Hi,
So I am currently applying for universities in the UK for architecture. I have noticed some universities offer a BA Hons (Bachelor of art), others a BSc Hons (Bachelor of Science) and some even a BArch (Bachelor of architecture).
I am really lost and I don t know which one to take. I actually took UCL and Bath as my first 2 choices (both offer a BSc) but I still have 3 remaining choices.
Any ideas?
Thank you, and any additional info concerning architecture studies in the UK are welcome! 
Need a little more info: what are you planning to do after you finish your Bachelor’s degree, and where are you planning to do it?
To qualify as an architect in the UK you need to pass three levels of RIBA. A 3 year BA or BSc plus one year of work placement, or a 4 year BSc gets you through Part I. A BArch or a BA/BSc + a 2 year Masters gets you through Part II. Part III is 2 years work experience.
After my Bachelor’s degree I was planning to get a master’s degree (which means I will get through part II of RIBA, according to what you said), and after that I will see if I want to stay in the UK, because I still do not know if I want to work as an architect there (maybe go to the US or Canada or elsewhere in the world) . What I sure want is to get the highest qualifications possible.
Did it help or do you need more info?
Do you have EU / Commonwealth citizenship? If not, I would guess that the 4 year BSc or the BArch are your best bets, as the year of placement work is within the program, so no issue with work permits. Also, to finish qualifying in the UK you need 2 years of work experience, so will need the right to work then.
Have you read the course descriptions carefully? there will be a big difference between the courses BA/BS/BArch
No I don’t have that kind of citizenship. And yes, I read the course description before applying to any uni. And since BA means Bachelor of arts, and BSc means Bachelor of Science, does it mean that if I take a BSc I will have more chances to work ‘‘technically’’ later on as an architect? Because I feel that if I take a BA, I will be more into design and I won’t get to work on the more technical aspect, and what I want is to mix both art and tech as much as I can, and not just simply design and a little tech.
And I read some things about BArch, and I think you get access to the working world quicker than if you get a BSc or a BA, but even with some research I didn’t completely understand what the difference is between a BArch and the rest… I am so confused!
I don’t know enough to be certain, but I am pretty sure that you won’t be able to fully qualify as an architect in the UK (ie, finish RIBA III) without a work visa for your final two years of practice. If that is your goal, contact one of the universities you are interested in and ask them specifically about that- they are likely to know the rules for international students.
You will do hands-on work from first year in most (probably all) courses. The key difference in the BArch is that it is more like law or engineering: they are training you from the beginning to be a practicing architect. Nottingham lays out the courses really clearly [url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ugstudy/courses/architectureandbuiltenvironment/barch-architecture.aspx]here[/url]. As you can see, from Day 1 you get into the nuts and bolts of building design and creation. To fully qualify as an architect you would only need the two years of practice.
The BA will be the broadest- as you can see from the Year One description at Central St Martins (London):
To fully qualify as an architect from that program you would have to do a year of working an architectural practice, then a 2 year Masters degree, then 2 more years of work.
The Bath BSc will be in between. If you do the 4 year program, you would take [url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/catalogues/2015-2016/ar/UEAR-ANB08.html]these[/url] classes and placements. To fully qualify as an architect you would then go straight into a 2 year Masters and then do 2 years of work.
If you are counting years from start to hanging out your own shingle it’s either 6 (BArch) or 8 (BA/BSc).
What we can’t help you with is which is better for you- because we don’t know you or your goals or what aspects of architecture you are most interested in!
Oooh I see okay! I went to check University of Kent’s architectural section (which offers a BA). Just to make sure: when you say broader, you mean it won’t be focusing as much on the technical aspect as the BArch or the BSc right? Because I have seen the modules in that uni, and since I’m not familiar with any of it, I don’t exactly know what we learn in those classes.
If I understood what you said, BArch helps us become qualified architects quicker than any other degree, but on the other side, we don’t get the same ‘‘slow start’’ as in the BSc, which helps us get used to everything in architecture, right?
What I mostly like in architecture is the fact we can mix arts and some kind of engineering in the same time, so I don’t think the BA will suit me, because I will mostly get skills in art, and not enough in engineering (which is quite sad). And I think a BArch will be too abrupt for me, because I’ve seen what you sent about the university of Nottingham, and I really have the impression we will already start working as fully qualified architects since the beginning 
I think a BSc is what would suit me. Or am I completely wrong?
I will contact some universities to know if I can be a qualified architect in the UK after RIBA III, but I think for now on I will have to think whether I want to work there or not, I still have some time to really think about it
Ask if you can do the practical work (the 2 years post-grad required to qualify) in the UK.
Good luck!
Thank you so much for your help! I feel like things have cleared up a bit and I know better what I want to do ! :-j 