Architecture is the art and science of both the process and the product planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical structures from the macro level of town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture to the micro-level of construction details and, sometimes, furniture. We can say that Architecture is more than a profession as it is a world-view, a lens with which to interpret all of our surroundings.
There are ample number of career opportunities available for architect graduates not only in India but also in other countries too. Students can apply for private as well as public sector firms. There are some of the programs that are on the fore and project a huge scope for future architects such as the development of smart cities, homes, infrastructure facilities, urban development housing, etc.
Top Architecture Courses in India
Architecture offers courses not only for the students seeking admission in the undergraduate field but for the students who want to pursue their careers in postgraduate and doctoral degrees too.
It offers Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) and Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan) courses at the undergraduate level. It is a professional degree program that comes up with a duration of 5 years for B.Arch and 4 for B.Plan. B.Arch focuses on the basic to the most advanced things of architecture, whereas B.Plan deals with ultimate planning techniques.
Architecture also offers a master's degree program known as Masters of Architecture (M.Arch) and Masters of Planning (M.Plan) as one of the career options for the students who have been completed their graduation in the Architecture field. Course Duration of Master's degree in Architecture is of 2 Years.
Top Architecture Courses after 12th in India
Some of the top architecture career options chosen by the students after completing their 10+2 (HSC) are listed below:
| Diploma Courses in Architecture | Bachelors Courses in Architecture |
| Diploma in Architectural Assistantship | Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) |
| Diploma in Architecture Engineering | Bachelor of Architecture in Landscape Architecture |
| Diploma in Construction Management (DCM) | Bachelor of Architecture in Building and Construction Management |
| Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan) | |
| Bachelor of Engineering in Construction Technology |
B.Arch: Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) is one of those top career choices among the students after the 12th. It comes up with a duration of 5 years that gives the theoretical and practical knowledge of the art of planning, designing, and constructing physical structures of various kinds to the students. This course gives birth to the licensed and professional architects who are allowed to do private constructions and government constructions.
Popular Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) Subjects
| B.Arch Subjects | ||
| Architecture Design | Architectural Appreciation | Types of Structures |
| Workshop Practice | Building Science & Services | History of Architecture |
| Architectural Design | Building Management | Theory of Settlement Planning |
| Computer & Software Lab | Design Applications | Building Construction |
B.Plan: Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan) is an undergraduate course that comes up with a duration of 4 years. In this, students are given the basic knowledge and training about professional planning, engineering, and designing urban human settlements, while at the same time building capability in a particular area of business.
Syllabus of B.Plan Throughout all Eight Semesters
| B.Plan Syllabus | ||
| Urban and Regional Planning | Planning Practice – I | Introduction to Urban Design |
| Surveying and Photogrammetry | Demography and Urbanization | Planning and Design Lab – V (Area Planning) |
| Materials and Principles of Construction | Housing and Community Planning | Planning and Design Lab – VI (Urban Development Plan) |
| Evolution of Aesthetics, Culture, and Technology | CAD in Planning | Sustainable Urban Development |
| Building Structures | Ecology, Environment and Resource Development and Management | GIS for Planning |
| Specifications, Estimation and Valuation Statistical and Quantitative Methods in Planning – II | Planning and Design Lab – III (Neighbourhoods and Site Planning) | Introduction to Regional Planning |
| Technical Report Writing and Research Methodology | Planning and Design Lab – IV (Transportation Planning) | Urban Management – II |
| Applied Geology and Hydrology | Traffic and Transportation Planning – I | Urban Finance |
| Statistical and Quantitative Methods in Planning – I | Settlement Sociology | Human Values in Planning |
| Techniques of Planning – I | Real Estate Planning and Management | Urban Governance |
| Planning and Design Lab – I | Urban Management – I | Thesis |
| Planning and Design Lab – II | Planning Legislation | Planning Practice – II |
| Basic Architectural Design | Project Formulation, Appraisal and Management | Electives |
| Planning Theory – I | Planning and Management of Utilities and Services | Electives |
| Planning Theory – II | Urban Renewal and Conservation | Disaster Risk Mitigation & Management |
| Techniques of Planning – II | Geo-Informatics for Planning | Planning and Design Lab – VII (Regional Planning) |
| Traffic and Transportation Planning –II | Planning and Management of Informal Sector | Metropolitan Planning, Development and Management |
| Settlement Geography | Landscape Planning and Design | Training Seminar |
Top Architecture Courses after Graduation in India
Some of the top architecture career options chosen by the students after completing their graduation are described below:
M.Arch: Masters of Architecture (M.Arch) is a 2-year postgraduate course in Architecture which deals with the principles of design and construction of buildings, it also gives way to research concepts. It includes elements of both rural and urban, residential, and commercial infrastructure, imparted through a professionally oriented curriculum.
Specializations in Masters of Architecture (M.Arch)
| M.Arch Specializations | ||
| Landscape Architecture | Architectural Conservation | Urban Design |
| Building Engineering & Management | Environmental Planning | Housing |
| Transport Planning | Regional Planning | Town and Country Planning |
| Industrial Design |
M.Plan: Masters of Planning (M.Plan) is a 2-year postgraduate course in planning urban, rural, environment, transport, etc. students who do Masters in planning can obtain jobs in planning related careers in private, public and non-government sectors. They also find employment in architecture/ building firms.
Syllabus of M.Plan Throughout all Four Semesters
| M.Plan Syllabus | ||
| URP – I Physical Planning | Project Formulation & EIA | Semester III |
| URP – II Physical Planning | Evolution of Human Settlements | Semester IV |
| Development Plan | Planning Legislation | URP – III Physical Planning |
| Land Economics & Location Theory | Planning Techniques (GIS/RS) | Dissertation, Seminar & Elective |
| Town/Area Planning Schemes | Summer Internship | Dissertation Approval |
| Research Methods | Field Trip to Metro City & Documentation | Housing Policies & Finance |
| Legal Issues & Professional Practice | Interaction with Planning Officials/City and Town Managers | Infrastructure Planning |
| Economics/Sociology | Urban Finance | Urban Management |
Eligibility of Architecture Courses
Eligibility for all the courses provided by the Architecture are as follows:
| Courses | Eligibility |
| B.Arch | Candidates must have passed the 10+2 exam from a recognized board with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects with a minimum aggregate marks criteria provided by the examining authority of government, universities/institutes, etc. |
| B.Planning | Candidates must have passed the 10+2 exam from a recognized board with Mathematics as a core subject with minimum aggregate marks criteria provided by the examining authority of government, universities/institutes, etc. |
| M.Arch/M.Plan | Candidates must have B.Arch/B.Plan degree in relevant discipline from a recognized institute or university with a minimum aggregate marks criteria provided by the examining authority of government, universities/institutes, etc. |
| Ph.D. | Candidates must have M.Arch/M.Plan degree in relevant discipline from a recognized institute or university with a minimum aggregate marks criteria provided by the examining authority of government, universities/institutes, etc. |
Top Architecture Entrance Exams in India
For admission in Architecture, almost every other institute or university in India select candidates according to the merit list prepared on the basis of entrance exam scores and ranks. Some institutes or universities accept the national level exams or state level exam ranks while some of them conduct their own entrance exam. Listed below are some of the popular Architecture exams in India conducted at the UG and PG level:
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)
- JEE Main Paper – II followed by Architecture Aptitude Test (JEE Advanced AAT) conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency)
- National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) conducted by the Council of Architecture
- Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Exam (UPSEE) conducted by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow
- Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science Engineering Entrance Examination (HITSEEE) conducted by Hindustan University
- Aligarh Muslim University Engineering Entrance Examination (AMUEEE) conducted by Aligarh Muslim University
- West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) conducted by West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board
Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan)
- JEE Main conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency)
- National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) conducted by the Council of Architecture
- Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Exam (UPSEE) conducted by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow
- Jagannath University Entrance Examination (JUEE) conducted by Jagannath University, Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) conducted by Anna University
Masters of Architecture (M.Arch)/Masters of Planning (M.Plan)
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) conducted by Indian Institute of Technology
- Andhra Pradesh Postgraduate Engineering Common Entrance Test (AP PGECET) conducted by Andhra University, Visakhapatnam on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE)
- Telangana State Post Graduate Engineering Common Entrance Test (TS PGECET) conducted by Osmania University Hyderabad on behalf of Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE)
- Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Exam (UPSEE) conducted by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU)
- Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) conducted by Anna University, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu
- Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test (BHU PET) conducted by Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
Top Architecture Colleges in India
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal
- Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand
- National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala
- School of Planning And Architecture, New Delhi
- College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala
- School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
- Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand
- Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai
