RIBA Foundation in Architecture

Develop a first design portfolio to gain access to the creative professions.

The RIBA Foundation in Architecture supports students to develop their first design portfolio and gain first experiences in practice which we call the placement. For those who wish to join the profession of architecture and other design fields within the built environment, work experience and a portfolio are required to progress onto the Certificate Part 1 course. This can be immensely beneficial for those joining a full-time undergraduate level course.

The RIBA Foundation supports students to develop the skills and confidence to thrive at Part 1 level while creating their first portfolio. The placement during the RIBA Foundation supports students to gain their first salaried experience in practice and a sense of recognition that the profession is open to them.

Register for a webinar

We regularly hold live webinars to explain more about the RIBA Studio programme. The webinars provide an opportunity to meet the RIBA Studio team and to ask any questions about studying on our courses. The programme includes:

RIBA Foundation in Architecture
RIBA Certificate in Architecture (Part 1)
RIBA Diploma in Architecture (Part 2).

Please see opposite for our upcoming webinars:

Overview

The course is designed to develop the important skills and sensibilities that form part of the creative and conceptual thinking of architecture through the development of course work which assembles into a portfolio of work required for further studies in the field of architecture.

The course will support students to:

evolve the receptors and sensibilities to observe like an architects
develop the skills in creative and conceptual reasoning for architectural study
build a portfolio of work that will enable access to the profession
build on the experience and confidence required to pursue a career in a creative field including architecture
search for, apply and prepare for a first salaried placement in creative practice.

On this part-time course, students will meet the RIBA Foundation team on a regular basis throughout the 34 weeks of the course. Students will meet separately with their personal tutor for direct guidance on the coursework. At some point during and exceptionally beyond the course, students undertake their first salaried work in practice in a creative field for a minimum of 200 hours. If students do not already have a placement opportunity, the RIBA Foundation course includes employment sessions and other workshops to work with students in finding the 200 salaried practice hours which form part of the experience of the course.

For the purposes of outlining work in practice, we define a design practice as either:

architecture practice
interior design practice
landscape or urban design firm
urban design and planning firms
local authority built environment departments
theatre production company
furniture or fashion design practice / production firm
a range of other closely related design and built environment fields.

A professional in the practice will act as a mentor to ensure the student's range of experience helps prepare them for further studies in architecture. We welcome exceptional recent graduates from the Part 1 and Part 2 courses to act as mentors in practice

Entry requirements

Applicants are required to have:

Maths and English GCSE Grade C or level 5 or above, OR
Functional Skills, Key Skills or Skills for Life Certificates in Number and Communication at Level 2, OR
T-levels English and Maths

The above applies mainly to school leavers. For applicants with previous studies in higher education including certificate or degrees, these would be considered in lieu of the GCSE and Level 2 requirements.

Being online, this course allows students to remain in their current employment (usually unrelated to a creative field). For the RIBA Foundation, students do not have to be British citizens and they do not need to be based in the UK and can be of any nationality and be based in any country in the world. The same course fees apply to all students.

(Note that in the next stage of study on the RIBA Certificate (Part 1), students do not need to be British citizens but must be working in a practice within the UK / European Economic Area / EU / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Switzerland regions.)

Course fees

The course fees for 2027 RIBA Foundation will be £1,990.

Once applicants send in an eligibility form and are found to be eligible to apply, then a commitment fee of £160 is required to attend the series of applicant events. The commitment fee is non refundable but will be deducted from the course fee for those who are offered a place and join the course.

The other fee is the personal tutor fee which the student pays directly to the tutor. The expectation is that student and tutor will meet for approximately 2 hours each month in total. The rate for a personal tutor on the RIBA Foundation is £25 per hour. Thus the total tutor fee through the course would be in the range of £300.

Course fees are expected to rise according to the inflation rate per annum.

Bursaries and funding support

Students who may need financial support are guided through a funding session and in their search and application for bursaries. Students on the course can apply for a bursary from the Oxford Brookes University and also bursaries from RIBA. We are working to expand this offering in 2026 to cover the third instalment of the course fees.

Course content and assessment structure

Students will study 6 modules on the course. Each one covers a different area of research, critical thinking, representation and will encourage the development of the skills and critical thinking required to thrive at Part 1 level. These modules include:

Learn to Research People and Place
Learn How to Develop Conceptual Ideas
Practice Transferring Concepts into Design Responses
Establish Expectations in Academia and Practice
Gain the Awareness and Sensibilities of an Architect
Learn to Represent Ideas Like an Architect.

Working with a personal tutor

At induction before the course begins, all tutors introduce themselves and students make selections of who they would like to work with. The subject team then consider this to make the best match for each student from this diverse group of exceptional Part 1 and Part 2 graduates. All of the course work is developed in conjunction with the personal tutor who meets with their student on a one-to-one basis every 10 - 14 days. Students create a study schedule with their tutors that works for them and incorporate time to meet their personal tutor.

When it comes to submitting work for assessment, students will use Oxford Brookes University’s platform. Access is given when registering to take the course.

For the design modules, work is presented at 2 stages in live online meetings which are reviewed with 2 design examiners. This is a great opportunity to get feedback on the work from both academics and professionals in the industry in order to further personal and professional development.

How to apply

Applications are now open.

The first step in the application process involves submitting an eligibility form.

Applicants who are eligible to apply are then invited to attend a series of applicant events which guides them on the development of the applicant portfolio. As well as learning more about what to expect during the course.

Portfolio submissions are due by mid-October and interviews take place that same week.

Those offered a place will join the course which runs from November until July.

Note: Some applicants may be eligible to apply to join the Certificate Part 1 course. Once applicants complete Stage 2 of the application we will suggest whether they ought to also apply to join the Certificate Part 1. The sooner Stage 2 is completed, the sooner we can make that assessment.

Eligibility Form

Portfolio tips

We encourage applicants to include a range of work in their portfolio including examples of relevant, creative work. A portfolio guide will be shared with eligible applicants to help assemble the portfolio.

The following are examples of elements to consider, including:

sketches, models, drawings on any topic
photography
collages
links to original musical scores
links to original videos
art in any medium
illustrated literature of any form
favourite keepsakes and the story behind them.

Applicants who are in career transition are encouraged to include aspects of current career work envisioned from the perspective of the skills and experience relevant to architecture.

After the course

Upon completion of the course, students graduate with a portfolio of work which enables them to take the next steps in their career including progression onto a Part 1 Architecture qualification. Students who complete the RIBA Foundation course with merit or distinction are offered automatic entry to the RIBA Studio Certificate (Part 1) course. Those with a passing to fair grade will be in good standing and invited for an informal interview after applying.

The course is modeled on the RIBA Studio and directly prepares students for the Certificate Part 1 course. Students also use the course to prepare for other Part 1 routes including the Apprenticeship and the full time taught programmes. We discuss the details of these different routes as part of the course.

Student testimonials

“The RIBA Foundation gave me so much confidence in myself and in my work, and not just in the work I completed on the course. It has inspired me to be brave enough to express what I care about and consider how something complicated or difficult can begin to be addressed – even if only at a small scale. The course encourages deep observation of the world around you enabling you to see your environment as it is before you consider how to intervene. It is this observation that allows you to tell the story of a place and the inhabitants of it, giving you the tools to understand what it needs.”

Ingrid McLaren - RIBA Award for outstanding work, RIBA Foundation

“The RIBA Foundation experience has awakened something in me that had been dormant for years. The programme allowed me to learn a lot in such a short time and showed me that architecture surrounds us like air. Thus, learning through creativity and creativity through learning go hand in hand, creating an infinite circle of newness and originality. I found the teaching and tutoring style to have the perfect blend of guidance, encouragement, connection and camaraderie. The lecturers, in addition to their unquestionable architectural skills, are highly sensitive and insightful individuals, which infuses this programme with a beautiful soul that I cannot recommend enough. I would like to express my gratitude for creating this foundation "and beyond" year, and for believing in us.”

Amal El Mchrafi - RIBA Foundation 2021 Graduate.

Information for practices

For practices interested in hiring a student for a 200 hour placement, the RIBA Foundation team will support the practice in a variety of ways including:

clarifying the roles and tasks students are ready to undertake
help scheduling the course to allow employees to participate
outlining remuneration expectations and responsibility of practices
celebrating and realising the impact practices make in terms of diversifying the profession.

For more information, please get in touch with the Programme Director, Dr. Maria Faraone: ribafoundation@brookes.ac.uk.

Information for schools and colleges

For schools interested in supporting a group of students to better understand the profession, the RIBA Foundation team is available for architecture workshop sessions. We would also be happy to attend an assembly or career day to discuss routes into the profession.

For more information, please get in touch with the Programme Director, Dr. Maria Faraone: ribafoundation@brookes.ac.uk.

Information for funders and donors

For some practices and other funding donors the best way to contribute this year is by making a donation to support course fees for a student. They may also consider making donation to support the placement salary when a student undertakes work with a charity supporting housing and other similar enterprises.