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Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies with Year Abroad BSc

London, Bloomsbury

Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies is a unique degree, allowing you to combine the study of architecture with other modules from across UCL, as well as the additional opportunity of spending a year at an approved university abroad.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,535
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
Programme starts
September 2026
Application deadline
14 Jan 2026
UCAS course code
K101
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
AAB
Subjects
No specific subjects. Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBC more about contextual offers
Subjects
No specific subjects. Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
36
Subjects
A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5. No specific subjects are required but a comprehensive portfolio of creative work is required upon invitation, at application stage.

Contextual offer

Points
30 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5. No specific subjects are required but a comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction. Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage

D3,D3,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects.Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage

A,A,B at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher). No specific subjects are required but a omprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design with the final overall mark of Distinction. Comprehensive portfolio of creative work required upon invitation, at application stage.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview


This four-year course provides students with an understanding of architecture in relation to other disciplines. It follows the same flexible structure as the Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies BSc but offers the additional opportunity of spending a year at an approved university abroad.

This innovative course addresses architectural space from an interdisciplinary perspective and explores alternative approaches to design and to creative practice. The flexible nature of the degree enables students to tailor a course of study suited to their interests both within and outside the built environment, opening out to a wide range of exciting careers and further study options such as landscape architecture, urban planning, set design, architectural history and filmmaking.

Unlike a conventional degree in architecture where students follow the same curriculum, this degree will allow students to customise their own course through a wide choice of optional modules taken in other disciplines at UCL. In addition to modules at The Bartlett, UCL's Faculty of the Built Environment, selecting from topics in other disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, art history, cultural studies, economics, education, geography, languages, management, and politics.  

This course offers bespoke modules in architectural research, design and creative practice, and greening cities taught by highly renowned interdisciplinary designers, filmmakers, urban researchers and green planning and policy makers. All modules emphasise project and activity-based learning, rigour and experimentation throughout. 

Other distinct features include the option to do a one-year study abroad in the equivalent of your third year and learning through group work, study visits and field trips that connect theory to real-world experiences. 

The emphasis in this course is on the constant production of small assignments for seminars/tutorials, which will build up to a larger portfolio. There is also an emphasis on group and peer reviews where students will learn to explain their work, listen to feedback and critically evaluate it as well.  

What this course will give you

Consistently at the forefront of architectural debate, The Bartlett School of Architecture is renowned for its innovative and experimental research in architecture which includes design, history and theory, and technology.  

This course offers an interdisciplinary education with a specialisation in architecture. Operating without the constraints of the professional RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) requirements, its emphasis is on students developing their own creative practice by exploring artistic and speculative methods alongside more conventional approaches to design and making.

Students generally know they do not want to become a professional architect and use their interdisciplinary architectural education to develop their design work and research into a broad range of other fields related to the built environment and beyond.

Over the four years of the degree, students will have the opportunity to strategically develop expertise in particular areas which are important to them and society, across disciplines. For example, students can take modules relating to sustainability, the environment and climate change on our programme and at The Bartlett but also across other departments at UCL, developing a deep and varied knowledge base of key issues.

Students will develop the necessary intellectual and practical skills to engage with architecture and the city of London in an increasingly globalised age. 

Students participate in The Bartlett's annual Summer Show, a major exhibition at the end of the academic year that attracts over 12,000 visitors. 

The course offers students the option to study abroad for one year, exploring architecture within a global context and opening further avenues of specialisation for the future, adding an additional year to the duration of the course.

We are consistently placed at the top of the QS World University Subject Rankings. In 2024, The Bartlett faculty ranked #1 in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment, and we remained #1 in the UK for the tenth year running. Students will also benefit from studying in London, ranked #1 in the QS Best Student Cities in the World for Studying Abroad. With its countless libraries, archives, cultural spaces and professional bodies, London is the perfect place to find context and support for your studies. 


 

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies with Year Abroad.

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

In each year of your degree, you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies with Year Abroad. 

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Optional modules





Optional modules







Compulsory modules

BSc Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies - Year Abroad


Optional modules





Your learning

The programme is delivered through a mixture of lectures, small-group seminars, tutorials, workshops, demonstrations from experts, critiques (where individual students present to a group of experts in the field), group work, presentations, study and site visits, and field trips.

Students will have an opportunity to undertake an optional field trip during their study.

The school will contribute towards the cost of the field trip. Students who choose to attend will need to pay an additional amount of up to £500 maximum.

Typically, students will spend on average 11 hours per week in lectures, workshops and tutorials. This should be supplemented with an average of 40 hours of self-directed study, working on coursework assignments and doing additional reading. Please note that average contact hours are based on the modules that students can take within The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. However, students can take a number of modules outside of The Bartlett faculty each academic year and contact hours can vary greatly depending on which modules students select.

Assessment

Assessment is varied. In addition to academic essays and examinations, design and creative practice modules are assessed by portfolios, which may include text, images/photographs, drawings, and which can take a range of forms. Research modules are also assessed by portfolios. 

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: Introduction to undergraduate study at The Bartlett School of Architecture

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If you are interested in pursuing a career in the field of architecture, then join us for this online session where you can find out more about the undergraduate architecture degrees, and studying at The Bartlett, the #1 faculty in the world for Architecture and Built Environment Studies. (QS World University Rankings, 2024). You will meet the programme leads and have the opportunity to ask questions about applying to one of our architecture degrees.

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: The Bartlett Promise Undergraduate Scholarship

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Join us for an online information session about The Bartlett Promise Undergraduate Scholarship. Discover more about the scholarship scheme, eligibility, tips to apply, and ask any questions you have about the scholarship. You will also have the chance to meet our past scholars to hear about their experience.

Online - Open day

Construction Project Management information video

Watch this video to find out more about Construction Project Management at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies students pursue careers in the construction, built environment, property, performance and creative arts industry sectors, as well as related fields, such as archivist, curatorship, planning and project management, at organisations that range from galleries and architecture firms to London Borough councils. Many also go on to pursue further studies.

(HESA Graduate Outcomes 2017-2021, combined data for students who participated in both the regular and ‘with year abroad’ Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies BSc courses).

Each year Architectural and Interdisciplinary Studies students go on to further study design and research at master’s and doctoral level across the arts, sciences and humanities at many of the most prestigious institutions in the world.

92.4% of Bartlett School of Architecture graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduation. (Graduate Outcomes Surveys, 2017-22)

Top industry sectors for Bartlett School of Architecture graduates in work are construction, built environment and property (68% of graduates); academic research and higher education (8%); performance and creative arts (7%); and engineering (5%).

Bartlett School of Architecture graduates are working in 56 countries around the world.

Employability

Students will develop the ability to think critically about the built environment and to argue speculatively. You will learn key tools and techniques of architectural research, design and fabrication. Our aim is for our graduates to be independent-minded and culturally sensitive, equipped to problem solve in complex environments of all kinds. 

Accreditation

This degree is not professionally accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) or The Architects Registration Board (ARB). If you are seeking a professionally accredited course, you may want to consider another one. Please note that the ABR has proposed changes to the path to registration as an architect in the UK. Students should stay updated on the ARB’s announcements for specific details and dates. If you have any questions about this, then please contact architectureoffice@ucl.ac.uk 

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,535
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500

Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

All students select their modules from a range available in The Bartlett faculty and across the whole of UCL, and accordingly any additional costs can vary widely between individual students.  

The average cost for materials and study-related items for the design modules within this course, including end of year portfolios, is £500 per year. For these design modules, students also work differently, so costs incurred depend on the approach they take to the brief given. The school encourages students to use recycled materials in their models and presentations - not only is it sustainable but also cost effective and potentially innovative. The school also offers subsidies for exhibition costs.  

Please note that study abroad during your programme at UCL is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue undergraduate studies. Please see the UK Undergraduate Scholarship page for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs. 

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We are looking for students that want to contribute to society by actively combining their study of architecture and the urban realm with other subjects. As students are creating their own bespoke degree, it suits highly motivated, independent and open-minded individuals. We seek evidence of strong design, artistic and creative skills, passion for research and writing, strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.  

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Once we have established that you meet (or are likely to meet) our entry requirements, we will contact you to request a digital portfolio of your design or creative work, giving you instructions on how to prepare this. Please do not send this unless requested to do so. This need not be included in your initial application. You may then be invited to interview. If so, this will be conducted online using Zoom.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Architecture
Bartlett School of Architecture

architectureoffice@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.