Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies [BA(AS)] offers an internationally competitive professional curriculum in the discipline of architecture, in all of its environmental, social, technical, and cultural dimensions. You will gain broad expertise in the field of design, graduating with the first degree necessary to qualify as an architect. The programme also offers you the unique opportunity to study the conditions of the contemporary city in the dense and active region of East Asia.

Programme Details

Design studios and electives introduce students to a multitude of methods and approaches in architecture. These include the study of ecosystems and infrastructure, robotics and artificial intelligence, energy and the environment, and emerging rural and urban conditions. Through a multidisciplinary curriculum emphasising culture, technology, sustainability, history and theory, students develop the critical reasoning skills necessary for lifelong architectural inquiry.

International Experience

International experience is central to the programme’s pedagogical mission. Academic exchange programmes, summer elective workshops overseas and studio-based research trips, coupled with guest speakers and visiting teachers from around the world, provide you with global perspectives on contemporary architecture. Our undergraduate students are active members of the Department of Architecture and contribute to our vibrant intellectual community of distinguished scholars, leading practitioners, Master’s and PhD students.

Admission

Admission to the BA(AS) undergraduate programme is both rigorous and competitive. The Department welcomes applications from students with a broad range of academic and cultural interests. Students from both arts and science streams are accepted, and those who have shown an interest in design are encouraged to apply.

Accreditation

BA(AS) is professionally accredited by:

• Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA)
• Architects Registration Board, HKSAR (ARB)
• Validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
• Recognised via the Canberra Accord as having substantial equivalency with the accreditation or validation systems in architectural education of:
  • Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB)
  • China National Board of Architectural Accreditation (NBAA)
  • Chinese Taipei Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan (IEET)
  • Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA)
  • Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE)
  • Korea Architectural Accrediting Board (KAAB)
  • Mexico Acreditadora Nacional de Programas de Arquitectura y Disciplinas del Espacio Habitable (ANPADEH)
  • South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP)
  • United States of America National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)

Career Prospects

Upon passing the Professional Assessment held by HKIA/ARB in Hong Kong, Master of Architecture graduates are eligible to apply for admission as Members of HKIA and as Registered Architects.

International Student Exchange Program

In line with the University of Hong Kong’s commitment to developing a global perspective and cross-cultural understanding among its students, the Department of Architecture has an international student exchange program for advanced undergraduate degree students in architecture with top ranked schools worldwide. This program provides students with invaluable opportunities to benefit from broader perspectives and experiences that diverse academic and cultural environments offer.

Established and semester-long international student study programs are hosted by the following institutions:

• Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Austria)
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris Malaquais (France)
• IE University (Madrid, Spain)
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)
• University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
• University College London (United Kingdom)
• Aalto University (Finland)
• The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark)
• University of California (Berkeley, USA)
• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA)
• Université de Montréal (Quebec, Canada)
• Tsinghua University (Beijing)
• Tongji University (Shanghai)
• Tianjing University (Tianjing)
• Southeast University (Nanjing)
• University of Tokyo (Japan)
• Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia)
• National University of Singapore (Singapore)