BA (Hons) Architecture Bachelor's degree at Liverpool John Moores University
BA (Hons) Architecture at LJMU integrates core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
Explore hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at LJMU. One course is all it takes to shape your future. Find yours and apply today. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Architecture is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at LJMU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Architecture graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Architecture, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Foundation Year 4 modules
- Exploring Materials, Process and PracticeCore30 credits
Module details
This is a practical module that introduces students to basic Art & Design practices through introductory 'exposures' and 'encounters' with materials, technologies and processes. It is supported by a programme of workshops, tutorials and studio practicals to ensure that students are practically engaged with a variety of skills and processes, and be contextually aware, to augment the development of their individual practice. An emphasis will be placed on students exploring craft, technology and pr
- Art and CultureCore30 credits
Module details
This foundational Art & Culture module explores the dynamic relationship between visual art, culture, and society. Students will engage with key concepts in art history and cultural theory, examining how art reflects and influences social, political, and historical contexts. Through a diverse range of examples, from classical to contemporary works, the module encourages exploration of artistic movements, cultural identities, and the role of art in shaping public discourse. Students will gain a d
- Drawing and CultureCore30 credits
Module details
This module aims to cultivate elementary drawing skills and challenge students understanding of 'drawing' itself. To encourage an inquisitive and proactive approach to learning, documenting and producing through drawing, students will be exposed to novel drawing methods including: - Life drawing - Reportage - Conceptual drawing - Computer-aided/digital drawing A series of drawing workshops will introduce students to a variety of basic drawing approaches and encourage experimentation with a range
- Studio Practice ProjectCore30 credits
Module details
This module will build on the introductory modules in semester 1 giving students the opportunity to apply new skills and develop a deeper understanding of their chosen discipline. It comprises a series of set practice-based projects designed to introduce students to a variety of materials, processes and media core to their chosen discipline. It allows students to recognise how different processes can be used to approach a set brief, tackle creative problems and publish their work. This module in
Year 1 7 modules
- History and Theory 1: critically engaging with architectural ideas through analysis of architectureCore10 credits
Module details
Within this module you will become familiar with historically significant buildings and to understand the relationship of these buildings to their contexts. You will learn to recognise themes in specific objects, which have influenced architectural and interior design thought and discourse. In doing so, you will become aware of how architectural ideas have emanated from certain cultural conditions, and their relevance to society then and now. This will enable you to develop a coherent argument w
- Fundamental Skills: - understanding buildings through drawingCore20 credits
Module details
This module will introduce you to methods of architectural and spatial analysis, alongside the interpretation of ideas which underpin the creation of architectural space and composition. You will develop the fundamental skills or architectural drawing, utilising architectural conventions. Within the module, you will also be introduced to nature of construction and will develop an understanding of the different construction materials. This module was developed to introduce and formalise a program
- Design 1: light, space and form; narrative and spatial sequencingCore20 credits
Module details
This module will introduce you to methods of research, exploration and the interpretation of ideas which underpin the creation of space and composition. You will engage in the fundamentals of spatial design through an understanding of space, light and architectural directive primarily through the exploration of physical models. This module was developed to introduce and formalise a programme of self-learning and key skills for interior architecture students.
- Design 2: exploration of a placeCore20 credits
Module details
Within this module you will research and devise a historical and theoretical essay as a means to formulate a design brief and directive. You will be provided the opportunity to design a building incorporating students' urban design ideas and, in particular, the interface condition between building and the street and context. This will enable you to explore and interpret thematic ideas as a poetic process in design.
- Design 3: the need for designCore20 credits
Module details
This module will help you to understand how the needs, wants, desires and behaviours of users and commissioners, shape briefs, opportunities, spaces and projects. In doing so, you will be introduced to the methods of investigation and preparation of a design brief. This will aid you when exploring the role of the designer/architect in translating the needs of a user group into a deliverable spatial outcome.
- Environment and Technology 1: introduction to environmental designCore10 credits
Module details
This module introduces the integral role of environmental design in the architectural design process, from conception to realisation. It explores both historical developments and recent buildings of note. Emphasis is placed on creative and forward-thinking approaches, as well as on understanding the current technical and practical possibilities shaping the global architectural profession. The module will give students grounding in the challenges of building high quality sustainable architecture.
- Environment and Technology 2: introduction to structures and constructionCore20 credits
Module details
This module introduces the integral role of technology in the architectural design process, from conception to realisation. It explores both historical developments and recent buildings of note. Emphasis is placed on creative and forward-thinking approaches, as well as on understanding the current technical and practical possibilities shaping the global architectural profession. The module will give students grounding in the challenges of building high quality sustainable architecture.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study architecture through design studio work, technical knowledge and professional understanding. A course like this normally begins with foundational design methods, architectural history and construction principles. In Year 2, you'll progress to more complex design briefs while learning environmental design and digital representation such as CAD and BIM. From Year 3 onwards, you'll undertake a major design project alongside professional practice modules and a dissertation. Throughout, you'll develop skills in drawing, making and critique whilst exploring specialisations such as sustainable design, urban design and digital design practices. The course culminates in RIBA Part 1 validation, establishing eligibility for professional registration in architecture.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-level qualifications or equivalent; recent entrants typically held these credentials. Most accepted students had a UCAS tariff between 80 and 95 points. The programme is designed for those committed to professional architectural practice and registration in the UK, offering both the academic foundation and practical grounding needed for the profession.
Careers & job market
Across Architecture courses nationally, 89% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of working graduates, 75% are in highly skilled work or further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries (15 months post-graduation) typically range from £23,500 to £28,000, rising to £24,650–£34,800 after five years. These figures reflect the broader graduate population, not a guarantee for individual outcomes.
University & format
This BA (Hons) in Architecture is studied full-time at Liverpool John Moores University, a public university in the City Centre Campus, over 4 years in English. The course is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for membership eligibility and prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) at Part 1 level for UK registration. Liverpool John Moores is a recognised UK degree-awarding body.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
Work placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at LJMU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Architecture graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £23,000 – £25,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £21,500 | £17,000 – £27,500 | 50 |
| 5 years after | £25,500 | £22,500 – £31,500 | 90 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in architecture · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Architecture nationally
National figures for Architecture graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Architecture courses at the same study level.
Compared with 228 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 50% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Architects, Chartered Architectural Technologists, Planning Officers, Surveyors and Construction ProfessionalsSOC 2020 245 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £45,972
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 70; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Architecture graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Architecture graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Architecture practices
- Property developers
- Local-authority planning
- Construction firms
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Architecture graduates.
Architecture Design Lead EMEANeko HealthArchitecture Director - Data CentresAECOMArchitecture Managing Consultant: Consumer & Manufacturing GrowthAstro Studios, Inc.Architecture Lead on Equipment ManagementAirbusArchitecture - Senior Solutions Architect - IT1Parkdean Resorts UK LimitedArchitecture Managing Consultant, Consumer & ManufacturingPA ConsultingIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.6 out of 10: NSS 87.6% · in work or study 90% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Liverpool John Moores University
Architecture, building and planning across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around City Centre Campus
5,301 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Architecture right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to LJMU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by LJMU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check LJMU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with LJMU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at LJMU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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