Part 3 What, Why, When, Where?

When you reveal to people that you are undertaking what we call Part 3, you are greeted with one of three responses. The Architect looks at you with a silent nod of understanding, expressing empathy for the trials you will shortly be putting yourself through. The Architecture Student looks up in a mix of wonder, dread and curiosity, yearning to be done with it all whilst simultaneously contemplating whether it’s worth it. The Non-Architect is simply bemused, questioning why you have to go back to university having already completed five or six years of study.

This ‘article’ is a summary of questions people often ask about Part 3, and as such, is purely a collection of observations and opinions. The Brexit vote and the RIBA’s proposed overhaul of the architectural education system has further called into question the validity and future of the qualification process, so we will also briefly touch on that. Again, just observations and opinions, so definitely don’t take my word for it.

What is Part 3?

The UK has a curious piece of legislation known as The Architects Act 1997 that protects the title, ‘Architect’. This means that unless you have completed a set of qualifications, or otherwise proven that you have the equivalent body of knowledge and skill, then you are not entitled to call yourself an architect.

The conventional route to qualifying as an architect in the UK is tripartite. Part 1 is the Bachelor’s degree, where you learn the bread and butter of architecture and begin developing your identity as a designer. Part 2 is typically your Master’s (or Diploma), where you further your knowledge, test your skills and push yourself in more complex projects. Part 3 is then a professional course that covers a whole spectrum of issues relating to practice, management and law, intended to equip you with the know-how to run your own practice. It is a part-time qualification undertaken whilst working in practice and culminates in registration with the Architects Registration Board (ARB), allowing you to (legally) call yourself an architect. There are of course alternatives to this, and I will leave you to consult the RIBA guide on How to Become an Architect if you are so inclined.

I guess we call it Part 3 because it’s much