English students

The 2 parts of an architecture course may be treated as a single course for student support purposes. They may thus receive undergraduate funding.

This is unaffected if a student undertakes a year’s practical experience between the 2 parts. The 2 parts can still be treated as a single course even if a student takes a break of more than 1 year between them, as long as it is clear that the student did not withdraw from the overall course at the end of part 1.

For example, a student completes part 1 and a year of practical experience, then decides to take a year out before starting part 2. They can still be treated as attending the same single course if the facts of their case do not show they withdrew from the course at the end of part 1.

The regulations mean that students do not need to declare their intention to attend both parts before starting or completing part 1.

For the course to be treated as a single course the student must:

• not withdraw between parts 1 and 2
• not change mode of study
• not have an excessive gap between completing the 2 parts

If a student applies for support for part 2 of the architecture course without a part 1 course, we cannot treat it as part of a single course. In this case, the student will not qualify for undergraduate support. They could apply for postgraduate master's support if the course meets the designation criteria.

The single course provision only applies to full-time courses. Students who have switched mode of study or are studying both courses part-time will not qualify for undergraduate support for part 2. They could be eligible for postgraduate master's support if the course meets the designation criteria.

Welsh students

The same rules apply to Welsh students as English students with the following exceptions.

From academic year 2018/19 the Welsh Government changed the single course provision to include full-time and part-time courses. Students taking both courses, full-time or part-time, can qualify for undergraduate support for part 2 of the course.

In this scenario for academic year 2018/19, the student will need to be a 2018 cohort student for both part 1 and part 2.

Undergraduate courses

There are 2 parts of an architecture course that are treated as one single course for student support purposes.

You should add these to CMS as undergraduate courses. For more information, please see the chapters about creating a full-time undergraduate course and creating a part-time undergraduate course.

Postgraduate courses

Students applying for Part 2 courses should apply for postgraduate funding when:

• the gap between the part 1 and part 2 course is longer than 3 years
• they've withdrawn from their study before beginning the part 2 course
• they're studying the part 2 course on a part-time basis (England only)
• they've changed mode of study
• the course does not lead to qualification as an architect

You should add these courses to CMS as postgraduate courses, choosing the Master of Architecture qualification. We will assess the student’s application and decide if this is the correct funding level for them.