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Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice

At its meeting of 27 July 2022, the Board decided that the above qualification should continue to be prescribed to 30 November 2024* under Section 4(1)(a) of the Architects Act 1997 for the purposes of entry onto the United Kingdom Register of Architects.

Prescription is subject to the Standard Conditions set out in the Board’s Procedures, namely:

  1. London South Bank University’s Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Architecture (three years, full-time; four years, part-time apprenticeship; five years, part-time); Master of Architecture (two years, full-time; three years, part-time; three years, part-time apprenticeship); Professional Practice Part 3 (12 months, part-time); and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice (seven months, part-time apprenticeship) qualifications should be prescribed for the period 22 September 2022 to 30 November 2024.*
  2. Prescription of the qualifications shall be by reference to the Programme Specifications – submitted as part of the application on 29 November 2021 – for the Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Architecture (three years, full-time; four years, part-time apprenticeship; five years, part-time); Master of Architecture (two years, full-time; three years, part-time; three years, part-time apprenticeship); Professional Practice Part 3 (12 months, part-time); and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice (seven months, part-time apprenticeship) qualifications. No change may be made to the title of any qualification, or material change to the content so defined within a programme specification (allowing for normal course development) without first obtaining the written permission of the Board.
  3. Annually by 28 February – commencing on 28 February 2023 – the institution shall be required to provide the Board with information of the nature set out in Appendix 2 of its Procedures to enable the Board to see that:
    i. All its Criteria and the relevant requirements set out in Article 46 (or Article 47) of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive [2005/36/EC] have been attained by all students/candidates awarded the prescribed qualifications;
    ii. Adequate systems are in place to ensure that all the Board’s Criteria will be met by students/candidates for the period of prescription;
    iii. The institution’s resources remain as set out in the application and are adequate; and
    iv. All of the factors referred to in Sections 10.2 and 10.3 of the Procedures continue to be demonstrated, and any conditions of prescription continue to be met.
  4. The institution will ensure that appropriate procedures will be maintained so that all students/candidates undertaking a prescribed qualification are fully informed of the extent of the application of that qualification to entitlement to registration as an architect in circumstances in which the student/candidate lacks a required antecedent qualification, e.g. Part 2 without Part 1.
  5. Following each and every set of examinations, the institution shall be required to submit to the Board its pass lists of graduating cohorts who have received the prescribed awards.

In addition to the Standard Conditions of prescription, at its meeting of 25 July 2023, the Board agreed that the following additional conditions would be applicable to the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice (seven months, part-time apprenticeship) qualification under Section 13.2 of the Board’s Procedures:

  1. As part of its next annual monitoring submission – due by 28 February 2024 – the institution should provide a further update on staffing, including any plans for further recruitment, the roles to be recruited and the timelines envisaged.
  2. In relation to the February 2024 Part 3 apprenticeship professional interview resits, the institution should provide the following:
    i. Dates on which the external examiner, end point assessment (EPA) assessors and staff received training/briefing ahead of the interviews;
    ii. Transcripts for all candidates;
    iii. As soon as it is available, the external examiner’s report on the resits (if no separate report is produced, a statement from the external examiner confirming whether or not they were satisfied that all passing candidates had met all Part 3 Criteria will be required);
    iv. As soon as they are available, draft minutes of the Examination Board at which the assessments were ratified; and
    v. If deemed necessary, a meeting with the external examiner and EPA assessors will be scheduled following the professional interviews.
  3. In relation to the June 2024 Part 3 apprenticeship professional interviews:
    i. The institution should provide a schedule setting out key dates for staff, the external examiner and EPA assessors, leading up to and following the professional interviews, which identifies when training and meetings will take place, when materials will be shared, and when the relevant Examination Board takes place;
    ii. Whenever information or materials relating to key dates in the schedule are sent to participants, the ARB Executive should be treated as a participant and included in the circulation of such information;
    iii. That one of ARB’s external advisers observe the Part 3 professional interviews for those undertaking the Architect Apprenticeship and which are required as part of the examination process for the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice qualification. The institution should confirm the date and the arrangements for the professional interviews at least six weeks prior to the examinations taking place; and
    iv. As soon as possible following the June 2024 professional interviews, the institution provides the following information: (a) transcripts for all candidates; (b) details of any changes to EPA assessor assessments as a result of either debrief discussions during the interview process, or the new process by which written submissions are independently read by a member of staff; (c) as soon as it is available, the external examiner’s report on the interviews (if no separate report is produced, a statement from the external examiner confirming whether or not they were satisfied that all passing candidates had met all Part 3 Criteria will be required); and (d) as soon as they are available, draft minutes of the Examination Board at which the assessments were ratified.

 

The Board was confident that:

  1. All students/candidates awarded the qualifications since the qualifications were prescribed or last renewed have met all the Criteria;
  2. The systems used by the institution to ensure that all students/candidates awarded the qualifications have met all the Criteria are adequate, and will continue to ensure that the Criteria are met for the future period of prescription; and
  3. The institution’s plans and commitment are such that the institution will maintain its ability to ensure that all students/candidates awarded the qualifications meet all the Criteria.

The additional conditions will provide the Board with assurance that the institution takes the necessary steps to address the significant issues identified; that candidates undertaking the Part 3 apprenticeship qualification are suitably prepared to do so; that the qualification is being delivered in a way that is comparable to other UK Part 3 qualifications; and that suitable processes and procedures are in place to ensure that all graduates will meet all of the Criteria at Part 3 level.

 

* At its meeting of 27 February 2023, the Board agreed to extend prescription until 31 December 2028.