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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 2025
Application deadline
29 Jan 2025
UCAS course code
K101

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.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAB. No specific subjects are required but 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. Access UCL is our contextual offer scheme for applicants from groups that are underrepresented at UCL. We assess your eligibility for Access UCL based on the information contained within your UCAS application. We review and update our Access UCL eligibility criteria and datasets every year, so please check the requirements for the year you plan to apply.
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 degree will allow you to customise your own course with 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, you may select from topics in disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, art history, cultural studies, economics, languages, and management. 

This course is unique in that it offers its own research, design and creative practice modules throughout. This will allow you to develop a wide range of practical and research skills. Other distinct features include its emphasis upon activity-based learning, supported by study visits and field trips.

There is an emphasis in this course 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 critiques where you will learn to explain your work, listen to feedback and evaluate it as well. 

What this course will give you

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

This course offers an interdisciplinary education with a specialisation in architecture, an emphasis on design and creative practice, and operates without the constraints of the professional (RIBA) requirements.

You will develop the necessary intellectual and practical skills to engage with architecture and the city 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.

By studying with us, you will be joining the university ranked #1 for Architecture and the Built Environment in the world (QS World University Subject Rankings 2023). 

You will also benefit from a year abroad.

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 their first and second year, students complete 120 credits. A minimum of 75 of these must be taken from modules within The Bartlett faculty and then ​up to 45 of the remaining credits ​are comprised of elective modules ​that may be selected from a UCL department of their choice. ​​​

Students can take elective modules at any level in another UCL department as long as they reach the entry requirements set by that module.

In their final year, students complete 120 credits. ​A minimum of 60 of these must be taken from modules within ​The Bartlett, whilst the remaining ​60 can be comprised from electives within another UCL department of ​their choice. Popular choices: ​Archaeology, Anthropology​, Economics, Geography​, History of Art​, Languages, Management​, Philosophy​, Planning​, Psychology.

We have two core complementary ​module streams, across ​each year of study:​​​ Architectural Research ​​(I, II and III)​​​ and Design and Creative Practice ​​(1, 2 & 3)​​​. We also offer the following two modules:​​ Greening Cities,​​ and Computing for Design and Creative Practice (both Year 2). There are no compulsory modules in AIS, but final-year students must take either Architectural Research III or Design and Creative Practice III ​​– most take both.

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, you 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 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

The Bartlett - Undergraduate Virtual Open Day

Watch this video to find out more about undergraduate courses at The Bartlett, UCL's Faculty of the Built Environment. Recorded Autumn 2025.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

The Bartlett Promise - Undergraduate Scholarship Open Day

Watch this video about The Bartlett Promise Undergraduate Scholarship. Recorded Spring 2025.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

The Bartlett School of Architecture - Undergraduate Courses 2026

Watch this video about undergraduate courses at The Bartlett School of Architecture. Recorded Spring 2025.

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 surveys 2017-2021, combined data for students who participated in both the regular and ‘with year abroad’ programmes)

Employability

You 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 to produce independent-minded and culturally sensitive graduates who are well equipped to problem-solve in complex environments of all kinds.

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 School of Architecture 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 programme, 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.

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

In addition, please note that if you study abroad during your programme at UCL, this 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.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. 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

Funding may be available from The Bartlett School of Architecture or The Bartlett Faculty Office.

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

Funding opportunities relevant to the department may appear in this section when they are available. Please check carefully or confirm with the programme contact to ensure they apply to this degree programme and 2025/26 entry.

Bartlett Promise Undergraduate Scholarship

Deadline: 4 July 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,864 maintenance/yr (Duration of programme)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

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 subject fields. A key benefit of AIS is that you get to create your own bespoke degree. As such, AIS suits highly motivated, independent and open-minded individuals. We seek evidence of strong design, artistic and creative skills, alongside a passion for research and writing. We are looking for strong critical thinking and problem solving skills and students that ask questions in imaginative ways.

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.

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.