New-style degrees set for reformed ARB accreditation

[edit] First new-style degrees

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has reached a major milestone in its reforms to architects’ training and education in the UK. At a meeting on Wednesday 9th April 2025, ARB’s Accreditation Committee discussed and agreed to approve three new Master’s level qualifications by the University of Leeds, two of which take an innovative integrated format. The Accreditation Committee’s decision will be finalised after a statutory consultation ARB must hold with relevant professional bodies, and ARB has written to those bodies to start the consultation process.

This is the first time that a new-style architectural qualification that meets ARB’s new competency outcomes has reached this stage of the accreditation process. It marks a significant step forward in implementing the new regulatory framework for architectural education, which was introduced to better align how architects are trained with contemporary practice, widen access to the profession, and ensure architects are equipped with the skills needed to meet future challenges.

ARB anticipates that more qualifications will be approved for consultation under the new accreditation framework in the coming months as institutions continue to adapt existing courses and submit proposals for new programmes for accreditation. Updates on these qualifications will be published on ARB’s website following the statutory consultation.

[edit] Comments about the course and reform

Alan Kershaw, Chair of the Architects Registration Board, said: “We’re thrilled to see the first new-style degrees reach this stage of the accreditation process, including two integrated qualifications that will take students from their undergraduate degree through to a Master’s that meets our Academic Outcomes. This represents real progress in our work to modernise architectural education and training, and shows how innovative learning providers can make the most of the flexibility opened up by ARB’s education reforms.”

Justin Lunn, Architecture Lead at the University of Leeds, said: “The University of Leeds’ new integrated programmes, which will provide accredited Master’s level qualifications in architecture as well as structural and building services engineering, are the realisation of a long-held vision to create a unified approach to education with a goal to produce graduates who have expertise across disciplines, allowing them to be more effective and collaborative professionals from the beginning of their career. We’d been at an advanced stage of planning for Part 2 as an addition to our Part 1 course when ARB’s education reforms were announced and we realised that they were an opportunity to implement an improved offer.”

[edit] About the ARB Tomorrow's Architects competency outcomes

In February 2023, following over two years of research and development, ARB consulted on proposals for a new regulatory approach to how architects are trained and educated. The proposals aimed to modernise the competencies required of architects to face emerging and future challenges, including the climate emergency, and improve the flexibility and innovation for universities and other types of learning providers. It wanted to remove regulatory barriers and make the approach to quality assurance more proportionate, and create the flexibility for new routes to becoming an architect in the UK – having heard that the cost of education and the requirements for work experience create barriers for people from less affluent backgrounds or without existing networks in the profession.

The public consultation was open between February and May 2023 and received 672 responses that demonstrated a wide reach across different roles, regions and respondent characteristics. Response were read and analysed and the Board discussed the analysis and considered the next steps alongside the aims of reforms and statutory remit, and made the following decisions:

• "We had the highest support for the competencies, so we are confident they accurately describe what future architects need to know, understand and be able to do. The new competencies are a major step-change from the criteria, a truly modern approach with a sharper focus on safety, climate change and inclusion. We’ll make some drafting amendments-based on useful feedback, and publish the final versions this autumn.
• Our new approach to accreditation, including the standards for learning providers and transition timetable, also received support and useful ideas for improvement. We will publish the final version of the standards this autumn. We will establish a stakeholder group to give us agile feedback as the transition progresses.
• Important modifications will be made to the regulatory framework before we introduce it, to make sure it upholds standards whilst also removing bureaucracy and opening up the potential for new routes to joining the Register of Architects. Respondent views on the framework were mixed, but those who disagreed were not in alignment about an alternative. We will issue new guidance to learning providers about the appropriate learning and experience of those seeking to access the new Masters qualification. Our proposals do not negatively impact student access to funding.
• We will revise proposals for professional practical experience. We have learned through the consultation that removing the minimum duration will not address the problems that arise for those looking to gain the experience, and could have the unintended consequence of weakening the standards of the architects’ profession. We will consider short-term modifications like additional flexibility about the types of experience which are deemed relevant. We will appoint an independent Commission to develop new recommendations for the Board. We cannot solve all the problems with practical experience, but we want to take the lead in helping to improve access to it, and the experience of future architects. The Commission will help us identify how best to do that. It will run alongside our overall timetable and will not delay it."

See also article ARB Tomorrow's Architects and ARB competency outcomes.

[edit] About ARB

ARB is an independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997. We are accountable to government. The law gives ARB a number of core functions:

• To ensure only those who are suitably competent are allowed to practise as architects, by approving the architecture qualifications required to join the Register of architects.
• Maintain a publicly available Register of architects so anyone using the services of an architect can be confident that they are suitably qualified and are fit to practise.
• Set the standards of conduct and practice the profession must meet and take action when any architect falls below the required standards of conduct or competence.
• Set requirements for and monitor the continuous professional development that architects must undertake, to provide assurance to the public about the continuing competence of the profession.
• Protect the legally restricted title ‘architect’.
• Consultation on new qualifications

Before accrediting a new qualification (i.e. recognising a qualification for the first time), Section 4(3) of the Architects Act 1997 requires ARB to consult bodies representative of architects that are incorporated by royal charter and other professional and educational bodies as it thinks appropriate.

This article was issued via press release as "First new-style degrees set for accreditation in major milestone for ARB’s education reforms" dated 14 April, 2025.

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