RIBA Diploma

Work towards your Part 2 qualification whilst working full-time in practice.

Live information sessions

We have a number of events throughout the year where you can find out more information about the RIBA Studio programme. These events are the perfect opportunity to ask any questions you may have about studying the RIBA Foundation in Architecture, the RIBA Certificate in Architecture (Part1), or the RIBA Diploma in Architecture (Part 2). See our event listings and booking information below. 

Overview

The RIBA Diploma in Architecture (Part 2) is for students working in practice, who are looking for an affordable and flexible route towards qualification as an architect. Unlike any studio and lecture based programme in architecture, you will work towards your Part 2 qualification whilst working full-time in practice, under the direct supervision of an architect.

If you already have a Part 1 qualification and want to complete your Part 2, this course allows you to achieve this without having to return to education full-time. You can remain in your current full-time employment, continuing to earn a salary, whilst working towards your RIBA Diploma in Architecture (Part 2).

This unique course brings together the value of practice-based learning and academic learning. Supported by an office mentor in practice, and in conjunction with a self-chosen personal tutor (subject to approval), you will investigate chosen themes and curate design briefs in academia which have a direct influence on your capabilities in practice. The course is accredited by the ARB and validated by the RIBA.

This is a very affordable and flexible route into the profession. Your contact with the RIBA Studio team, coursework submissions and examinations all take place online, meaning your proximity to Oxford Brookes is not an obstacle to studying this course.

Students who qualify through this route are then eligible to take the UK Part 3 which leads to:

  • Full chartered membership of the RIBA.
  • Recognition by the Architects' Registration Board (ARB) for UK architects' registration.
  • Country by Country strategy for recognition in Europe which was formerly under the European Union (EU) Professional Qualifications Directive.

Entry requirements

All applicants must be working at least 24-hours per week in suitable architectural practice in the EU or EEA and be directly supervised by a registered architect, the Office Mentor (although the practice itself does not need to be RIBA Chartered), employed in the same practice, and meet the following academic qualifications:

RIBA Diploma:

  • Part 1 qualification in architecture prescribed by the ARB or validated by the RIBA,
  • ARB Prescribed Examination at Part 1.

Tuition fees

The annual fee for the 2024-25 academic year has been confirmed at £3,308. Annual fees will be subject to a 5% increase each year.

Course content and assessment structure

The RIBA Studio is a unique system of practice-based study, in which formally assessed academic work is supported by learning through experience in the student's place of employment, with the academic syllabus sequence mirroring the development and realisation of design projects in architectural practice.

The dissertation is a key element of the diploma, enabling you to raise your cultural, technological or professional understanding of architecture and encouraging a culture of research based work. You will sit a formal written examination in Management, Practice and Law that will be delivered online. You will reinterpret critically the final design project brief for your chosen context.

There are four subjects covered across each course, 3 of which require the digital submission of course work. All workshops, all coursework submissions, written examinations, and design examinations will all be conducted online. There are no lectures or seminars, but there are specific assignments and a series of reading lists to guide you on preliminary resources. The work is developed in conjunction with a personal tutor who you will meet with on a one-to-one basis very regularly.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their Stage 1 Eligibility Form as soon as possible in order to take advantage of the pre-course online workshop sessions.

The application process consists of 3 stages:

Stage 1: The eligibility form

Stage 2: Full application and supporting documents

  • Subject to meeting the eligibility requirements, applicants will be provided with the information needed to complete the Stage 2 application.
  • This stage of the application process is the completion and return of a full application form and supporting documents including:
    • a personal statement of 200-300 words explaining applicant's suitability for office-based study, and the reasons for choosing to apply,
    • digital copies of all previous academic qualifications. Applicants to the Diploma (Part 2) will also be required to provide independent evidence of their Part 1 qualification,
    • an extract of the applicant's personal portfolio. Applicants for the RIBA Diploma (Part 2) should include their final Part 1 project,
    • examples of current work in practice that demonstrates the applicant's contribution to project work and current level of experience,
    • written studies and reports: for example essays, or a dissertation, written as part of previous coursework, or practice-related planning reports for which the applicant had sole responsibility,
    • an academic and a professional reference.
  • Applicants will also be invited to attend an online session, which aims to offer more guidance on completing this stage of the application process.
  • Stage 2 applications are due approximately 5 weeks following receipt of the Stage 1 Eligibility Form.

Stage 3: Online Interview

  • Short-listed applicants will be invited to attend an online interview; this should be regarded as having the status of an entrance examination.
  • Applicants invited to interview will be required to have the information and documents outlined on the Stage 2 Application Form available for discussion.

After you graduate

Students remain in full-time practice while on the courses so we often find that they have progressed within their practices becoming Project Architects, Associates and often creating their own Architectural practices. The blended learning means that they put into practice the confidence, knowledge and skills they are developing through their academic studies which helps advance both their potential in practice as well as their growth within academia.

Applicants should be aware that in order to register as an architect in the UK, they will typically need to hold all of the following:

  • An ARB-prescribed Part 1 qualification,
  • An ARB-prescribed Part 2 qualification,
  • 24 months practical experience, which comply with Rule 12b of ARB’s General Rules, and
  • An ARB-prescribed Part 3 qualification.

Banner image credit: Vjosa Bytyqi (2019)