Architecture Courses in India: UG, PG & Doctoral Degree Courses

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with Architecture courses available in India. Here, I’ve listed down some of the popular Architecture courses (Diploma and Degree programs).

  Architecture is a very popular choice among 12th pass students in India. It is not uncommon to see 12th Science pass students going for B.Arch. course.   However, B.Arch. isn’t the only option available in front of Architecture aspirants in India. What if I say that there’s an Architecture program for 10th pass students?   Most of the students in India are not well knowledgeable about architecture education. They are not aware about the existence of many such courses. Through this guide, I want to throw light upon these courses.   Apart from the names of courses, you will also find relevant details such as – eligibility criteria, duration and admission process. Let us start now. Here we go –

What is Architecture all about?

In simple terms, Architecture is the process of planning, designing and construction of buildings and other structures.   It involves concepts such as –

• Planning
• Construction Technology
• Design
• Landscaping

An architect makes use of the above aspects to design, plan and create buildings and other structures. It is done in such as way that space and resources and used in the best way possible!   Let us check out the different types of architecture courses available in India. Here they are –

Types of Architecture courses available in India

In India, architecture academic programs are available at the following levels –

• UG (Undergraduate)
• PG (Postgraduate)
• Doctoral Degree

UG stands for Undergraduate level. It consists of Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree courses. 10th and 12th pass students are eligible to pursue the Diploma course. Those who have completed 12th standard (with specified subjects) are eligible to pursue Bachelor’s Degree course.   PG stands for Postgraduate level. It consists of PG Diploma and Master’s Degree courses. Candidates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree courses are eligible to pursue PG courses.   Doctoral Degree programs are much more advanced than Master’s and PG Diploma courses. M.Phil. and PhD are Doctoral Degree level courses. Those who have completed relevant Master’s Degree course are eligible to pursue Doctoral Degree courses.   Eligibility criteria and course duration may vary from one format of course to another. Let us check out the list of courses now.   Here’s the list of popular architecture courses in India –

List of Architecture courses in India

1 UG courses

There are two prominent architecture courses available at UG level. They are –

1. Diploma in Architectural Assistantship
2. B.Arch. (Bachelor of Architecture)

Let us take a closer look at each course –

Diploma in Architectural Assistantship

It is a Diploma course. Students who have passed 10th standard are eligible to pursue this course. The academic program is 3 years long.   Eligibility Criteria: Minimum educational qualification required is – 10th pass from a recognized board. Candidates who have higher qualification (such as 12th pass) are also eligible to pursue this course.   Duration: The academic program is 3 years long. It consists of classroom lectures and practical training sessions.   Admission Process: You may secure admission into reputed institutes through polytechnic entrance exams or institute-level entrance exams.

B.Arch.

B.Arch. stands for Bachelor of Architecture. It is a Bachelor’s Degree course related to Architecture. 12th pass students are eligible to pursue this course. The academic program is 4 years long.   Eligibility Criteria: Minimum educational qualification required is – 12th pass with PCM subjects from a recognized board OR equivalent architecture qualification.   Duration: The academic program is 4 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 6 months long.   Admission Process: In order to secure admission into reputed architecture colleges, you must crack relevant entrance exams such as – NATA, CEPT entrance, JEE (Main and Advanced) etc.

2 PG Courses

M.Arch. is the most popular PG level architecture course available in India. There are two types of M.Arch. programs available in India. They are –

1. M.Arch. (General)
2. M.Arch. (Specialization)

Let us take a closer look at each one of these courses. Here they are –

M.Arch. (General)

M.Arch. stands for Master of Architecture. M.Arch. (General) course deals with core architecture subjects. Let us take a close look at the course details. Here it is –   Eligibility Criteria: Minimum educational qualification required is – completed B.Arch. or equivalent qualification in B.Arch. (recognized by the CoA).   Duration: The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 6 months long.   Admission Process: In order to secure admission into reputed colleges, one must crack relevant entrance exams.

M.Arch. (Specialization)

M.Arch. (Specialization) program is different from the general course. This program covers both core architecture subjects as well as specialization subjects. This program deals with a sub-discipline within architecture sector.   Here are some of the prominent specialization programs –

• M.Arch. in Architectural Design
• M.Arch. in Architectural Conservation
• M.Arch. in Landscape Design
• M.Arch. in Architectural History

Eligibility Criteria: Minimum educational qualification required is – completed B.Arch. or equivalent qualification in B.Arch. (recognized by the CoA).   Duration: The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 6 months long.   Admission Process: In order to secure admission into reputed colleges, one must crack relevant entrance exams.

3 Doctoral Degree courses

Moving on to Doctoral Degree programs, we have M.Phil/PhD in Architecture in India! Let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –   Eligibility Criteria: Completed Master’s Degree in Architecture (Specialization or General) OR Completed Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Art History or Civil Engineering.   Duration: It takes about 4 years to complete this program.   Admission Process: Reputed Institutes follow merit based admission process.

Career Prospects

Architects have diverse job opportunities available in front of them. They have access to Government jobs, Private sector jobs and Self-Employment opportunities.   Job profile, designation and remuneration may depend upon the educational qualification an architect possesses (Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral). Here are some of the prime recruiters –

• Government Urban Housing Boards
• City or Town Planning Department
• PWD
• Architecture Agencies
• Construction Firms
• Consultancies

If you are interested in self-employment, you may start your own architecture firm/studio/consultancy.