Why Study Architecture or Urban Planning at Newcastle?
Newcastle is a fantastic place to study architecture and town planning. Our lively city has one of the most thriving UK arts scenes outside London, with bigger galleries like the Baltic and music venues like the Sage alongside younger, edgier and more experimental arts, theatre and music. The Baltic (converted by Ellis Williams Architects) and the Sage (by Foster + Partners) are among the many new, notable contemporary buildings in the city. The topography of the Quayside, with the dramatic high and low level bridges across the Tyne, is complemented by traces of the city's medieval fabric around the castle, the Georgian grandeur of Grey Street and a curious - but fascinating - layer of 1960s architecture and infrastructure. There are plenty of good sites for projects in the city and lots of sources for ideas.
Architecture 6th and Planning 8th in the Guardian University Guide
Architecture at Newcastle has scored 6th position in the 2013 Guardian University Guide. This is the second highest ranking for a subject at Newcastle. Planning is in 8th position and this position moves to 4th when compared with other RTPI-accredited programmes. Professor John Pendlebury, Head of School said ‘these results reflect the dedication of our staff in providing the best possible educational experience and high standards of employability for our students’.
Reasons to study Architecture at Newcastle
- Begin your professional training
Take the first step towards qualification as a registered architect through our Architecture degree, which provides exemption from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Part I examination. We also offer the qualifications to take you right through to registered architect status. - Explore ‘alternative practice’in architecture
Gain an appreciation of radical practice ideals and of the community and social impact of architecture through our new Architecture and Urban Planning degree. Potential transfer to the BA Architecture programme is possible at the end of Stage 1. - Develop your own design style
Follow your own design ideas, rather than a set house style. We will teach you how to think, not what to think. We also give you freedom and encouragement to experiment and make your own architectural design decisions. - Learn from the professionals
Work with and learn from leading professionals both in the studio and at our extracurricular events. Our dedicated team of professional tutors join the studio from practice all over the UK, and the world, giving you advice and guidance on your design ideas. Our ‘Conversations with Practice’ lecture series invites leading practitioners to inspire you directly with talks about their own career paths and design journeys. - Enjoy 24/7 access to outstanding facilities
Learn in a state-of-the-art working environment, with fantastic IT and CAD facilities, and a fully staffed model-making workshop equipped with a range of cutting-edge machinery. Each year-group has their own dedicated design studio open 24/7, which encourages a strong sense of community and allows you to support each other through the architectural learning process. - Enjoy a breadth of expertise
Join one of the few academic schools in the UK focusing exclusively on the built environment. Our expertise spans architecture, planning, urban design, digital architecture, urban conservation and landscape architecture, bringing breadth and depth to your study programme. - Study beyond the region and the UK
Join a School with a strong international outlook. There are opportunities for both UK and European field trips during your BA degree, allowing you to compare architectural styles and solutions in a range of environments and cultures. If you stay with us to complete your architectural education, further study abroad opportunities are available in many European universities and further afield, for example Australia and Singapore.
Reasons to study Urban Planning at Newcastle
- Gain a professionally accredited
qualification
Graduate with an accredited degree, which satisfies the standards set by the planning profession. Our Urban Planning BA and MPlan degrees are professionally
accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), taking you towards qualification as a chartered town planner. - Enjoy time to decide where your career
interests lie
Take advantage of a shared study programme between the Urban Planning BA and MPlan degrees for the first three years. This gives you time to decide whether you want to pursue chartered town planner status as your knowledge of the subject develops. You also have the potential option to transfer between any of our
undergraduate degrees, including two exciting Joint Honours degrees, should your interests change. - Take a year out in Planning Practice and
gain an additional qualification
Undertake a one-year paid work placement and gain a Certificate in Planning Practice. This year counts as one of the two years’ practice required for qualification as a chartered town planner. We source placements on your behalf in locations across the UK. We also provide training in interview practice, CV writing and other key job-hunting techniques. Previous host organisations include Transport for London, Fairhurst, Rolfe Judd and Bellway Homes, as well as many local authorities. - Explore planning beyond the UK
Take advantage of our strong European links, as founder members of the Association of European Schools of Planning. You’ll have the chance to experience differences in planning approaches outside the UK through European field visits. MPlan students can also undertake a semester of study in Europe through the Erasmus exchange scheme. - Enjoy a breadth of expertise
Join one of the few academic schools in the UK focusing exclusively on the built environment. Our expertise spans architecture, planning, urban design, digital architecture, urban conservation and landscape architecture, bringing breadth and depth to your study programme. Our teaching is brought to life by staff who are also active researchers. This direct link to our research translates into enthusiastic and up-to-date teaching by people who are passionate about their subject,
as well as being acknowledged leaders in their field.