As the first UK university to award a RIBA-accredited degree in Architecture, the University of Liverpool has a long and proud tradition of excellence in architectural education and research. Our approach to teaching embraces contemporary debates around sustainability, climate change, equality and diversity, reflecting the industry today.
Are you fascinated by the buildings and landscapes that make up the world around us? If you ask yourself why they are there, how they were created, and what the future might hold, then this is the programme for you.
We encourage a creative and individual approach to the future, knowing that more career paths are opening up each moment, and knowing that understanding design is crucial to the 21st century.
The programme aims to provide a comprehensive foundation in architecture, which demands knowledge of many different but interrelated disciplines and the development of personal as well as technical skills. In recognition of this, the programme is divided into a series of modules, which allows you to explore design alongside humanities (urban studies, history, theory and technology, structure, construction and environmental design).
RIBA Part I is awarded on completion of the degree.
This programme is validated by RIBA, prescribed by the Architects Registration Board for the purposes of admission to the UK Register of Architects, and validated by the Board of Architects Malaysia (LAM).
We’re proud to announce we’ve been awarded a Gold rating for educational excellence.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.
All XJTLU 2+2 students receive a partnership discount of 10% on the standard fees for international students. We also offer 50 XJTLU Excellence Scholarships providing a 25% discount on tuition fees to the students that score most highly in stage 2 at XJTLU across the different subject areas. Allocation is based on the number of applications received per programme.
The net fees (inclusive of the discounts) can be seen below.
| XJTLU 2+2 fees | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2025 tuition fee (full) | £29,900 | |
| 2025 tuition fee for XJTLU 2+2 students (inclusive of 10% discount) | £26,910 | |
| 2025 tuition fee for XJTLU 2+2 students qualifying for Excellence Scholarship (inclusive of 25% discount) | £22,425 | |
You will deepen your understanding through compulsory modules in architectural theory and design.
On the 2+2 programme, you'll study your third and fourth years at the University of Liverpool. These will be year two and year three of the University of Liverpool's programme of study.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Architectural History and Theory module on Modern Architecture.
The objective of the module is to promote an understanding of the forces that shape the human-made environment and the role played by design professionals. It aims to help students as future designers to understand that the city is a complex and dynamic system. It also aims to stimulate their active thinking and positive responses to various urban phenomena in order to generate appropriate strategies that can effectively solve design problems and facilitate the city’s sustainability. Through a series of lectures on urban history, case studies, urban design theories and methodologies, as well as debates on urban sustainability, this module is to enhance students’ awareness of the nature of cities, the formation and transformation of their urban forms and to obtain basic urban design skills.
Architectural Design Studio
This module introduces students to energy and environmental issues, particularly those that must be faced by the discipline of architecture. The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to design of passive environmental systems for buildings, their integration into building fabric and structural systems, and selection of appropriate equipment and materials. Both the fundamentals and presentations of case studies (including lessons from the vernacular) will be used to enhance the understanding environmental simulation. The module will be delivered by weekly 2-hour lectures, and assessed . There are two mandatory assessments: a Group Report on Vernacular Architecture and the Application of Passive Strategies (50% of total mark), and an individual report (50% of total mark) showing evidence of applying passive strategies for the students’ design studio project (for students taking Year 2 Design Studio) or a critique of a contemporary building .on its potential to use appropriate passive strategies for the climate it resides in.
Studio Design Module
Lecture based technology module.
This module explores the design collaboration between architects and engineers and its impact on architectural design.
You will study six compulsory modules, covering design, management, and history. Half of your credits will be taken in studio design.
On the 2+2 programme, you'll study your third and fourth years at the University of Liverpool. These will be year two and year three of the University of Liverpool's programme of study.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
The module uses lectures from staff to introduce specialised research themes and topics in architectural history and theory, and is supported by group and individual research. Students are able to choose topics for which they would like to attend further group tutorials / seminars. The module is assessed by an MCQ exam (50%) and a 2,000-word essay (50%).
The aim of the course is to develop from user requirements an introduction to design of environmental systems for large buildings, selection of appropriate equipment and materials, and their integration into building fabric and structural systems. The three topics are Artificial Lighting, Acoustics, and Thermal Environment and are delivered by a mixture of lectures and case studies.
The objective of the module is to provide a basic understanding of practice management and the role architects play in the procurement of buildings. It aims to provide a context for the professional life of an architect and explain the functions of the other key players.
Architectural design studio.
To develop the necessary skills to design small or medium scale buildings taking into consideration a wide range of architectural, urban, socio-cultural, economic and political issues that are inherently connected with architectural practices.
Architectural Design Studio
To develop the necessary skills to design small or medium scale buildings taking into consideration a wide range of architectural, urban, socio-cultural, economic and political issues that are inherently connected with architectural practices.
The module covers the broad spectrum of construction technologies, materials and methods – from intermediate to current to emerging – by presenting the work of internationally respected architects operating in different geographical, cultural and economic contexts. Key aspects of architectural technology are discussed through precedents, with the aim to understand how material and technical choices are impacted by – and in turn able to impact – design, from concept to detailing.
The module reflects upon the multiplicity of ways in which technology can respond to site, programme, budget and users, act as a vehicle to articulate typological, spatial and haptic qualities in design, and address sustainability in the broadest sense.
The module consists of lectures, drop-ins and tutorials. The assessment is based on an individual exam, an individual peer assessment and a group coursework assignment.
The Liverpool School of Architecture benefits from comfortable, well-lit studio, work and seminar/review spaces, including a ‘hi-tech’ design studio, to which you will have 24-hour access.
Our facilities include a Print Media Design Suite, computing labs, workshops, a laser suite, a CNC router room, 3D printers, computing labs and research labs. A team of dedicated technicians will help you to get the most of these facilities and to realise your ideas.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
Liverpool School of Architecture has a model-assembly room, next to the workshop. There are many great machines for you to make physical models. For example, we have laser cutting machines and 3D printers, to support your model making.
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