RIBA Validation is a peer review process that monitors compliance with internationally recognised minimum standards in architectural education, and encourages excellence and diversity in student achievement.
Visiting Boards visit schools of architecture to assess the output standard of courses for exemption from the RIBA's examinations in architecture.
RIBA cannot give validation to individual students or professionals and only validates programmes of architecture/examinations run by education providers (such as universities) or examining bodies. To gain a RIBA validated qualification, you need to study a RIBA validated course.
In the UK, RIBA is not the licensing or registration body; that function is performed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). You should contact ARB directly for further information. If you’re an Architect registered and practising outside the UK and EU, you can apply for RIBA Chartered Membership through MEAP. This is a process to gain international Chartered Membership status only.
Below is a list of RIBA Validated international courses.
RIBA validated courses around the world
| Country | Institution or examining body | Courses/examinations validated by the RIBA | Recognised from | RIBA visiting board report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azerbaijan |
University of Architecture and Construction |
Part 1: Bachelor Programme | 2019 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Bahrain |
British University of Bahrain |
Candidate Course for Part 1: BSc (Hons) Architecture (International) | 2026 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Bulgaria | University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia Visit website |
Parts 1 and 2: Master of Architecture | 2004 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Chile | University of Chile, Santiago Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (six years) | 1992 | View 2021 report (PDF) |
| Chile | Central University Santiago Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (six years) | 1992 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Chile | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (six years) | 1996 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Chile | University of Valparaiso Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (six years) | 1991 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| China | Tongji University Visit website |
Bachelor of Engineering in Architecture (four-year programme): Part 1 Master of Architecture (2.5 years programme): Part 2 |
2022 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| China | University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) Visit website |
Part 1: BArch (Hons) Architecture (Architecture and Built Environment)/B.Eng (Hons) Architecture. Students enrolled from the 2012/2013 academic session onwards will be awarded the BEng (Hons) Architecture | 2014 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| China | Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Visit website |
Part 1: BEng Architecture |
2014 2015 |
View 2024 report (PDF) |
| China - Hong Kong | University of Hong Kong Visit website |
Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies - BA (AS): four years, Part 1 Master of Architecture - MArch: two years, Part 2 |
1968 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| China - Hong Kong | The Chinese University of Hong Kong Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Social Science (Architectural Studies) BSSc (AS) Part 2: Master of Architecture (MArch) |
1997 | View 2025 report (PDF) |
| China - Hong Kong |
The University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education / University of Plymouth |
Part: BA (Hons) Architectural Studies | 2022 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| China - Hong Kong | University of Lancashire Hong Kong Vocational Training Council School for Higher and Professional Education (UCLAN / HKVTC / SHAPE) Visit website |
BSc (Hons) Architectural Studies, Part 1 | 2017 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| China - Hong Kong | University of Lancashire/School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE), Vocational Training Council (VTC) at Hong Kong Design Institute and Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee) [DILWL] campus | BSc (Hons) Architectural Studies - Part 1 candidate course | 2026 (candidate course status) | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | Pontificial University of Bolivariana Visit website |
Part 1: first three years full-time of the Professional Qualification in Architecture Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (five years) |
1997 | View 2021 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | Pontificial University of Javeriana Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Programme of Architecture (end of semester 10) | 2006 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | University of Piloto Visit website |
Programme of Architecture (Part 1 and 2) | 2009 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano (UTADEO), Colombia Visit website |
The programme of architecture, Part 1 and 2 | 2019 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | Catholic University of Colombia, Bogota Visit website |
Part 1 and 2: Professional Qualification in Architecture (five years) | 2000 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Colombia | Universidad de La Salle, Bogota Visit website |
Programme of Architecture (Parts 1 and 2) | 2015 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Denmark | Aarhus School of Architecture Visit website |
PART 2 Master of Arts in Architecture (with effect from the 2015 graduating cohort) | 2015 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Egypt | Arab Academy for Science and Technology - Alexandria Visit website |
BSc in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design (Part 1) MSc Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design (Part 2) |
2004 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Egypt |
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Cairo
|
Part1: B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design: years one to four
Part 2: B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design: year five+ M.Sc. in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design: years six and seven
|
2006 2011/12 graduating cohort |
View 2022 report (PDF) |
| Egypt | Arab Academy for Science and Technology - Smart Village Visit website |
Part 1: The first four years (full time) of the five year BSc in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design |
2017 | |
| Egypt |
October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA) |
Candidate Course Status - Part 1 Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Architectural Engineering |
||
| France |
Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture |
Part 1 Architecture Confluence Cycle I (level A) |
View 2023 report (PDF) | |
| France |
Paris School of Architecture |
Part 2: Diploma in Advanced Architecture - Candidate Course Status |
2026 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Georgia | Caucasus School of Architecture and Design, Caucasus University Visit website |
BA in Architecture | 1 July 2022, fully validated from July 2023 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Greece | Metropolitan College, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture, Athens Visit website |
Part 1: BArch(Hons) Architecture - degree awarded by Oxford Brookes University (OBU), UK Part 2: MArch Architecture and Urban Design (under franchise from Oxford Brookes University - OBU) |
2015 | |
| Ireland | The Atlantic Technological University – Sligo Campus Visit website |
Bachelor of Architecture Honours (BArch) programme - Part 1 and 2 (five years) |
2025 | |
| Ireland |
University College Dublin |
Part 1: BSc (Architectural Science) three years Part 2: MArch (two years) |
View 2024 report (PDF) | |
| Lebanon | Beirut Arab University (Debbieh) Visit website |
RIBA Part 1 met after one to four years programme (fourth year of Bachelor in Architectural Engineering) RIBA Part 2 met after five and six years programme (graduation level of Bachelor in Architectural Engineering plus 1 year postgraduate course leading to Master in Architecture) |
2012 2015 |
View 2017 report (PDF) |
|
Lebanon |
Beirut Arab University (Tripoli) |
RIBA Part 1 met after one to four years programme (fourth year of Bachelor in Architectural Engineering) RIBA Part 2 met after five and six years programme (graduation level of Bachelor in Architectural Engineering plus one year postgraduate course leading to Master in Architecture) |
2017 | View 2018 report (PDF) |
| Liechtenstein |
University of Liechtenstein, Institute of Architecture and Planning |
Part 1 Bachelor's degree programme in Architecture PhD programme in Architecture and Planning |
View 2024 report (PDF) | |
| Malaysia | Taylors University, Kuala Lumpur Visit website |
Part 1 – Bachelor of Science (BSc. Hons) Architecture Part 2 – Master of Architecture 2026 |
2026 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| Malaysia | Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSc Architecture), three years full time Part 2: Master of Architecture (2 years full time) |
2005 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| Peru | Universidad Nacional de Piura (UNP) Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Architecture and Urbanism (five years full time) | 2011 | |
| Peru | Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (UNI) Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Science in Architecture (five years full time) | 2011 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Peru | Universidad de Lima (UL) Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor Diploma in Architecture Part 2: Professional Diploma in Architecture |
2022 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| Peru | Universidad de San Martin de Porres (USMP) Visit website |
Parts 1 and 2: The Professional Programme of Architecture (five years full time) | 2024 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Poland | Cracow University of Technology Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (seven semesters) (eight semesters from 2020/2021) |
2000 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| Poland | Poznan University of Technology Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Science in Architecture |
2025 | View 2025 report (PDF) |
| Romania | 'Ion Mincu' University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest Visit website |
Parts 1 and 2: Diploma of Architecture with specialisation in Architectural Design | 1998 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
| Serbia | University of Belgrade Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor of Architecture, three years full time Part 2: Master of Architecture, two years full time |
2021 | View 2021 report (PDF) |
| South Korea | Korean National University of the Arts, Seoul Visit website |
Part 1: First three years of the Bachelor of Architecture Part 2: Final two years of the Bachelor of Architecture |
2006 | View 2022 report (PDF) |
|
Spain
|
CEU Universidad San Pablo
|
Part 1 and 2: Degree in Architecture
|
2026
|
|
| Spain | Universidad Europea de Madrid Escuela de Arquitectura, Ingeniería y Diseño Visit website |
Part 1: Bachelor’s Degree in Fundamentals of Architecture Part 2: Master’s Degree in Architecture |
2018 | View 2024 report (PDF) |
| Spain |
Higher Technical School of Architecture, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid |
Part 1: Bachelor’s Degree in Fundamentals of Architecture (5 years) |
2025 | View 2025 report (PDF) |
| Sri Lanka | University of Moratuwa Visit website |
Part 1: First five semesters full time BArch (Honours) plus 44 weeks monitored practical training Part 2: Fourth and fifth years of full time study leading to the award of the full time BArch (Honours) |
1986 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Sri Lanka | City School of Architecture, Colombo Visit website |
CSA Part I/RIBA Part 1: Advanced Diploma in Architecture CSA Part II/RIBA Part 2: Graduate Diploma in Architecture and Environmental Design |
2011 | View 2023 report (PDF) |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) | Part 1: BSc (Hons) Architecture Part 2: MSc Architecture |
2019 2022 |
View 2019 report (PDF) View 2022 report (PDF) |
| UAE | Part 1: Bachelor of Architecture | August 2016 | View 2024 report (PDF) | |
| UAE |
De Montfort University (Dubai) |
BSc (Hons) Architecture (Part 1) | 2025 | View 2026 report (PDF) |
| UAE |
Heriot-Watt University, Dubai campus |
BA (Hons) Architecture, four years | Full validation 2021, with effect from 2018/2019 graduating cohort | View 2021 report (PDF) |
| UAE |
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai |
Part 1: BArch Bachelor of Architecture | 2024 | View 2025 report (PDF) |
| USA |
Pratt Institute School of Architecture, New York |
Bachelor of Architecture Program (five years): RIBA Parts 1 & 2 on completion of the five-year programme. Master of Architecture Program (three years): RIBA Part 2 (Graduates should refer to the RIBA website for membership eligibility requirements) | 2021 | View 2021 report (PDF) |
Terminology: The designation 'Candidate course for validation' implies that the proposals for this course are judged to have the potential to meet the RIBA criteria, if implemented as anticipated. It is not equivalent to RIBA Validation, which can only be granted once the standards of the work produced have been assessed and found satisfactory.
For more information about RIBA Validated courses or schools, or to enquire about applying for validation, contact the team
