BA Architecture

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• Architecture

AAA

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

ABB

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

ABB

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade C/4, or;

IELTS 6.5 overall, with 6.5 in writing and no other sub-section below 6.0, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 p/a collected by MMU for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Specialist costs

Compulsory estimate: £2,400

Optional estimate: £1,400

Included in this section are course materials, software, digital SLR camera, laptop, model making expenses, printing 3D printing.

None of these modes of production are compulsory, and the manner in which items are acquired can result in significant savings, e.g. the re-use and recycling of available materials in the production of models is encouraged and recommended.

There is some requirement to print, but most submissions are digital. All materials, printing (2D, 3D), laser cutting etc. are charged at cost within the institution.

The one off acquisition of a camera and laptop for the duration of the course is spread evenly across the three years.

It is possible to work on university machines and to hire cameras, thus alleviating the costs incurred on some of these items.

Study Trip Costs

Optional estimate: £1,500

Where a fieldwork visit is necessary for the curriculum, e.g. a visit to the site a student is working on, the school will cover the costs.

An extra-curricular part of the course includes guided international and UK study tours. Costs may vary depending upon location.

Other costs

Optional estimate: £300

Students may wish to acquire good outdoor clothing, boots and other forms of protective equipment. However, the school can provide PPE for site visits.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

As part of our ongoing commitment to widening participation, the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) guarantees a £500 cash bursary to aspiring undergraduate students eligible for a reduced-grade contextual offer who register on BA Architecture.

This bursary is designed as a contribution to aid students with some of the costs of getting started at university, such as textbooks and travel expenses.

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.  Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.  There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.  If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.  Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

Return-to-learn students are those who have had a substantial period away from any formal learning. Often such learners have pursued careers or raised a family.

We understand that students come from many different backgrounds, with varying qualifications, careers and skills, but they often bring to their studies a high degree of motivation and experience.

We recognise that standard selection measures and procedures may not enable these learners to demonstrate fully their suitability for their chosen course.

Where appropriate, admissions officers will seek and consider alternative evidence in order to give such learners equivalent consideration. Where they deem this alternative evidence meets entry criteria fully, the learner will not be required to meet the standard academic entry requirements.

In your new application, you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course.

If you are applying through clearing, you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

In order to further assess your suitability for the BA Architecture course, we would like you to submit a digital portfolio. A portfolio allows you to showcase your skills and demonstrate your readiness to study at MSA. We are interested in your artistic skills, as well as your creative thinking, problem-solving, and any other attributes that you can demonstrate are relevant to architecture.

What should I include in my digital portfolio?

Select your strongest work, and try to lay out your portfolio so that it is really easy to look through. Each piece of work should be clearly labelled with its project title.

Your portfolio  must  consist of:

A statement of no more than 450 words which includes:

• your reasons for wanting to study at the  Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) ;
• your own review of a recent exhibition or building that you have visited;
• a statement about your favourite architect or building;
• a work of architecture that you would like to experience in person.

AND

10-12 images of your own artwork.  This might include examples of fine art/painting, sketches, measured drawings, graphic design, or photographs of artefacts that you have created. To demonstrate you have the skills required you will need to, where possible, include images that show:

• proficiency in drawing;
• creativity;
• your ability to use a diverse range of media and techniques;
• the creative process from the initial concept to the final design – for example, you might include preparatory sketches as well as the final piece. 

Architecture is a course offered by the innovative collaboration between two universities - The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University - forming the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA).

Manchester School of Architecture has deep roots within the city of Manchester - with nationally and internationally renowned architects educating new students for more than 100 years.

Whether you originally applied through The University of Manchester or Manchester Metropolitan University, you will become a student at both universities and your degree certificate will feature both institutions.

You will also benefit from facilities and resources across the two universities - having access to the libraries, workshops and materials stores on both campuses.

The purpose-built Manchester School of Art building on the Manchester Metropolitan University campus offers you contemporary studios with panoramic views of the city's skyline, whilst the Model Making Workshop on The University of Manchester campus will provide you with experience using industry-standard technology and equipment.

In Year 1 you will explore principles in space-making, material expression, brief writing and research supported by technological and historic contexts. You will also participate in our celebrated MSA Live programme, working with real clients in the city.

Core Modules:

Design 1: Thinking by Making

This module introduces architectural design through a series of practically applied, theoretically grounded projects. Within each project, an iterative design approach intends to focus on communicating an architectural proposal. The emphasis of this module will be on drawing, model-making, and other means of production (collage, video, photography, etc) to foster processes that are new to you at this stage, and to build confidence and architectural aptitude within small peer groups. Formative study skills activities provide a sandpit to test and experiment before exploring their use in a summative design project.

Architectural Context

This module addresses the core knowledge of the history of architecture and offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues for the built environment, understanding that there are multiple histories and narratives, placed within sociopolitical contexts, attached to global histories, technological developments, and the current climate emergency.

Design 2: Shaping Concepts

The advancement of critical, inventive, and active thinking is one of the central approaches in this design studio. Each project begins with direct experience to ground concepts of architectural space, programme and material intervention in the city and incrementally builds a knowledge base, with an increasing scope for independent learning and individual response to various architecture briefs, which extend your architectural vocabulary and introduces new architectural considerations to explore, resolve and communicate.

Architectural Production

This module introduces the ways architecture is produced from a technological, environmental and social perspective. Through a series of workshops, it introduces the technological contexts for architectural design and develops your skills in analysis, technical design methodologies and visual representation. It will also introduce you to concepts of participatory action research and design and collaborative working practices. You will take part in live projects to identify, develop and demonstrate the application of participatory design methods and collaborative practice, using real world situations.

In Year 2 your design knowledge will deepen, integrating urban theory and specialist sustainable teaching with increasing complexity, preparing you for your final year of study. We will also broaden your awareness of global issues, resources and alternative technological solutions.

Core Modules:

Design 3: Transforming Places

This module explores contemporary concerns relevant to architectural culture, within a given context with the potential for transformation. This module addresses global issues relating to architecture through the medium of a small to medium site within a local context to consolidate previously acquired skills and knowledge.

Architectural Integration

This module emphasises your own design abilities integrating technology and environment, and the ethical and moral implications related to practice, providing a holistic approach to architectural production that links technological performance with social awareness.
You will deepen your knowledge and understanding of the environmental, material, and technological contexts, while increasing your cognitive understanding of the basic principles of ethical planning and building.

Design 4: Activating Places

This module gives you an opportunity to deal with issues of global concern, by adding a more overtly client and thematic overlay to tectonically driven studies of built form. This module provides you with an opportunity to approach a site that is less constrained by physical context and invites you to explore design through alternative modes of thinking, such as spatial agency or other theoretically driven approaches with the aim of activating a multi-layered built environment.

Architectural Ecosystems

This module expands your focus towards a pragmatic approach to architectural objects and the city, looking at networks (of people and things) that constitute the built environment and beyond, looking at the wider responsibilities of architecture within the sphere of urban studies and with a specific focus on sustainable environmental technologies (passive and active) and considers the design implications of climate emergency. It also looks at a wide range of urban artefacts and develops new methods of understanding their complexity, and the impact beyond the bounds of its own sites.

In Year 3, you will be guided to direct your own learning and define your own theoretical position. You will evolve a personal design project supported by our unique ‘atelier’ system. You project will be underpinned by the application of history and theory into your Design 5 and Design 6 studio Modules.

You will have more autonomy in Year 3 and therefore have more authority over your own work, which will give you confidence and assuredness as you prepare for the professional environment. We prepare you for practice in industry through employability sessions and events, culminating with the end of year show.

Core Modules:

Design 5: Strategy

This module empowers you to apply and demonstrate your accumulated knowledge from the previous two years, alongside knowledge gained from the other modules of BA3. It provides methodological themes and contextual lenses for you to propose a design position and proposition. You must demonstrate an awareness and response to the contemporary issues of context response and social engagement.

Architectural Positions

In this module, you have an opportunity to choose a topic of interest from a range of Electives. Taught in small groups and aligned to the ongoing research interests of MSA staff, the Electives are a collection of tightly focused investigations into a specific aspect of architectural humanities. This research-led teaching is delivered through innovative methodologies and helps you foster your position in the contemporary debates.

Design 6: Resolution

This module empowers you to apply and synthesise your accumulated knowledge, creating a critical design position and proposition, and a clear endpoint for your degree. The output is a rigorously tested project, including a synthesis of spatial, structural and construction skills, showing your maturity in terms of knowledge integration, innovation, and personally driven professional-built initiatives. The module is designed to “get you ready” for a close professional future and the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to develop and enhance your career readiness.

As a student at Manchester School of Architecture (MSA), you will study a degree that is delivered jointly by The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

You will, therefore, benefit from the facilities and resources of both institutions such as libraries, computer suites, making and media workshops, and much more.

Upon successful completion of your studies, you will receive one degree certificate.

The joint award certificate includes each institution's crest and awarding body title.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service.

For more information, email dass@manchester.ac.uk

• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)