Careers › Built environment

How to become a Architect

Designs buildings and spaces - part art, part engineering.

This needs more than the degree

You can’t call yourself an architect on a bachelor’s degree alone. The usual route is a bachelor’s, then a professional Master’s, then several years of supervised practice before SACAP (the South African Council for the Architectural Profession) will register you.

Apply early

Selection programmes like this often close months before the standard application deadline, and marks alone don’t guarantee a place. See the Dates page for the exact closing dates.

What does a Architect actually do?

More about this career

Architecture is a long route – a bachelor’s degree, then usually a professional master’s, then years of supervised practice before you can register and call yourself an architect. The day-to-day mixes design and drawing with client meetings, budgets and building regulations, and most firms expect strong 3D software skills alongside the creative side.

Where this degree can take you

  • Architectural Technologist
  • Interior Architect
  • Urban Designer
  • Landscape Architect

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Visual Arts or Engineering Graphics & Design (helpful)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 4 of 4 degrees
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 1 of 4 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

4 degrees at 4 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Nelson Mandela University

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS)

Engineering, the Built Environment & Technology · 3 years

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 370 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • Mathematics: 55%
  • Portfolio and interview – A portfolio submission and interview are required; admission is only confirmed after these are held.

Followed by a further BAS Honours year and a professional Master of Architecture for full registration. From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (eleceng.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Cape Town

Bachelor of Architectural Studies

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

UCT Faculty Points Score 450 out of 600 (band a)

  • Mathematics: 50%
  • English: 50%
  • Portfolio – A portfolio score of 75% is needed for Band A, 68% for Band B and 50% for Band C.
  • Written motivation – A written motivation is required.

Band A (guaranteed offer) is an FPS of 450. Band B (likely offer) is a WPS of 408 - the WPS adds a 0-10% disadvantage factor that we cannot work out from your marks, so we only check you against Band A. Band C (348) applies to redress categories only.

Source: View the official page (uct.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Pretoria

Selection programme

BSc Architecture

Engineering, Built Environment & IT

UP APS 30 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

BSc Architecture is a selection programme - meeting the minimum does not guarantee a place. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

Sources disagree

Bachelor of Architectural Studies

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Application exercise – An application exercise and an interview are required. No NBT.

Two official Wits sources disagree. The schools-liaison Grade 12 guide gives APS 34+ with English level 4 and Maths level 4. The Bachelor of Architectural Studies application FAQ gives a minimum APS of 29 with Maths 50% and English 50%. We are not picking a side - check both with the School of Architecture before you rely on either. Guide: https://www.wits.ac.za/media/wits-university/study/schools-liaison/documents/Wits%20SLO%20Grade%2012_100125.pdf

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?