Architecture degree or apprenticeship??

Luckily I still have a year to think about this as I’m in L6 doing my A-levels, I’ve been set on architecture for years now and certain that I want to do it in the future, I’ve looked into different Unis that offer BSc, BA, MA degrees etc for architecture and found it tricky already to figure it out, my parents want me to do an architecture apprenticeship to avoid mass amounts of student debt (7 year degree, living expenses yk) but I fear it’s not as (for a lack of a better word) prestigious or respected to become a fully qualified architect, I don’t know much about apprenticeships as well. Idk please help?

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

The architecture degree in the UK is not 7 years long. The overall time to qualify as an architect is 7 years (minimum). This comprises a 3 year undergraduate architecture degree, followed by a period of professional experience (usually at least 1 year), then a 2 year postgraduate architecture course, followed by a year of professional experience, and then taking a professional exam. The latter (Part 3) is often offered as a structured experience through a uni as a PGDip or similar following the MArch if you have completed the relevant professional experience as I understand it.

Note that some of the level 7 degree apprenticeships in architecture are offered by very well regarded architecture schools (such as Bath) at well established architecture firms. So even if prestige does matter (I suspect less important in the UK domestically but may be more of a factor internationally) you still have that anyway to some extent.

The student "debt" is a non-factor if you're a UK/home student. You will have your tuition fees paid by student loans and receive a maintenance loan for living costs. These loans are not like bank loans and are effectively impossible to default on, you only ever make repayments if you're earning over the threshold, what you repay is always proportional to your income, it's just deducted automatically from your paycheque if you're a PAYE worker along with your income tax, NI contribs etc, and 40 years after taking the loans out they get written off anyway. It also doesn't affect your credit score or anything. It's effectively in all but name a graduate tax.

I would recommend reading this information from the UK government about student loans so you can understand them better and that they are not what you are thinking they are: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8-things-you-should-know-about-your-student-loan--2

Effectively if you have never studied at uni before, the student "debt" should be a non-factor as it's basically invisible debt as above that will not ever directly affect your life (and eventually will go away anyway). You won't get bailiffs knocking down your door for student loan repayments in the UK, unless you actively attempt to defraud the government by e.g. as a self-employed earner misrepresenting your earnings (or moving abroad without telling them).

Reply 2

Clearing and Applications Advisor

The risk that is kept a secret about apprenticeships is that only around 50% of people starting them complete them. That’s going to vary between course providers and employers but it’s something really important to ask about.

There’s no reason that you can’t mix and match - take a BA/BArch for 3 years, then during your professional experience year look into other options for part 2 training.