of work and demonstrate a wide range of skills.
Accelerated Learning option
Relevant prior qualifications or experience will be considered individually for each apprentice applicant. Where these exist, the course will be adapted so that this work does not need to be repeated. This may result in the duration and price of the course being reduced.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
English language requirements
To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.
Modular structure
The course comprises three years of teaching as part of our RIBA Part 2 MArch programme, followed by an intensive Part 3 lecture series prior to taking the End Point Assessment in the fourth year.
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2021-22 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
- Design Level 4 Process and Proposal AR7021
- Design Level 4 Subject and Context AR7030
- Applied Technology in Architecture AR7022
Year 2 modules include:
- Design Thesis Project: Specialisation and Proposition AR7P24
- Design Thesis Project: Resolution AR7P25
Year 3 modules include:
- Advocacy: Practice Beyond Aesthetics AR7023
- Integrated Design Study AR7026
- Two optional modules
Year 4 modules include:
- Professional Practice in Architecture and Gateway
Where this course can take you
Completion of the Architect Apprenticeship Standard and subsequent registration with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) allows the graduate to practise with the title of Architect in the United Kingdom and European community.
Important information for international applicants
Due to unprecedented demand for our courses for the spring 2023 intake, international admissions are now closed for the majority of our postgraduate courses. You can still apply for the autumn 2023 intake. Distance learning courses courses are still available for spring 2023.
How to apply
Use the apply button to begin your application.
Please only apply to this apprenticeship if you're already employed and your employer has already agreed to support your participating on this course. If you have any queries you can email s.denicke@londonmet.ac.uk.
When to apply
All applicants or employers applying on behalf of an apprentice are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.
.jpg)
