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Clearing is open

Call us on +44 (0)116 257 7000 or WhatsApp on to find out if you're eligible for an offer to start this September.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ Clearing

Key facts

Clearing entry requirements

72 UCAS points

Even if you didn’t get the grades you expected, we'll consider a range of qualifications and individual circumstances. Give us a call on 0116 257 7000.

Some additional entry requirements may apply, call for details

Key facts

Duration:

4 yrs full-time, 5 yrs part-time


Study mode:

Full-time, Part-time


UCAS code:


Institution code:

D26

Clearing entry requirements

72 UCAS points

Even if you didn’t get the grades you expected, we'll consider a range of qualifications and individual circumstances. Give us a call on 0116 257 7000.

Some additional entry requirements may apply, call for details

UCAS code

Duration

4 years full-time, 5 years part time with the option to graduate after three years with a BA (Hons)

Study mode

Full-time, Part-time

Join our 128‑year legacy of architectural education, become part of a new generation of creative changemakers and turn bold design thinking into innovative, climate‑conscious architecture.

Overview

Designed around the latest professional accreditation standards from the ARB (Architects Registration Board), this course develops your creative, technical and critical skills through a balance of design, technology and professional practice.

It prepares you for the opportunity to become a qualified architect while equipping you with the knowledge and expertise to pursue a wide range of careers across architecture, design and the built environment.

You’ll learn through a studio-led approach, working on real-world projects that explore how architecture responds to social, environmental and technological challenges. From day one, you’ll develop the design thinking, technical understanding and professional practice awareness expected in contemporary architectural practice.

  • Benefit from our 128-year legacy in architectural education, with a curriculum that integrates craftsmanship, professional practice, ethical design and climate-conscious approaches.
  • Join graduates who are leading the way in sustainable architecture, working for globally renowned firms such as Heatherwick Studio, Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, Make Architects and Shigeru Ban Architects, helping to reshape the built environment in response to the climate crisis.
  • Enjoy studying in our designated Architecture Studios inside the inspiring Vijay Patel Building. You’ll have access to multipurpose studios, cutting-edge CAD laboratories and workshops equipped for metalworking, woodworking, digital printing, waterjet cutting and prototyping.

Why an integrated master’s makes sense

Our Integrated Master’s course combines undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single, four-year programme, offering a streamlined route through the latest ARB accreditation requirements. You'll progress seamlessly from developing core design principles and architectural thinking during Years 1–3 (Part 1) before completing advanced design investigation and independent master's-level study in Year 4 (Part 2).

Alternatively, you may choose to graduate after three years with a BA (Hons) in Architecture.

You can find out more about becoming a registered architect on

 

Clearing is open

Clearing is open

Secure an offer now, explore your options, and get support through every step of Clearing.

Our next Open Day is on
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Join us in 31 days and 10 hours.

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How you will be taught

Design Studio 1: Exploring Architecture

You will learn how to observe and understand people and spaces and start to make design decisions independently and collaboratively through studio teaching to develop professional behaviours. Through drawing skills, model making and studio workshops, you will develop practical design process skills through craft and mixed media and carry out live tests and experiments to understand how architecture shapes the world around us. You will also be introduced to architectural history, research, sustainability and the role of architects in society, engaging with architectural practice from the outset.

Design Studio 2: Writing Architecture

This module gives you further key design process skills, introducing architectural history, theory and practice through visual and verbal tools. You will explore important buildings, architects and ideas relevant to future climate, environment and social practice while developing your reading, research and academic writing skills. Through drawing, modelling and analysis, you will learn how historical and contemporary architecture can inform your own design work, giving you a broad range of design process tools.

Design Studio 3: Experiencing Architecture

This module explores how people experience architecture and places, the urban environments around us, through movement, scale, light, sound and the senses through experimental fabrication techniques and site analysis. You will use architectural drawing, photography, film, animation and model making to investigate places and develop design ideas widely into rich processes to inform subsequent projects. The module also introduces and begins to integrate inclusive design, ethics and sustainable material choices.

Design Studio 4: Creating Architecture

Here you will complete your first architectural design project for a real site and user. You will develop your experimental ideas through site analysis, design testing and model making while considering climate, materials, structure and environmental design, bringing together all the process tools you have learnt. You will also learn how architecture can respond to the needs of different people and communities.

Design Studio 5: Researching Architecture

This module explores how architecture has developed over time and how it responds to social, cultural and environmental issues. You will investigate architectural history and theory while developing research skills and methods that support your design work through to an urban scale, widening your understanding of the scales of architecture as a discipline.

Design Studio 6: Exploring Ethical and Climate Literacy

You will join a design studio led by academics and practitioners focused on a particular architectural theme. Working on a live design brief, you will develop projects that respond to site, community and environmental challenges. You will also learn how climate-responsive design, materials and construction influence architectural decisions.

Design Studio 7: Practicing Ethical Design

This module develops your ability to design a small- to medium-sized building and your professional understanding and behaviours. You will consider the needs of users, accessibility, planning policy, sustainability and the wider surroundings while developing your own more complex design approach within a collaborative studio environment.

Design Studio 8: Applying Climate Literate Design

Here you will challenge yourself to integrate technical knowledge into your design projects, working with a team of specialist practitioners reflecting the reality of real architectural practice. You will explore building structures, materials, environmental systems and low-carbon design strategies, showing how technical decisions support good architectural design.

This optional placement year provides opportunities to gain professional experience and supports diverse career trajectories across related disciplines and the creative industries. You will have the option to undertake this year after Year 2, enabling you to gain experience in architectural practice or related fields and supporting informed decision-making about your future career.

Design Studio 9: Thematic Enquiry

This Design studio module develops your engagement with advanced architectural design enquiry through the exploration of a thematic agenda. Working within a studio framework of diverse themes and methodologies, you will investigate a contemporary architectural theme, issue or question that frames the development of a design project. The module emphasises critical exploration, research-informed design thinking and experimentation as the basis for generating architectural propositions.

Design Studio 10: Collaborative Technical Realisation

This module introduces you to the practical and collaborative realisation of architectural ideas through the design, prototyping and construction of an installation. Working in groups, you will develop and fabricate a temporary 1:1 architectural intervention for a real-world scenario, engaging directly with the technical, material and environmental realities of making architecture.

Design Studio 11: Integrated Proposition

This design studio module develops the thematic investigations initiated in the preceding studio into a coherent architectural building proposal. You will translate earlier research, strategies and conceptual explorations into an integrated architectural proposition that responds to an ethically informed brief, site, users, programme and environmental conditions.

Design Studio 12: Architectural Research Study

The Architectural Research Study (ARS) enables students to undertake an in-depth investigation of a chosen architectural topic through critical research, analysis and creative modes of enquiry. The module supports the development of research skills necessary to investigate architectural questions relating to culture, theory, technology, environment and the built environment.

Practice, Management and Ethics

This module develops advanced knowledge and understanding of the professional, legal and managerial frameworks that shape contemporary architectural practice. It prepares students to operate responsibly and effectively within the construction industry by exploring the professional responsibilities, ethical obligations and organisational structures that govern architectural practice.

Integrated Technology

This module develops advanced understanding of the technical, environmental and regulatory dimensions of architectural design. It is closely aligned with the design thesis project and enables you to demonstrate the integration of structural, material, environmental and regulatory considerations within a comprehensive architectural proposal.

Design Studio Thesis

This module constitutes the culminating design project of the programme and enables you to demonstrate the integration of advanced architectural knowledge, research and design skills developed throughout the course. The design thesis represents an extended architectural investigation in which students formulate and develop an original design proposition addressing complex spatial, social, environmental and technological challenges within the built environment.

You will undertake an independent, research-led design project that critically explores a chosen architectural theme, site and programme. The thesis project requires students to define a clear architectural position supported by rigorous research, precedent analysis and iterative design exploration. Through processes of investigation, experimentation and critical reflection, you will develop a coherent architectural proposal that integrates conceptual, spatial, environmental and social considerations.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

You will learn through a dynamic combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, studio practice and tutorials, designed to help you develop both creative confidence and professional skills.

Studio culture is at the heart of the course. Our dedicated studio spaces are designed so students from all four years work alongside one another, creating a collaborative and inspiring environment that reflects professional architectural practice.

Within the design studio, you will:

  • Collaborate with peers and tutors through drawing, digital design, fabrication, model making, discussion and debate
  • Meet regularly with design tutors for small-group teaching, one-to-one guidance, assessment and constructive feedback
  • Develop key manual and digital skills through specialist workshops, demonstrations and technical sessions
  • Take part in live projects that respond to real-world challenges and industry briefs
  • Engage with guest architects, visiting critics and industry speakers who bring professional insight and contemporary practice into the studio environment
  • Present and review your work in a supportive and creative setting that encourages experimentation and innovation

Assessment is varied and designed to reflect the diverse skills required in architectural practice. You will complete individual and group projects, presentations, reports, essays, reflective work and portfolio development. Throughout the course, you will receive continuous feedback to support your progress, culminating in a major design project and dissertation.

 

Integrated Masters in Architecture in the spotlight

Student work

Our facilities

Architecture Studio

We’ve recently invested £250,000 to enhance the learning environment for Architecture and the Built Environment students, creating a dynamic and inspiring study space that fosters creativity and innovation.

This includes a brand-new showcase room, providing a front-of-house space to celebrate student excellence and showcase outstanding work. Dedicated studio zones with upgraded lighting and refreshed aesthetics will further enhance your learning experience.

Cutting-edge technology will enable live demonstrations, while a live model archive and sundeala boards will be added to support collaboration, teaching quality, and design innovation—ensuring you graduate with industry-ready skills.

Explore the Architecture Studio

Vijay Patel Building

Our award-winning Vijay Patel Building is a hub of creativity and innovation, offering cutting-edge facilities designed specifically for Art and Design students. With state-of-the-art workshops, labs, and studios, you'll bring your ideas to life in spaces that mirror professional industry settings. Open, transparent environments foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, empowering you to experiment, design, and thrive in an inspiring atmosphere. Take a look at our stunning showcase of the building at

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Our expertise

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Miss Victoria Farrow

Associate Professor and subject lead

Victoria is an Architect, Associate Professor and subject lead in Architecture and the Built Environment. She is globally networked, connecting educators, students, practice and industry through live project events such as the BIM in Leicester conference. She founded the BIM in series charity and co-founded the AAE (association of architectural educators)

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Lucy Pengilley Gibb

Senior Lecturer in Architecture

Lucy is Programme Leader for BA Architecture, Year 3 Lead and an Architect. She is from a multidisciplinary practice and education background and looks to enrich the student experience by connecting across disciplines and creative industries to inform and widen the design process for all. She also teaches MA Live Build, activating learning through real scale fabrication with live clients.

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Shirish Joshi

Senior Lecturer in Architecture

Shirish is the Schools Year 1 Lead and has experience in teaching, research, and professional experience in India and the U.S. covering the thematic areas of architecture and urbanism. With interest in sustainable ecologies, and human settlements Shirish has progressed research as well as new pedagogies of theatre, space and the intersection of food production, urbanisation with the role of architecture.

Accreditations

RIBA logo

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

The Leicester School of Architecture is fully validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

ARB logo

Architects Registration Board

The Leicester School of Architecture is fully validated by the Architects Registration Board (ARB).

CAA logo

Commonwealth Association of Architects

The course is on the Commonwealth Association of Architects’ approved courses list.

What makes us special

¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ London preparing students for global careers

¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ Global

¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ Global is our innovative international experience programme designed to enrich your studies and broaden your cultural horizons, preparing you to meet the needs of global employers.

Through ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ Global, you’ll explore exciting opportunities such as overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips, and international exchanges.

Architecture students have recently visited Barcelona and Venice to explore historic architectural designs and to gain diverse insights, inspiring creativity and innovative ideas that are applied to projects on the course. These experiences offer unparalleled opportunities to expand your perspective and develop a global outlook in your field.

Where we could take you

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Graduate careers

Studying architecture at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ offers flexible pathways into architecture and beyond.

Many graduates go on to qualify as Architects, shaping the buildings and cities of the future. Others build careers in architectural conservation, urban design, planning, project management and research.

Beyond the built environment, graduates often thrive in other creative and interdisciplinary fields such as journalism, heritage, film, web and game design, animation, event design, strategic management and political advocacy.

At De Montfort, we champion creative thinkers and give you the space to develop and evolve your practice. You won’t need to decide whether to progress onto the 4th year until Year 3. That means time to discover your strengths and shape your future with confidence.

After completing the four-year integrated Master’s:

You will have achieved a Master of Architecture (MArch) and the accredited academic qualification required for professional registration as an Architect. From here, you can move forward into architectural practice or explore a wide range of careers across the built environment and creative industries.

If you decide to complete your studies after 3 years:

You will graduate with a BA (Hons) in Architecture, giving you a strong foundation for work in architectural practice, related fields, or progression to postgraduate study.

How to qualify as an architect

The stages of architectural education were previously referred to as Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Under the Architects Registration Board's (ARB) new accreditation framework, the experience and knowledge traditionally gained through these stages are now typically developed through:

  1. A design-based undergraduate course (the first three years of this course)
  2. An ARB accredited master’s-level qualification (achieved in the final year of this course)
  3. An ARB accredited practice-level qualification (available at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ upon completion of this course)

To meet the ARB’s competency requirements, you will also need to demonstrate professional practice experience, which can be gained through relevant employment, such as the optional placement year of this course.

Take your next steps

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Open Days - Book your place

We’d love to welcome you to one of our university Open Days where you can see for yourself what we have to offer.

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Find out about Leicester

We’re a campus-based university situated in the city centre, with the hub of activity in Leicester right on your doorstep - we’re one of the few universities in the UK where you’re getting the best of both worlds.

How to apply

Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Integrated Masters in Architecture BA (Hons)/MArch
Programme code:

UCAS applications

  1. Register on UCAS Hub (create an account)
  2. Fill in your UCAS application form:
  3. Personal details (name, contact, residency)
    • More about you (any mental health conditions or long-term illnesses, parenting responsibilities, whether you’ve served in the armed forces)
    • Education history (qualifications taken or pending)
    • Employment history (if applicable)
    • Course choice
  4. Write your personal statement (why you want to study the course, skills, achievements, future goals)
  5. Get your reference (usually from a teacher/tutor/employer)
  6. Pay the UCAS fee (single choice or multiple choices)
  7. Submit the UCAS application before the deadline.
Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Integrated Masters in Architecture BA (Hons)/MArch
Programme code:

Apply directly as an international student

Find out more and apply
  1. Visit ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ’s international section and select the course you wish to apply for as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
  2. Prepare your documents - gather the essentials:
    • Academic transcripts and certificates
    • Personal statement
    • English language proficiency evidence (e.g., IELTS)
    • Portfolio (if required by the course)
    • Copy of your passport
  3. Complete the application - submit via the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ Online Portal
  4. Submit the application and supporting documents - you can still receive a conditional offer even if some documents will follow later
  5. Application review and offer - ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ’s Admissions team will assess your application and issue:
    • A conditional offer (pending remaining docs, test results, etc.)
    • Or an unconditional offer, if all requirements are fulfilled

Key facts

Course title

Integrated Masters in Architecture

Award

BA (Hons)/MArch

UCAS code

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Part-time

Start date

September 2027

Duration

4 years full-time, 5 years part time with the option to graduate after three years with a BA (Hons)

Fees

2026/27 UK tuition fees:
£9,790

2026/27 international tuition:
£16,800

Fees in subsequent years may rise. See the undergraduate tuition fees page for details

Additional costs

Entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

120


A Level:

BBB


BTEC Extended Diploma:

DMM


Contextual Offer:

¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ operates a generous contextual offer for students from underrepresented backgrounds in Higher Education.

This is a minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer and full details including eligibility criteria can be found at dmu.ac.uk/contextual


T Levels:

Merit


Access to HE:

Pass with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit


International Baccalaureate (IB):

28


GCSEs:

5 x GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English and Maths


Interview required: No

Portfolio required: Yes

Please see our portfolio advice page for full details.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Additional costs

Here at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓÆµ we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs, which for this programme could include the following:

  • Art and Design materials: £200-£300 in your first and second year, rising to £350 in your third year to include your final major project
  • Field trips or visits: £75-£300 a year
  • Specialist printing: From £150 in your first and second year, rising to £300 in your third year

Learn more about fees and funding information