Architecture (not currently chamber eligible), Bachelor of Arts

If you want to study architecture but don't necessarily need the professional title "Architect" then the Architecture distance learning program* at IU International University (IU) is perfect for you. Here you will learn in digital format how to design the buildings of tomorrow.

The program is currently not chamber-eligible: you will acquire professional skills (job-qualifying), but you are not allowed to carry the protected professional title of Architect (profession-qualifying). To obtain this professional title in Germany, you need to be listed in an Architects' Chamber. As a rule, you can only apply for chamber admission after completing a four- or five-year architecture degree with a minimum of two years of relevant work experience. Some regional chambers require additional qualifications. The responsible Architects' Chamber of the respective federal state decides on the entry into the list. Many chambers currently state that they do not accept applicants who have completed their Bachelor's degree in Architecture through distance learning. Physical attendance is still considered essential in most cases. Even expanding with a recognized Master's program currently cannot guarantee admission to an Architects' Chamber.

Nevertheless, the Architecture* program at IU has a lot to offer. It is currently the only Bachelor's distance learning program in Architecture* – state-recognized, accredited, and practical. We collaborate with internationally successful experts in the architecture industry who support you in your professional development.

Although the Architects' Chamber currently does not allow admission and has reservations about competency development through online teaching: the state accreditation shows that our study format is equally suitable for acquiring the necessary skills. We focus on innovative teaching methods: students learn through physical models, create everything from hand sketches to digital images, and interact with each other and with the professors – but all online.

The long, at least 6-year training as an Architect is just one path into the industry. With the IU Architecture* program, many career opportunities are open to you: whether in an office or in public service, you can find and pursue your own focus as a designer, developer of construction details, or in construction projects – even without chamber admission. If this matches your personal goals, our distance learning program is right for you.

These are the requirements for the Architecture* Bachelor

With your Bachelor's in Architecture, you can work, for example, as an employee in an architecture office.

In the part-time distance learning program Architecture* at IU International University, you can be admitted if you either have a high school diploma (general university entrance qualification), a technical college entrance qualification, or a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification.

Furthermore, you can study Architecture* without a high school diploma. To be admitted to the IU distance learning program without a high school diploma, you need to present a completed advanced training, such as a Certified Business Administrator, or a Master Craftsman's certificate. You can also be admitted if you have completed a vocational training and have worked full-time for at least 3 years after completing this training.

These are the study contents in the online study program Architecture*

This Bachelor's degree at IU comprises about 32 modules to be taken and completed over 6 semesters of standard study time. Each module is worth 5-10 credit points (ECTS) and concludes with an examination performance such as a thesis or an exam. In total, you will earn 180 credit points from module to module and from semester to semester.

The typical study plan for full-time studies in Architecture* looks as follows:

• Semester 1: Building Construction - Fundamentals, Introduction to Academic Work, Basics of Building Materials, Presentation: Fundamentals, Architectural History I, Design: Fundamentals and Building Theory
• Semester 2: Project: Concept and Model Design, Design: Residential Buildings, Presentation: CAD, Presentation: Model Making, Collaborative Work, Construction Systems and Structural Design
• Semester 3: Project: Housing Concept, Building Construction - Timber Construction, Building Physics, Presentation: Methods and Techniques, Design: Public Buildings, Architectural History II
• Semester 4: Project: Cultural Building Concept, Building Construction - Interior and Facade, Urban Planning, Intercultural and Ethical Competencies, Design: Office and Industrial Buildings, Building Technology
• Semester 5: Project: Office and Industrial Building Concept, Seminar: Architectural Theory, Project: Structural Engineering and Design, Private and Public Building Law, Elective Module A
• Semester 6: Elective Module B, Construction Business Administration, Cost and Schedule Planning, Bachelor's Thesis

One of the special features of the Architecture* Bachelor's program at IU is the many opportunities to specialize in subject areas and professional fields of interest in the elective module section.

As the first specialization, you can choose from these exciting modules: Architectural Design, Conversion and Renovation, Sustainable Building.

As the second specialization, you can select one of these study modules: Architectural Design, Conversion and Renovation, Sustainable Building, Building Information Modeling, Smart Building, Real Estate Law, Interdisciplinary Field Excursion.

How flexible is the standard study time in the distance learning program Architecture*?

At IU International University, you can choose one of 3 study models for part-time distance learning:

• In the full-time study, the standard study time is 6 semesters or 36 months. You can extend the standard study time by up to 2 semesters or 12 months at no additional cost. Full-time studies in Architecture* are particularly suitable for those who are not employed or work only a few hours per week.
• In Part-time Study I, the standard study time is 8 semesters or 48 months. You can extend the standard study time by up to 2 semesters or 12 months at no additional cost. Part-time Study I is suitable, for example, if you work part-time alongside your studies.
• In Part-time Study II, the standard study time is 12 semesters or 72 months. You can extend the standard study time by up to 2 semesters or 12 months at no additional cost. Part-time Study II is particularly suitable if you are heavily involved in your profession alongside your distance learning program.

By the way, you can also take a semester off during your studies at no additional cost.

How does the online study program at IU work?

A study program that adapts to your life: In the online study program at IU, you learn flexibly and digitally when you want to learn and where you want to learn.

In the Architecture* distance learning program at IU International University, there is no attendance requirement - you learn continuously from home, in the library of your choice, or wherever you can learn best.

You can take your modules and courses whenever you want. This way, you can usually create your study plan and semester schedule flexibly on your own.

Central to the IU distance learning program are your interactive study scripts. You will receive the scripts in both printed form and digitally as PDFs and for tablets. Through the smart app IU Learn, you can access both the scripts for your Architecture* studies and scripts from all other distance learning programs at IU.

Through myCampus, the online campus of IU, you also have access to additional materials, such as videos. You interact with your lecturers and fellow students, for example, in virtual live formats, such as interactive lectures.

And exams? You can choose to take them as online exams. You can take an online exam at any time once you feel sufficiently prepared for the material. Alternatively, you can take the exam at one of the numerous exam centers of IU throughout Germany.

* currently not chamber eligible