About Architecture Course

We often come across amazing buildings and structures around us. Be it high-rise buildings, massive malls, dams or other construction marvels, architects are the actual creators of them all. And, a student can become an architect after completing his/her architecture degree. It is a multidisciplinary field concerned with designing buildings or open areas. Architecture courses also incorporates the selection or designing of decorative pieces, furnishings, restoration or remodelling of existing buildings, and supervision of construction work. The discipline is aided by creative, imaginative, artistic as well as problem-solving skills. In nutshell, an architecture course is a combination of theoretical and practical learning of planning, designing and constructing a number of physical structures. In general, students opting for the different architecture courses in India, learn about urban design, landscape architecture, and town planning at a broad level. In addition to this, they are taught ways to precisely draw 3D designs through computer programs and hands. Most importantly, as we have become more technologically advanced, much of an architect's work has shifted to computers/laptops or tablets. Consequently, architecture students are trained to use different design tools for design planning and implementation.

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How Design differs from Architecture?

Design and architecture degree are often understood as the same but they are not. Design is basically an element of architecture, but it is not architecture. Design is defined as the specifications of constructing an object or system whereas architecture is defined as the process of planning and creating the structure of buildings. In short, architects can be called designers but designers are not architects.

Who Can Opt for Architecture Course?

Architecture is defined as the science and art of designing and engineering buildings/ structures. Architecture courses are often an amalgamation of art as well as technology-related subjects. It incorporates different concepts of drawing and design. Additionally, the construction of buildings/structures being the technical side involves analytical concepts. So, students who are creative, have an interest in designing or painting and have imaginative skills, may opt for an architecture program for their higher education. Architecture courses in India focus on both theory and practice wherein students are able to strengthen their rational, artistic and problem-solving skills. These skills help them in their professional careers.

Architecture Course Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility for architecture courses varies across different program levels and depends on criteria set by different partner institutes. However, general eligibility criteria for different program levels of architecture are as follows:

Eligibility for UG Architecture Course

Bachelors of architecture degree is a full-time course generally with a duration of 5 years and students can pursue it after completing their 10+2 in the science stream. Through undergraduate architecture courses in India, students learn ways to design building models and preparation of construction structures using different principles.

Eligibility for PG Architecture Course

Master of architecture is a full-time course with a duration of 2 years. Students can pursue them after completing their undergraduate degree in any architecture-related subject. Masters in architecture course allow students to take up specialisation from a number of options like Environmental Architecture, Rural Architecture, Town and Country Planning, Transportation Planning and Design, Sustainable Architecture, etc.

Eligibility for PhD Architecture Course

PhD is a doctorate level degree and the students can pursue it after their post-graduation in any architecture or engineering-related subject. Through PhD architecture degree students learn about different aspects of construction and they are trained to prepare an independent design to construct eco-friendly buildings.

**Note: The eligibility for various architecture courses differ across institutes. Therefore, students should check the eligibility requirements at the time of applying.

Architecture Courses

The Study in India partner institutes offer architecture courses across 3 levels, namely - Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD.

UG Level

The 5 year full-time B. Arch (Bachelor of Architecture) course focuses on both theoretical and practical knowledge wherein students learn how to plan, design and construct different types of physical structures. Furthermore, students are trained to communicate ideas through drawings and to understand scale, surface, forms, volumes and texture to amplify the visual representation of different physical structures.

PG Level

The 2-year full-time M.Arch (Master of Architecture) course focuses on the more detailed and advanced study of architecture fields like landscape planning practices, design theories and their application.

PhD Level

The doctorate level architecture course in India revolves around the study of the science of designing, design structures, landscape architecture, 3D designing and various computer software that are used to plan, optimize, analyze the designs etc.

Architecture Branches

Architecture is not only limited to designing but it covers planning and building the exterior and interior spaces/structures. Be it planning, designing and building single rooms, multi-level complexes or multi-functional spaces, the architecture courses incorporates it all. Consequently, students have the option to specialise in a particular field of architecture (such as urban planning, interior designing, elevation designing, landscaping designing, sustainable designing, etc) by choosing the corresponding branch. Given below are some of the many architecture branches students can choose to study in India.

Landscape Architecture	Research Architecture	Residential Architecture
Conservation Architecture	Sustainable Architecture	Interior Design
Lightning Architecture	Urban Planning	Restoration Architecture

Architecture Syllabus and Subjects

The subjects and syllabus of different architecture courses depend on the branch or specialisation picked by students for their UG, PG or PhD degree. However, a general overview of architecture subjects and syllabus at the UG and PG levels is as follows.

UG Level:

The core set of subjects/topics taught under bachelor of architecture courses include Visual arts and Design, Building Construction, Theory and types of Structures, Building Science & Services, Design Application, History of Architecture, Computer & Software Lab, and Interior Architecture & Space Programming.

PG Level:

The main set of subjects that students opting for master architecture degree are taught include Urban Design, Technical Communication, Advanced Landscape Design, Building Information Modelling, Emerging Practices in Housing, Architectural Design Studio, Web Design and Portfolio Production, Material Conservation and Resourcing, Sustainability & Energy Conservation in Landscape Architecture, etc.

Admission Process for Architecture Course in India

The students aspiring to make a career in the field of planning/designing/ interior designing, etc can go ahead and pursue architecture courses across three (UG, PG and PhD) disciplines by applying to the Study in India Programme. The step by step process to apply is as follows

To pursue architecture degree in India, at first students need to register and become a part of the Study in India Programme. The registration form is simple wherein students need to fill in fundamental information such as Name, Country (name and code), Mobile Number, Email ID and Password.

Followed by the registration the students are provided with the login credentials that they need to save for future reference.

Once registration is complete, students will have to fill out the SII Application. It is divided into three parts namely - Basic Information, Academic Information and Choice Filling.

Although the students have to fill all the three-section carefully, it is the Choice Filling that is important. Because, during counselling, the final allocation of courses and institutes is done on the basis of choices filled by students.

While completing the Choice Filling form, students are required to give and rank a minimum of three preferences for architecture courses and institutes they are interested in.

Lastly, they are required to fill out the declaration form and submit their respective applications. The students can find a detailed explanation for filling out the SII Application here.

Additional Exams:

Some of the Study in India partner institutes may require scores of one/two additional exams (for architecture degree) such as GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering), SAT I or SAT II, JEE (Main and Advanced) and NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture). Therefore, students should check the additional requirements at the time of applying.

Most Popular Courses in Architecture

As per the trend from the past couple of years here are some of the most popular branch choices of the architecture courses under the Study in India Programme

A. Urban Architecture

Urban architecture is the branch concerned with the planning, shaping, and designing of all the physical features (such as buildings, streets, public spaces, parks, plazas, etc) of performative towns or cities. Students opting for this subject are not only taught how to design various urban environments but they also learn how to deal with the architecture-related problems of urban areas. Therefore, the subject of urban architecture takes elements from various areas like planning, architecture, development, engineering, economics, finance, and law.

B. Sustainable Architecture

Sustainable architecture involves planning and designing buildings that aim at minimizing the negative impacts on the environment. The branch is concerned with the efficient use of energy and sustainable or recycled materials (like blown-in fibreglass, roman concrete, paper, non-toxic glues, paints, etc). Therefore, the main focus lies in ensuring the sustainability of resources available in present times so that it does not affect the collective well-being of living things in the long run.

C. Planning

Planning under architecture refers to incorporating the requirements of the inhabitants and accordingly ideating the construction specifications. Architectural planners need to ideate plans for various building projects and document all the graphic or written descriptions. Therefore, students opting for planning (as a subject of study) are prepared for developing functional, sustainable, and innovative architectural plans.

D. Interior Design

Interior Design is one of the most popular and multifaceted branches of architecture degree which involves the complete planning of the layout of a house, office or any other commercial building. The main focus lies in enhancing the overall aesthetic of any building through site inspections, conceptual development, space planning, research, programming, construction management, and finally execution of the planned design. So, students interested in taking up interior design need to have a sense of visualization and creativity.

Popular Architecture UG Courses in India

The architecture courses are a blend of art, science and technology. Through the undergraduate architecture degree, students learn about the construction process of different structures or spaces like commercial buildings, highways, airport terminals, highway construction, malls, complexes, etc. Furthermore, the courses lay equal focus on enhancing the analytical, creative, visualization and innovative skills of students. Given below are the popular options of undergraduate architecture courses offered in India. Students are recommended to do a thorough research of different branches and then choose the course that interests them.

Landscape Architecture	Interior Design	Building and Construction Technology
Urban Planning	Architecture and Regional	Residential Space Design
	Planning	Management

Popular Architecture PG Courses in India

The postgraduate architecture courses open doors to the professional world wherein students can choose to specialize in areas like Architectural Conservation, Building Science, Building Material Engineering, Housing Architecture Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Transport Planning, etc. It allows students to make a career as either an architect, town planner, urban designer, building surveyor, or a structural engineer, etc. Through M.Arch courses students learn the process of planning and designing of structures/spaces/buildings that are meaningful and environmentally sustainable. In a nutshell, a student who wishes to enhance his/her career in the field of architecture or go ahead with research in this field, may opt for it. Given below is a list of popular PG architecture courses offered in India.

Architectural Design	Urban and Rural Planning	Architectural Conservation
Regional Planning	Sustainable Architecture	Regional Planning

**Note: Before applying to the SII Programme, students must confirm if the concerned architecture course of their choice is offered in the current academic year or not.

Career Options

After pursuing architecture courses in India, students can choose from a mixed bag of career options and some of them are mentioned in the table below.

Architect	Interior and Spatial Designer	Building Surveyor
Architectural Historian	Town Planner	Structural Engineer
Urban Designer	Construction and Project Manager	Landscape Architect

Architecture Corses: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Define architecture degree?

Architecture is a discipline concerned with designing buildings or open areas. The scope of this field extends to the selection or designing of decorative pieces, furnishings, restoration or remodelling of existing buildings, and supervision of construction work as well.

2. What is the difference between a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Architecture course?

B. Arch or Bachelors of Architecture is a 5-year graduation degree whereas M.Arch or Master’s of Architecture is a 2-year master’s degree.

3. If I am not sure about pursuing an architecture degree, what advice would you give?

Every student has a different interest area and to cater to the same, Indian institutes provide a diverse range of courses. If you want to explore the study of designing or planning the construction of buildings/ living spaces (such as design elements, structural elements, aesthetics, and much more) then you can go ahead with architecture courses.

4. Is Architecture a constantly evolving field?

Yes, architecture is a constantly evolving field that requires one to be socially aware and responsible at the same time. With new technology, construction material, practices coming up, architects need to be always on their toes to address the demands of the environment and the public at large (building strength, energy consumption, incorporating sustainable materials, etc.).

5. How do I know if architecture course is right for me?

If you have a good imagination or visualisation skills and are interested in studying the technical aspects of building structures, right from its aesthetic elements to planning the design, then architecture course might be the right field for you.

6. What do Architects do?

The main work of architects is to plan, design or create buildings or other structures that are not only sustainable, safe but they must suit the needs of the people who would use them. They are involved in all the stages of a construction project, right from the initial discussion with the clients to the final delivery of the completed structure. Lastly, architects require specific skills such as designing, managing, supervising, communication, etc.

7. What career options are in the field of architecture?

After pursuing architecture courses students choose from the following career options:

Architect
Urban Designer
Town Planner
Interior and Spatial Designer
Project manager
Structural Engineer
Building Surveyor

8. What skills should architects possess?

Architects should possess technical and human skills including,

Technical Skills:

Programming and knowledge of specialised software like CAD etc
Basic computer skills
Preparing drawings, models and process charts.
Preparing financial estimates, budgets and costing.
Methods of construction.

Human Skills:

Formal presentations
Communications
Decision making
Negotiating
Ability to work in a team
Leading and supervising
Time management

9. How can I get a job in the Architecture field?

To get entry-level jobs in the architecture field (such as Project Designer, Lead Designer, Lead Designer, etc), you should at least have a bachelor’s degree (B.Arch). After completing the bachelor's you can also go ahead and pursue masters followed by PhD in this field.

10. What challenges does an Architect face?

Some of the common challenges that architects often face are budget constraints, consideration of deadlines, communication gaps/issues and designing as well.

11. What is the fee structure of Architecture courses?

The fee structure of Architecture courses varies across various Study in India partner institutes. However, you are advised to check the same at the time of applying.

12. Do I need to take an additional exam to enrol in an Architectural program?

Some of the Study in India partner institutes may require additional exams as a part of the eligibility such as SAT I, SAT II, GATE, NATA or IELTS for architecture degree. However, you are recommended to check the specific eligibility at the time of applying.

13. Difference between Urban Planning and Sustainable Planning?

Urban planning refers to the utilising of a piece of land to design and develop an urban environment such as air, water and transport networks, etc. It involves research and analysis, strategic thinking, urban design, public consultation, implementation and management. Whereas, Sustainable planning refers to designs that incorporate environmental, social and economical sustainability elements and focus on the requirement of occupants as well.

14. Which course is better for architecture and fashion designing?

Both the fashion designing and architecture courses are fine in their respective areas wherein they are related to each other but not connected. It totally depends on your interest when it comes to choosing between an architecture degree and fashion designing. If you are interested in planning, designing and constructing buildings then go with architecture whereas, if you are interested in creating designs of clothes or other lifestyle accessories then go ahead with fashion designing.