Careers › Built environment

How to become a Architect

Designs buildings and spaces - part art, part engineering.

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 3 of 3 degrees
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 1 of 3 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

3 degrees at 3 universities. More are added as we verify them.

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?