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Architecture Course not accredited by RIBA....what happens now ??

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ARU is in the process of trying to get Part I validation. Ravensbourne have run their course for a while without trying to get validated so I would stay well clear of that one, either the course isn't up to scratch and wouldn't be validated or the college is too lazy to put in the hard work in and get validated, either way it doesn't look good.

For courses that are in the process of being validated it takes one full cohort to pass through the school before they can be accessed and it get validated. So if the course has been running for three years and people graduate, the RIBA look at all three years work and say yes that's up to standard here is your validation, everyone that passed through the school then has Part I exemption. If they don't get validated first time and it takes an extra year or two or three then only the students that complete the course in the school year of validation or in years afterwards hold part I exemption. e.g. If the course is in it's 6th year of running (started 2005), is three years long and is validated today then only the students that started in 2008 or after will be exempt from Part I.

If you don't go to a validated school then you end up having to pay to do Part I yourself and that's with no guarantee that they will find your work acceptable so it could be three years down the drain. It's also not a forgone conclusion that a candidate school will receive validation or that a school already validated but coming up for review will be validated again.

Reply 21

rY4uGD1fMzBj4xe2

Original post by ArchiBoi

You have every reason to be worried because you're IQ is clearly lower than that of a chimp.

Wow. Chill out.

Reply 22

John-Paul Nunes

Original post by jrhartley

As a worst case scenario if you go to a RIBA non-accredited university you can sit the RIBA portfolio exam independently afterwards - assuming your work is up to the grade, and you are willing to pay the fee to RIBA for them to look at your portfolio (over £1k as I understand it at the moment, the fee). Obviously not the ideal situation to be in, given how much you will be paying to do the course anyway, it is clearly preferential to actually get your part 1 exemption as something wrapped up within your course fees.

Just to clarify that this process is not conducted by the RIBA but by the ARB. For more information, visit http://www.arb.org.uk/qualifications/information_for_students/student_handbook/default.php.

Reply 23

jrl1017

I wouldn't worry, I asked them at the open day about this and they said that they pay for and fully support the RIBA/ARB portfolio exam in year 3. The course is designed to give you a wide knowledge base before focusing on just architecture (or whichever space design career you want), the interior architecture and architecture courses are taught together. Worth going to talk to them at an open day-i was unsure until i spoke to them but the guy who runs the course is actually part of the board that decides which schools get accredited and they have purposely made it non-accredited. Go to an open day and ask!

Question though for those of you who have applied-has anybody heard anything from them? I applied at the beginning of November and I already have offers from the other 4... They haven't even sent me an acknowledgement of my application yet!! Thanks.

EDIT
They also say that loads of people go on to become architects, something like 30/40 a year so they do actually get people taking architecture up.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 24

KeyserNI

I seriously doubt the course goes out and pays the £1.2K it costs to do the Part 1 interview for 40 students a year. If the course could get validated it would be validated simple as.

Reply 25

jrl1017

It does cost £1.2k but that comes out of your tuition fees same as other unis-at other unis they'd have to spend a similar amount keeping the RIBA/ARB status. I asked the guy in serious detail and I think because not many people actually choose to become architects from their IDEA course it's obviously affordable for them. They said they pay for it so they do.
My big problem with rave is that they're just crap at communication for a design and communication college-i sent off for a prospectus 3 months ago-before i applied-and it came today :s-smilie:

I think it's a really untested route but at the end of the day, you can still become an architect through it.
If I got in there, i don't think i'd dismiss it straight away but I have offers from more well-known unis so maybe that's better-don't know...

Reply 26

KeyserNI

It doesn't cost 1.2K a year per student to keep a course validated.

Reply 27

bone-machine

Original post by ArchiBoi

You have every reason to be worried because you're IQ is clearly lower than that of a chimp.

this boy is a total dick...

Reply 28

jrl1017

I'd like to add to this thread that there is a 100% graduate employment rate at Ravensbourne and many graduates now work for Fosters, Grimshaws, Heatherwick Studios and many other massive firms. To anyone thinking of coming here, definitely do, it's an incredible university that will get you an actual job in industry.

Reply 29

millywood_8

jrl1017 are you at ravensbourne doing architecture?

I've had an offer but I'm concerned about the fact that the course isn't RIBA accredited, I spoke to someone from ravensbourne and they said that they are looking into it. Do you know if they still pay for students to do the Part 1 interview?

I was also under the impression that ravensbourne has a good reputation in industry, however the comments above have made me unsure about whether its a good place to study.

Reply 30

jrl1017

The people above don't know what they are talking about. They probably hadn't even heard about rave until they saw this thread. It was this thread that made me worried when I accepted my place but I needn't have worried because it's a good uni.

Reply 31

anonymous10

Ravensbourne is NOT RIBA validated, and what that means is that you will not receive a Part 1 after your three years of studies.

Choices are; students are given the option to pay externally for the Part 1 of their own backs and indeed their own money directly from the RIBA after graduation.

Bearing in mind, a Part 1 isn't simply given to you on a plate on the day of application, student work will have to demonstrate a high standard of understanding of architectural elements which to my experience and understanding, is NOT provided by the university.

From personal experience, teaching rarely occurs with NO exams or modals to test our capability to understand necessary components and elements. One to one teaching of approximately 15-30 minutes per week is pretty much all you get. Exams are in the form of 'course work/portfolio' and 'presentations' where the student is required to stand in front of the class room and explain what their 'idea' is. Baring in mind that this is a very 'conceptual' course as opposed to 'architectural'. During the 15-20 minutes of 'presenting' you are usually faced with a bombard of questions that isn't exactly relevant to 'architecture' but instead, your concept.

Therefore in order to receive your Part 1, additional studying of these architectural elements would have to be practiced in your own time to a level that is passable to the Part 1 standard, because from the history of Ravensbourne, the immediate portfolio after graduation is not enough to suffice due to a lack of aid and teaching in the institute.

Reply 32

chloehedges

I would like to make anyone reading this more currently that the above is actually employed by Layton Reid and it is obviously in his interest to promote the course to keep his job at Ravensbourne. Nearly every tutor on the course has studied at Ravensbourne and gone directly into teaching there as well, they are often hand picked by Layton Reid to work for him in one way or another (just look at the Desitecture website), so the information here is incredibly biased as these people have never been to other institutes and have no right to dismiss other institutions. I would take all of the information provided with a pinch of salt and its best to look at the actual statistics on this matter. Considering Layton Reid is on the board of RIBA why a course he has run for 17 years still isn't certified is questionable.

Reply 33

MAS02

What year did University of Central England now (Birmingham City University) lose its accreditation for the part 2 course from the RIBA and ARB?

Reply 34

Architecture-er

Original post by MAS02

What year did University of Central England now (Birmingham City University) lose its accreditation for the part 2 course from the RIBA and ARB?

I'd advise you to make a new thread in the sub-forum, otherwise people might jump in and accidentally re-open a 3-year old discussion :wink:

Reply 35

Sora sam

I don't think it's best uni I'm student and they make other student mark your work decide your further and they don't care about you, and even when you presenting some time the lecture he's not there and after hard work you surprise the MA student mark your work onsty I wish if didn't go there they don't have inf exprinces lecture or good course leder these why they will never get RIB credited but I will it's crime someone not fully qulifaid Architect to tech or mark student work. Sora

Reply 36

DutchSingapore11

I, like Sora sam, was a student on the Ravensbourne IDEAs / Architecture course. If Master's students are marking BA students now, then that's rather worrying. This didn't happen when I was there, but I'm not surprised it has happened in recent years. They lost a fantastic tutor there who went to Kingston (can't blame him!)

KeyserNI wrote that "Ravensbourne have run their course for a while without trying to get validated so I would stay well clear of that one, either the course isn't up to scratch and wouldn't be validated or the college is too lazy to put in the hard work in and get validated, either way it doesn't look good."

I can confirm that they have NEVER EVEN TRIED to get the course validated and I was informed of that recently BY THE RIBA THEMSELVES! And yes the course was not up to scratch, never has been and never will. Don't take my word for it. Go to their degree show and see the standard for yourself. It's a sinking ship. I have since being there studied for my Master's on an RIBA accredited course, and the standards are much higher and the work is tougher, yet relevant to industry. The IDEAs/architecture degree at Ravensbourne is better for anyone who wants to get a degree under their belt and that's it. I have known graduates go onto Gensler, Fosters, Brinkworth etc, as Jason Taylor above has stated, but don't develop much further than that - their prerogative I guess.

If you're looking to become a fully qualified architect, then stay clear of Ravensbourne - save yourself money and time. We were lied to about Part 1 being included in the course. After confronting Layton himself about it whilst I was at Rave between 2008 - 2011, he failed to answer the question straight - take note RIBA! As a result, I've had to go over my Rave projects and adjust them just to get them to RIBA's standards, which cannot be achieved whilst in Ravensbourne.

For more info:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/clearing/10238647/Students-raise-concerns-over-quality-of-university-courses.html