BA (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology Bachelor's degree at Southampton Solent University
BA (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology at SSU integrates core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
Study the twin concepts of architectural design and technology and get practical hands-on experience on this innovative, accredited course. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at SSU, based in East Park Terrace. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Architecture graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (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: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (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.
Year one 4 modules
- Architecture and Technology PrinciplesCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the architecture and construction industries, developing your understanding of project design, development and delivery. It equips you with knowledge of industry terminology, professional roles and relationships, and the historical and contemporary development of the sector, while fostering awareness of its social, economic and environmental impacts, career pathways, and the legal and regulatory framework governing health, safety and land use.
- Architecture StudioCore
Module details
This module guides you through the design process for low-rise residential architecture, enabling you to develop well-resolved design proposals that respond to site conditions, context, spatial planning, form, and function. It provides an understanding of the planning permission process, the application of project standards, and the use of digital tools for modelling and visualising building elements. You'll learn to generate coordinated 2D and 3D representations and compile comprehensive design
- Technology StudioCore
Module details
In this module you'll develop your technical knowledge of low-rise construction by exploring different structural types, materials, and components, as well as construction techniques for substructures and superstructures. You'll also cover the coordination of construction information between stakeholders, site management, quality, safety, and compliance with building regulations, supporting the detailed design of building methods, junctions and critical details.
- BIM EssentialsCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the principles and applications of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry. You'll develop your understanding of project and asset information models, the common data environment, and the role of digital model data, and you'll gain practical skills in generating and assembling construction information using industry-standard BIM applications, preparing you to contribute effectively to BIM-enabled projects.
Year two 4 modules
- Advanced BIMCore
Module details
In this module you'll develop your advanced skills in BIM to support the design and construction process. You'll focus on the creation and management of coordinated digital models, integrating architectural, structural, and engineering information. You'll also learn to use digital tools for producing construction documentation, simulating building performance, analysing design proposals, and visualising design options.
- Sustainable RefurbishmentCore
Module details
This module examines and introduces you to strategies for refurbishing existing buildings in the built environment to achieve and exceed government targets and benchmarks requirements, focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable materials, regulatory compliance, and integration of low-carbon technologies.
- Advanced Architecture StudioCore
Module details
This module examines innovative approaches to commercial scale architecture, with a focus on complex design development, the integration of form and function, and adherence to relevant regulatory frameworks. It emphasises the translation of conceptual ideas into practical solutions, considering the demands of real-world projects and the coordination of multidisciplinary requirements.
- Advanced Technology StudioCore
Module details
This module develops your understanding of commercial scale buildings and to build expertise in technical performance and detailing. It focusses on the application of different construction technologies, the evaluation of material performance, and the integration of complex building systems into precise, coordinated technical solutions.
Final year 4 modules
- Sustainable Architecture - DesignCore
Module details
This module equips you with the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the built environment today, including climate change, social inequality, resource efficiency and long-term value. During your studies, you'll gain an understanding of how to create spaces that are not only environmentally responsible but also socially valuable and legally compliant.
- Sustainable Architecture - RealisationCore
Module details
This module provides you with the critical knowledge and technical skills needed to design and manage sustainable buildings that are not only structurally sound but also environmentally responsible. By focusing on the entire lifecycle of a building, you'll be equipped to address challenges such as resource efficiency, energy use, and waste reduction. This module also helps you stay current with industry standards, regulations, and best practices, ensuring your designs comply with legal requireme
- Contract Administration and SpecificationCore
Module details
This module gives you the practical tools to bridge the gap between design and delivery. You'll learn how to manage contracts, write clear specifications, navigate procurement options and ensure legal and safety compliance on site. Whether you're working on a residential build or a complex public project, these are the real-world skills that protect your design, your client and the people building it. It's essential knowledge for every future architect, technologist or construction professional.
- Professional PracticeCore
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
This course pairs architectural design with technology through practical, hands-on study. You'll usually begin with design fundamentals, learning to conceive buildings through drawing, making and critical discussion, alongside architectural history, theory and how buildings are constructed and stand up. Year 2 moves to more complex design briefs that engage with context, users and building regulation, while you develop environmental design, structural thinking and digital skills such as CAD and BIM. In your final year, you'll undertake a comprehensive building design project (the RIBA Part 1 centrepiece), explore professional practice, ethics and contracts, and write a research dissertation. Throughout, you may specialise in areas such as sustainable design, urban design, BIM and digital workflows, and portfolio development.
Who it's for
This course suits those with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most recent entrants held A-levels or equivalent, with typical UCAS tariff scores of 96–111 points. You should have a genuine interest in architectural design, technology, and the built environment, and be prepared for a structured programme combining theoretical knowledge with practical application.
University & format
Southampton Solent University is a University located in Southampton. The BA (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology is a full-time, 3-year degree taught in English. The course is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for eligibility for membership of that body. The University holds Gold in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (2023).
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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
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 | 95% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
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 (code ADT1). 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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at SSU →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 | £25,000 | £24,000 – £28,500 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £24,500 | £21,500 – £30,000 | 25 |
| 5 years after | £28,000 | £22,500 – £33,000 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
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: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. 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.
- Architects, Chartered Architectural Technologists, Planning Officers, Surveyors and Construction ProfessionalsSOC 2020 245 · 70% of published destinations · ASHE median £45,972
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
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: 30; 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 £25,000. 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 9.2 out of 10: NSS 91.3% · in work or study 90% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Southampton Solent 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 East Park Terrace
3,609 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 SSU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £24,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). 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 SSU’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 SSU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SSU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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