Certificate in Professional Practice and Management in Architecture (Part 3)

Introduction
The Certificate in Professional Practice and Management in Architecture leads to the examination held at the Bartlett that is recognised by the Architects Registration Board of the United Kingdom (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as the final qualifying examination. The course has been validated by the Joint ARB/RIBA Validation Panel and is recognised at the Part 3 level by ARB for the purposes of registration and by the RIBA for exemption from its own examination. Successful candidates will be able to obtain Statutory Registered Status with ARB and Chartered membership with the RIBA.

Under the terms of the EEC Directive 85/384, the passing of the ARB recognised qualification allows for establishment as an architect (subject to statutory provisions) in a member state of the European Union/European Economic Area.

The course aims to equip the student with the knowledge, skill and judgement needed to fit an architect for his or her professional duties, and to understand how an office organisation is managed for this purpose. The examination is related in scope and standards to current practice, its requirements, and its anticipated future developments.

The course is based around the requirements of the RIBA Examination in Professional Practice and Management (Part 3): Description, Regulations & Outline Syllabus and the Part 3 Criteria held in common by the RIBA and ARB.

The examination process is used to assess the candidate against the RIBA/ARB Criteria for Part 3. These criteria are used to establish evidence of a candidate’s fitness to practise, and their awareness, understanding, knowledge and ability.

Entry Requirements
Applicants with United Kingdom qualifications
Candidates for the examination will have obtained their Diploma and Part 2 exemption. To sit the examination, candidates must have the following

• A minimum two years’ (twenty-four months) approved
practical training and experience (12 months post Part 2 experience is required to be gained in a UK practice, working on projects in the UK and supervised by a UK registered architect)
Applicants with overseas qualifications
Those who have Part 2 recognition through ARCUK’s Regulation 26 or 27 panel procedures are also eligible to attend the course and take the examination.

Candidates who have obtained Part 2 recognition through the ARB Assessment Panel examination are eligible to attend the course and take the examination. Candidates who have obtained RIBA Part I or Part 2 at schools overseas need to obtain written confirmation from ARB that those qualifications are acceptable.

Applicants with EU qualifications
The course is available to EU Registered Architects who wish to register with ARB in order to practise in the UK as a ‘lectures only’ programme (i.e. non-examination: candidates follow the lecture programme but do not register for the final examination) (for more information click here). It is also available to those EU citizens who intend to register with ARB under Section 5 of the Architects Act 1997. In some cases EU registered architects may also wish to take the examination, and this option is available at the discretion of the Director of Professional Studies.

Candidates from EU countries are strongly urged to obtain written confirmation from ARB and from the RIBA that their qualifications are recognised under the Directive EEC85/384 before commencing the course.

Programme

* Lectures
* Revision seminars
* Study groups

The programme commences in January each year and consists of:
• At least thirty-five lectures, from January to May
• Up to four individual tutorials by appointment
• Group seminars for examination candidates, summer or autumn
• Revision study groups
• A choice of examination sessions (summer or autumn)

Lectures
The lectures on Tuesday evenings (17.30-20.30) are given by visiting lecturers. The Tuesday evening lecture series is supplemented by four themed lecture days. The lecture course is designed to cover current professional, legal and contractual issues. Most lectures are supported by notes, issued at the end of the series.

Revision seminars
Four revision seminars are held before each examination session for the candidates.

Study groups
Once they have registered for the examination, candidates are invited to form unsupervised study groups of six to eight members. Each group meets regularly in each other's offices to revise together and practise past examination papers.

Assessment
For an overall pass, the candidate must pass each component of the submission. The assessed material includes:

Case Study
A Case Study of 8-10,000 words. This is intended to give an objective and factual description of the progress of a project on which the student has been involved.

Career Evaluation
A Career Evaluation of 4-5,000 words. This is a subjective and personal analysis of the candidate's architectural education, professional development, office management and work experience.

Log Book/PEDR and experience
The Log Book or PEDR with a minimum of twenty-four months approved practical training experience, including A4 drawings and photographs of work in progress, Log Book and experience

Written unseen examination paper and Office-based paper
One unseen, formal written examination paper based on a scenario. In addition an office-based paper on fee bidding and resource management, undertaken during the week following the written paper

Oral Exam
An interview lasting approximately forty-five minutes with two Examiners

Fees
Fees for the full course
The total fees for the full Part 3 course in 2009 are £1850. This consists of:

• Registration fee £250
• Lectures and tutorials fee £1000
• Examination fee £600

The registration fee is payable in January, the lecture and tutorial fee in March and the exam fee shortly before the candidate takes the examination.

Notes on fees
Currently more than half of all candidates have their fees sponsored by their employer.

Fees are the same for UK and overseas candidates.

Candidates who fail the examination or parts of it and need to resubmit documents, be re-interviewed or resit papers must pay examination fees on a pro-rata basis – this is currently £75 per assessment module.

How to apply
Those applying for the Bartlett Certificate in Professional Practice and Management in Architecture (Part 3) intending to sit the examination should complete and return the application form with a Curriculum Vitae, two passport photographs and a written statement of 250 words outlining a proposal for a case study.

The application form for new candidates for the session can be downloaded here.

Prospective lecture only student please complete the form below.

All applications must include a non-refundable application fee of £35 in the form of a cheque made payable to ‘University College London’ with the application no later than Friday 8th January 2010.

Please be aware that no applications will be accepted after the deadline.

Applicants will be notified in writingabout their place on the course.

Applications should be sent to: Professional Studies Administration, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, Wates House, 22 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0QB; tel: +44 (0)20 7679 5597; fax: +44 (0)20 7679 4831; email: bartlett-profstudies@ucl.ac.uk.