Irish architects have long been renowned for their exceptional talent and craftsmanship - it was an Irish-born architect who designed the White House in Washington, DC. Ireland has a proud tradition of producing outstanding architects such as Róisín Heneghan, whose company Heneghan Peng Architects won a global design competition of 1,500 entries, with their unique design being used to build a billion-dollar museum in Egypt.
Ireland continues to produce architects who play a leading role in shaping the built environment. Architects are equipped with the skills and the knowledge to lead the design, delivery and management of buildings and infrastructure.
Up until 2005, architecture was only available to study in University College Dublin (UCD ) and Technological University Dublin (TUD ). Since then, the discipline has expanded and is now available in the West of Ireland in Atlantic Technological University (ATU ), Sligo and University of Limerick (UL ). South East Technological University (SETU ) offers Architecture along with University College Cork (UCC ) and Munster Technological University (MTU ) who jointly offer Architecture. All these Architecture courses have different formats, but it is only these six schools of Architecture that are currently legally recognised for access to the Register of Architects in the Republic of Ireland.
Up until 2007, there was a shortage of architect graduates. That has now changed, and even though the construction industry has slowed down in Ireland, there is still a healthy demand for architects both in Ireland and globally. Architectural skills gained from these courses are highly transferable, and many graduates opt to go abroad to gain valuable experience.
The Bachelor of Architecture (Hons ) programme in ATU, Sligo is a five-year (Level 8 ) course and required 420 points for 2025 entry. Students are required to have six Leaving Certificate subjects including English, Irish and Maths, and a portfolio is not required. There are other pathways available to enter the programme, but students would need to contact admissions in ATU directly.
The Bachelor of Architecture in ATU is one of only two Architecture degree programmes that is validated and accredited by both the Royal Institute of Ireland (RIAI ) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA ) on the island of Ireland.
The Bachelor of Architecture in ATU Sligo has several unique features. Most notably, the Architecture studio makes up over 50 per cent of the programme for each of the five years. Students on this course will have the opportunity to work on multi-disciplinary projects with students from Fine Arts, Creative Design, Structural Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Construction Project Management. As part of the course, students will attend annual field trips to European design capitals and participate in student exhibitions and design competitions, as well as Erasmus exchange programmes with partner European universities.
Students who meet the required grades may choose to exit early after four years with a Bachelor of Architectural Design.
Once students have successfully completed five years of architectural education with an RIAI-accredited award from a recognised school, they can apply to become an Architectural Graduate member of the RIAI. Graduates will then be required to complete a further two years of postgraduate professional training and professional practice examinations before they can apply to join the Register of Architects.
Once graduates join the Register of Architects, they can work in small or large private firms, or in government departments, local authorities, semi-state bodies, or private commercial organisations. Some architects go on to complete further study, as with most professional graduates. Many architecture graduates have gone on to study conservation, law, urban planning, interior design, landscape design and fine art.
