Royal Institute of British Architects

RIBA Principles & Procedures for

the Validation of International
Courses and Examinations in
Architecture
Effective from 21 November 2007

©RIBA Education Department 2007

The right of RIBA to be identified as the Author of this work has

been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Design & Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
Contents Appendix 9 Visiting Board Report Template
Appendix 10 RIBA Committee Structure and Decision Matrix
Foreword by the President of the RIBA Appendix 11 Mapping Templates
Appendix 12 List of Validated Schools
Principles Appendix 13 Part Three
Appendix 14 Checklist of documentation and arrangements
i. Introduction
ii. The Benefits of RIBA International Visiting Boards
iii. The Role of RIBA International Visiting Boards
iv. RIBA International Validation Process
v. Requests for RIBA International Validation
vi. Costs of RIBA Validation

Procedures

1. RIBA Procedures for International Validation

2. RIBA Visiting Board Reports
3. RIBA Consideration of the Visiting Board Report
4. Revisiting Boards, Revisits by Full Visiting Boards and
Suspension of Visiting Boards
5. New Course Proposals
6. Changes to Recognised Courses
7. Mid Term Monitoring Visits

Appendices

Appendix 1 International Visiting Board Schedule

Appendix 2 Documentation required for a Visiting Board
Appendix 3 Report Formats
Appendix 4 New Course/ Course Change Notification
Appendix 5 Preparing for a Visiting Board – a Guidance Note
for Schools
Appendix 6 Validation Panel Procedures
Appendix 7 Guidance Note on Academic Portfolios
Appendix 8 Student Statistics Tables
RIBA International Validation Procedures 2
Foreword by the President of the RIBA
The role of the RIBA in architectural education is enshrined in the
Institute’s Charter granted in 1837, namely ‘ …the advancement of
architecture and the promotion of the acquirement and knowledge President
of the arts and science connected therewith.’ The Royal Institute Royal Institute of British Architects
of Architects may grant diplomas, certificates or other forms of
recognition. In pursuit of these objectives and powers the RIBA
established its own Examination in Architecture in 1863. It
became compulsory for admission as a Corporate Member of the
Institute in 1882. Later, in response to requests from schools, the
RIBA embarked upon the recognition of courses and
examinations considered to have achieved the necessary minimum
standard for exemption from the RIBA Examination as an
alternative route to membership. In 1924 the Visiting Board was
established to visit schools and evaluate the effectiveness of
courses and examinations in achieving the standards necessary to
prepare students for the professional practice of architecture.
Eighty-two years later, this network of Visiting Boards has
extended to over 100 schools of architecture in every continent in
the world.

The Visiting Board system is, by its nature, a monitoring process

to ensure compliance with minimum standards, to better the norm
and to encourage the excellent. The Royal Institute has a wider
responsibility to encourage diversity, foster research and to
strengthen the academic integrity of the arts and sciences of
architecture as the bedrock for a mature, contemporary and
socially responsible practising profession.

Bringing together in this publicly available document all the

information necessary to an understanding of, and participation in,
the Visiting Board process, will strengthen a system which is
widely recognised internationally. I commend this document to all
involved in architectural education.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 3

i. Introduction Understanding the difference between Validation and Accreditation
The words validation and accreditation are often used
The RIBA is an international professional institute for interchangeably, but for the RIBA there are significant
Architects which is based in the United Kingdom. Since its differences between the two terms. For the RIBA, the
establishment in 1834, it has had a long-standing involvement emphasis in validation is on outputs, particularly student
in promoting high quality and innovative architectural academic portfolios (containing not just design work but also
education throughout the world. Through validation the examination scripts, course work etc.) assessed against the
Institute identifies courses and examinations which achieve RIBA Validation Criteria rather than teaching inputs Hence
the standards necessary to prepare students for the the term validation is used to describe the outcome-oriented
professional practice of architecture. The RIBA offers a approach of the RIBA’s recognition procedures, which does
validation service globally to courses in schools of architecture not only seek to measure the inputs into a course of study.
that seek to open their doors to the international community
offered by external validation. The first course in an overseas The Institute believes that in most cases architectural
school was validated in 1928. The RIBA’s activities currently education is best provided to students in a combination of a
involve over 100 schools in all continents. A current list of taught higher education programme and monitored
schools of architecture with courses recognised by the RIBA professional experience. The provider of the academic
is appended in Appendix 12. programme, usually a university, is expected to obtain internal
academic accreditation for the programme. This initial
RIBA International Validation is a peer review process that accreditation will usually be based on a number of ‘input’
monitors compliance with internationally recognised criteria, which may include the nature of the curriculum; the
minimum standards in architectural education and encourages quality and quantity of teaching staff; and the physical,
excellence and diversity in student achievement. Visiting information and technical resources. This measurement of
Boards, composed of experienced practising architects and ‘inputs’ is normally termed accreditation.
academics, visit schools of architecture to assess the standard
of output of undergraduate and postgraduate courses for Validated courses or ‘Recognised courses for exemption from
exemption from the RIBA’s Examinations in Architecture. the RIBA Examination’ are those programmes which have
The primary purpose of a Visiting Board is to inspect been assessed by the RIBA Visiting Board as providing
evidence provided by the school and to make students with levels of achievement which allow them to join
recommendations regarding the possible exemption of the the RIBA without passing the Institute’s own Examinations.
courses from the RIBA’s Examinations in Architecture. The
assessment is made against the RIBA's Criteria for Validation. An Internationally Recognised Structure of Architectural Education
These can be downloaded from: In the UK it is usual for the whole programme of academic
www.riba.org/go/RIBA/Also/Education_2426.html education and professional training to take seven or more
years, 5 years of full time or equivalent university-based study
and 2 or more years of professional training. At least one year

RIBA International Validation Procedures 4

of the professional training takes place in an architect’s office. This document describes the RIBA Procedures that govern the
The academic study has historically been divided into two operation of Visiting Boards outside the UK through which the
parts. Part 1 was the equivalent of an undergraduate honours RIBA evaluates courses and examinations for exemption from the
degree of 3 years duration. It was usually followed by a ‘year Institute’s Membership Examinations. The Visiting Board system
out’ of professional training in employment within an enables the profession to have a direct relationship with its
architect’s office or some aspect of the construction industry existing and developing education base. This helps to ensure that
or a related design profession. Part 2 was the equivalent of a architectural education remains relevant to a rapidly changing
university-level graduate diploma course of 2 years duration. profession. It gives the profession the ability to influence change
In the UK, both degrees are normally considered as in architectural education and architectural education an
undergraduate qualifications. The UK Part 3 comprises a opportunity to influence the profession. This feedback cycle
further period of part-time academic study, research and a assists development, which is beneficial to both the profession and
final professional examination. The RIBA would not expect academia.
international schools to develop or seek validation for a Part 3
course. Architects Registration Board
In the UK, students often transfer to other universities Visits will be conducted by the RIBA Validation Board to
between programmes in order to sample the diversity of assess the Institute’s eligibility for RIBA recognition. The
approaches and focus of different educational institutions, so conclusions of the visit do not provide any formal
it is important that each part of the total programme is recognition by the Architects Registration Board (ARB),
separately validated as a self-contained unit. This is not which is a registration body created by UK statute. The title
necessarily required of international courses, but may be
of ‘Architect’ is protected by law in the UK and only
helpful. There are some validated courses which offer only
persons listed on the ARB register are allowed to practise as
one or two parts of the total programme. It is not uncommon
for a school to gain validation for Part 1 and subsequently to architects therefore, graduates wishing to practise in the
develop a validated Part 2 programme. UK and or achieve Part Three are required to apply to the
ARB.
RIBA Validation Committee
Through the work of its Validation Committee, the RIBA seeks to Architects Registration Board
enhance the quality of architectural education and to encourage 8 Weymouth Street
experimentation and innovation in course content, course delivery London W1W 5BU
and learning and teaching methods. The RIBA requires the T 020 7580 5861
validation process to operate so as to stimulate critical self-analysis F 020 7436 5269
in schools in achieving their objectives. E [email protected]
W www.arb.org.uk

RIBA International Validation Procedures 5

 student design projects at Part 1 and Part 2 or for the best
ii. Benefits of RIBA International Validation dissertation. Their purpose is to promote excellence in the
study of architecture, to reward talent and to further a
The benefits offered by being part of an international network dialogue about architecture in education. The President’s
of RIBA recognised courses extend from staff and students of Medals interactive web site www.presidentsmedals.com
the School to the wider architectural community and beyond. showcases all submitted entries and the award winning entries
These can be summarised as: are exhibited at the RIBA.

Benefits for students: • Student Membership

Students studying RIBA-recognised courses are eligible for
student membership of the RIBA This gives access to the
• International Education
RIBA library, discounts in the RIBA bookshop and lectures at
For students who want to study or work in other parts of the
the RIBA, a weekly student email digest, RIBAStudent during
world, an RIBA recognised qualification is internationally
term time and free connection to RIBAnet conference, an
regarded as the standard necessary to prepare students for the
online electronic forum. Student members can also take out a
professional practice of architecture, and can help in interview
year’s subscription to RIBA Journal at a special 60% discount
and selection procedures.
rate and access up to 15 minutes free research from the
RIBA’s Library Information Unit, plus information sheets and
• Network of Schools bibliographic references from the RIBA’s huge collection of
Student exchanges, summer schools and joint project work are books, manuscripts and drawings. At the date of publication
also increasingly common. A network of schools across the of this document, the RIBA was considering introducing
world with mutually agreed standards provide students with free student membership for all students on validated
opportunities for international exchange and dialogue between programmes worldwide.
schools with a common curriculum and the value individual
practices place on RIBA recognised courses.
• International Chartered Membership
Students who successfully complete RIBA Parts 1 and 2 and
• International Employment Opportunities have 5 years monitored professional experience in an
Students studying on RIBA-recognised courses would benefit architects office, are eligible for International Chartered
from the worldwide reputation the Institute enjoys and this membership of the RIBA.
may lead to a wide range of opportunities across the globe.
• UK Chartered Membership and Registration as an
• President’s Medals Architect in the UK
Students studying on RIBA-recognised courses are eligible to Students who wish to register as an architect in the UK with
be nominated by their School to the Royal Institute of British the Architects Registration Board and apply for UK
Architects President’s Bronze and Silver Medals for the best Corporate membership of the RIBA, need to have their
RIBA International Validation Procedures 6
qualifications assessed in the UK by the ARB Prescribed biennial Award is a cheque for £10,000 sterling and an
Examination, administered by the Architects Registration invitation to deliver a lecture at the RIBA.
Board. Students from RIBA recognised courses will be more
thoroughly prepared for this interview because of their • RIBA Membership
familiarity with UK standards and portfolio presentation Staff teaching at RIBA-recognised courses can become
techniques. The assessment process involves an initial paper affiliate members of the RIBA, if they are not eligible for
based application followed by the submission of a portfolio of RIBA Chartered membership. Affiliate members have free
work and an individual interview which lasts approximately access to the RIBA library, discounts on RIBA Journal,
forty-five minutes to one hour and students will need to invitations to previews at the RIBA’s architecture gallery and
demonstrate their full range of integrated design skills during connection to RIBAnet Conference an online electronic
this time. Following successful completion of the ARB forum.
Prescribed Examination, graduates will then need 24 months
practical experience, 12 months of which must be post Part II
or equivalent spent in an architects office in the UK, before Benefits for Schools of Architecture;
sitting a recognised RIBA Part 3 examination in the UK. For
the purposes of registration in the UK, the 24 months • International Verification of Standards
experience must be under the supervision of an EU registered For countries with no established professional or academic
architect. Graduates are then eligible for UK Chartered validation procedures, being awarded recognition by the RIBA
Membership of the RIBA and registration as an Architect in is often the only way for schools to achieve external
the UK. verification that its standards are appropriate for its context
and are internationally comparable. This is particularly
important for schools of architecture in countries where there
Benefits for staff: are very few other schools of architecture, or a very large
number of newly established schools.
• Network of Schools
Access to an international network of schools across the • For countries with established professional or academic
world with mutually agreed standards for exchange and validation procedures, recognition by the RIBA is a useful
dialogue in conferences and events about architectural method of demonstrating comparability of courses or between
education. differing educational systems. This is particularly important
for schools of architecture in countries working towards
• Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Education global reciprocity arrangements or bilateral and multi-lateral
The Royal Institute of British Architects Annie Spink Award agreements, to facilitate the growing trend both towards
for Excellence in Education is an award open to teachers international practice and education
working in RIBA-recognised courses internationally. The

RIBA International Validation Procedures 7

• The Preparation Process • International Practice
Preparing for RIBA International recognition, combined with The trend towards both international practice and education
internal self-assessment procedures, can help to focus the necessarily demands close co-operation and understanding
progress and development of a programme for a school of between professional bodies. Visiting Boards can help to
architecture. facilitate a deeper understanding of the global context of
professional practice
• Internal Quality Assessment
The preparation of documentation and gathering of student • Contacts
work is widely regarded as a useful internal quality assessment As the RIBA visiting board is made up of highly experienced
tool and can have the benefit of providing a gallery of student architects and practitioners, local staff have the opportunity to
work for exhibition to internal and external audiences. establish a global network of educational contacts.

• Reputation and Improved Recruitment

Recognition by the RIBA can also assist schools recruit
students and staff. It can also help to market the success of
the school within the university, local, regional and national
context, and build links with the local profession.

• The Visiting Board will provide the school with a full

written report of the visiting board outcome. This can be an
invaluable document for a school in future planning offering
advice and comment on a course and its relationship to the
RIBA criteria.

Benefits for the Profession;

• Local Validation Systems

Where a professional body is considering establishing its own
validation process, the inclusion of one or two members of
the local professional body in the Visiting Board helps to
develop a deeper understanding of the RIBA’s standards and
procedures for validation in the local community.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 8

 move from the validation of individual schools to the
iii. The Role of RIBA International Visiting validation of systems, the first step is to ensure that the
systems of validation are comparable and that peer group
Boards review procedures are in place. To be effective, the host
system must also be of a significant scale and probably of an
The RIBA receives requests for the validation of existing international character so that it can offer an unbiased, critical
courses and advises on the establishment of new courses from review, unencumbered by the pressures of local interests.
countries all over the world. Schools of architecture are free
to ask for validation of their courses from whichever
organisations they choose. Many select the RIBA because the
standards promoted by the Institute are acknowledged to be
amongst the highest in the world and the procedures for
validation are respected internationally. The RIBA will only
conduct a visiting board to a school of architecture on the
invitation of the Vice Chancellor or the Head of the academic
institution.

In some parts of the world, for example in the European

Union, the RIBA subscribes to a multilateral agreement
covering reciprocal recognition of qualifications as set out in
the EU Professional Directive. Schools in these areas are still
free to approach the RIBA directly if they wish. In these cases
the RIBA prefers, if mutually agreed, to operate
collaboratively with the support and knowledge of local
validation authorities. The RIBA is also a founding member
of the Commonwealth Association of Architects, (CAA) and
supports the work of the CAA in the validation of schools in
Commonwealth countries, while respecting the wishes of
those schools that wish to have a dedicated RIBA or a joint
RIBA/CAA visit rather than a CAA Board.

The validation of individual schools is often a stepping stone

to the mutual recognition of country-wide systems of
validation as the RIBA works with the local representatives of
the local schools of architecture to help them implement their
own country-wide systems of validation. However, in order to
RIBA International Validation Procedures 9
iv. RIBA International Validation Process two practitioners. The absolute minimum for a Board
empowered to recommend validation is three. The Board is
The RIBA believes that architectural education should be accompanied by a secretary, who serves as the point of
both diverse and related to the perceived needs of a particular contact with courses requesting validation, maintains a record
time and location. It expects programmes to establish their of the proceedings and writes the Visiting Board Report,
own educational goals and objectives. It also believes that Boards also include local representatives from practice and/or
there are certain core skills and areas of study which are education.
shared by all professionally qualified architects, irrespective of
where they study or practice. Academic programmes are Peer group review also implies that there is a sufficiently
usually delivered in a university context in order for students broad reference frame to ensure an objective appraisal,
to be able to benefit from the variety of related studies and without conflict of interest. Visiting Board Professionals must
options which should also be available. not have any conflict of interest with school being validated
and therefore can not be involved with the current teaching or
There are three elements to RIBA International validation: assessment of programmes at the school being validated. The
school should alert the RIBA if a member of the Visiting
• ‘peer group review’; Board has a conflict of interest and an alternate Visiting Board
member will be identified.
• assessment of students’ work against the RIBA’s Criteria
for Validation.
The RIBA Validation Criteria
• assessment of students’ work in terms of the programme’s
stated objectives Validation of courses, programmes and examinations of
Architecture is carried out by the Royal Institute of British
Peer Group Review Architects (RIBA) through the work of the RIBA Validation
Committee and the Visiting Boards that it organises. The
The principle of peer group review is that a group of experts, RIBA's Criteria for Validation, which form the basis for the
rather than a prescriptive document, can best gauge the Visiting Board's judgements are held in common with, and
currency, relevance, and standard of a particular architectural reviewed regularly in conjunction with, the UK Architects
programme, for architecture is forever changing and detailed Registration Board (ARB). These can be downloaded from:
syllabi may constrain creativity and the development of www.riba.org/go/RIBA/Also/Education_2426.html. The key
programmes. role of the Visiting Board is to establish that educational
programmes are operated so as to ensure that all the
The RIBA therefore maintains a panel of architects, both Validation Criteria are being met, and that acceptable
academics and practitioners, who have considerable minimum standards are being achieved, by every graduating
experience of visiting boards in both the UK and overseas. A student.
Visiting Board to a particular school will be drawn from this
panel and usually consists of 4 members, two academics and
RIBA International Validation Procedures 10
 module/subject and level/year should be available for
In addition to the Validation Criteria which form the mandatory inspection. The work should represent the full range of
basis of the judgements made by the Visiting Board, the RIBA has outcomes and include the lowest passes in each award. The
developed an Outline Syllabus which is at the heart of the RIBA’s material should be presented in such a way as to make it
own Examination in Architecture. Whilst all courses seeking possible to follow an individual student’s work in different
Validation are required to demonstrate that they meet the Criteria subjects and modules across a year (and also contain work
for Validation, the Syllabus and other background information from previous years if this is necessary to demonstrate that the
published in the RIBA document “Tomorrow’s Architect” are Validation Criteria are being met). Schools therefore have to
meant to provide non-mandatory additional guidance. This is also plan ahead for a Visiting Board and retain students’ work for
normally reviewed and re-published every five years. this purpose.

Critical-Appraisal It is the combination of these three elements, the principle of

peer group review, the assessment of student work against the
The school is invited to prepare a statement of its own Validation Criteria and consideration of lowest pass student
particular approach to architectural education, its goals and work which makes for effective validation. It is the RIBA’s
objectives, called the critical self-appraisal. In this document particular concern for the unique character of each
the school is asked to comment on how well it believes it has educational programme that lends its method to application in
achieved its objectives, noting strengths, weaknesses, a wide variety of countries and locations. The common factor
measures that have been put in place to redress weaknesses in the system is a shared concern for excellence in
perceived in earlier visits, and proposals being considered or architectural education, the methodology for review, and the
in place which are intended to improve the programme in the development of shared skills.
future. The RIBA expects the focus of architecture
programmes to vary depending on local needs and aspirations.
If they did not do so they would not, in the view of the RIBA,
be achieving their full potential in meeting a particular
society’s needs. The dialogue between local needs and global
skills provides the fruit for vital and successful programmes.

Assessment of Students’ Work

At the School of Architecture the Visiting Board will need to

see a selection of the final work of students, together with a
small exhibition that illustrates the progression of the course
from the beginning to end. A cross-section of all assessed
work for the preceding year from each course and each

RIBA International Validation Procedures 11

v. Requests for RIBA International Validation Schools that have not previously been validated by the RIBA
normally invite the institute to make an Exploratory Visit.
The RIBA Validation Committee, which reports to the This is an informal Visiting Board that is intended to assess
Education Committee of the RIBA Council, the governing whether the school has in place a programme which is eligible
body of the Institute, is responsible for the development of and ready for validation, and to identify whether validation
RIBA policy on the validation of schools of architecture would be for Part 1 or 2 or 3.
outside the UK and the promotion of architectural education
internationally. Requests for International Validation by the Exploratory Visits last one or two days. The Visiting Board is
RIBA are made to the Secretary of the RIBA Validation normally composed of two members, one academic and one
Committee. The RIBA will only conduct a visiting board to a practitioner, drawn from the RIBA Validation Panel plus a
school of architecture on the invitation of the Vice Chancellor Board Secretary. They follow a similar procedure to a full
or the Head of the Institution. The Committee consists of visit, but with less formality. They do not attempt to pre-
members drawn from the RIBA International Validation judge the findings for the full Visiting Board but attempt to
Panel and meets regularly to monitor the work of the RIBA answer the question, `are the conditions appropriate for the
International Validation Services. The Committee is fully delivery of a high quality programme in architecture?’ The
supported by RIBA Centre for Architectural Education. assessment of achievement rests with the full visit. Schools
that meet the requirements of the Exploratory Visit are
The RIBA wishes to work as closely as possible with the local awarded ‘Candidate Course for Recognition’ status. It is useful
architectural institute or association in the country it is if one or two additional days can be dedicated by the Board to
visiting. It also welcomes any opportunity to meet with the gaining some impression of the conditions of practice in the
Deans and Heads of any other Schools of Architecture whilst country concerned. It is also important for the Visiting Board
in the country to discuss educational matters of mutual to be accompanied by an English speaking local practitioner
interest and/or other interpreter.

Five types of Visiting Boards are conducted by the RIBA; Initial Visits

If it is decided on an Exploratory Visit that the course is ready

• Exploratory Visits for validation, an initial (first full) visit may take place a year to
• Initial Visits eighteen months later, subject to any recommendations made
• Exploratory/Initial Visits on the Exploratory Visiting Board. The initial visit is normally
• Full Visits two days long, and involves all the activities set out in the
• Monitoring Visits timetable for a Visiting Board in Section 12, including
meetings with students and staff, inspection of facilities and
Exploratory Visits student work. The Visiting Board usually consists of two

RIBA International Validation Procedures 12

academics and two practitioners drawn from the RIBA the appropriate designation of the Board will be taken by
Validation Panel plus a local representative. The absolute RIBA Validation Committee. It will do so on the basis of a
minimum requirement for a Board empowered to recommend recommendation from New Courses and Course Changes
validation is three members drawn from the RIBA Validation Group that the documentation submitted suggests there is a
Panel. A Visiting Board Secretary also accompanies the Board. sound basis for considering the school for validation and the
The outcome of a successful Initial Visiting Board is a examples of graduate work supplied suggest that there is clear
recommendation to the RIBA for exemption from the RIBA’s potential for the validation criteria to be met. If the Board is
examinations in the form of a written report. This report also thus designated it must have ideally four, and at least three
contains a commentary on the Board’s findings and provides members of the RIBA Validation Panel. It must be made clear
advice, recommendations and guidance for the school. The to the school concerned that, whilst the Board is empowered
report is received by the RIBA Validation Committee who will to recommend validation, this is not a formality and a full
consider the report and, if appropriate, make a range of options will be available by way of recommendations
recommendation for its approval to the RIBA Education to RIBA Validation Committee viz:
Committee. • Initial Validation
• Initial Validation with Conditions
The self-appraisal and other documentation must be sent to • Candidate Course Status
the RIBA six weeks before the visit to enable the Visiting • No Candidate Course Status
Board to have time to study it in advance. The procedure is All procedures will be as set out for Initial Visiting Boards.
explained in full in Section 12.
Full Visits (Revalidation)
Exploratory/Initial Visiting Boards
Validation is a continuing process. If the outcome of the first
Where the RIBA is invited to organise a Visiting Board for the full visiting board is successful, subsequent visits are normally
first time to a well-established international school of conducted on a five-yearly cycle. In the event that
architecture, RIBA Validation Committee may agree to its shortcomings are identified leading to conditions being
designation as an Exploratory/Initial Visiting Board. The imposed, a re-visit of limited scope may take place within the
basis for this is that that the supportive role of a five-year period. Major changes to programmes must be
straightforward Exploratory Board may be inappropriate reported to the RIBA Validation Committee to ensure that
given the long established nature of the school. In order for a they meet the broad intentions of validation.
Board to be so designated, in addition to the documentation
normally required for a new course, New Courses & Course Mid Term Monitoring Visit:
Changes Group must be supplied with a sample of graduating
student work (at both Part One and Part Two level if The RIBA will be pleased to organise an optional informal visit
applicable). The work, which can be supplied electronically, between full Visiting Boards if the school feels that it needs
must include examples at lowest pass level. The decision as to

RIBA International Validation Procedures 13

additional guidance on responding to the previous Board or if course. For information on the ARB Prescribed Examination
feedback on recent changes to the programme would be useful. for the assessment of individual qualifications for registration
RIBA International Validation in relation to Statutory Registration in as an architect in the UK, please contact the Architects
the UK Registration Board, 8 Weymouth Street, London W1W 5BU.
(Tel: +44 207 580 5861, email: [email protected]).
In the UK, the Register of Architects is maintained by a
statutory body, the Architects Registration Board (ARB). This
is because the title ‘architect’ is protected by statute and
because the ARB is the authority designated by the UK in
accordance with the Professional Directive to notify courses
to the European Union. The Architects Registration Board
has no involvement in RIBA’s International Validation
Service and recognition of international qualifications by the
RIBA does not grant recognition by the Architects
Registration Board for admission to the register of architects
in the UK. However, having RIBA International Validation
for Part 1 and Part 2 will help a student to prepare for the
ARB Prescribed Examination and means that they will be
familiar with the standard and pattern of architectural
education in the UK. If an applicant from an internationally
validated school wishes to continue their study in a UK school
of architecture, the applicant’s prior experience and
knowledge will be assessed by the UK school of architecture
and they will be placed into the UK programme at the
school’s discretion. If a student wishes to study in the UK for
the RIBA Part 2 and has exemption from the RIBA Part 1
from a course recognised internationally by the RIBA, the
student must have this qualification assessed via the ARB
Prescribed Examination before starting a Part 2 course if the
student wishes to continue to register as a UK architect.
Similarly, if a student wishes to study in the UK for the RIBA
Part 3 and has exemption from the RIBA Part 1 and 2
through a course recognised internationally by RIBA, then
they must have both qualifications assessed by the ARB
Prescribed Examination in the UK before starting a Part 3

RIBA International Validation Procedures 14

vi. Costs of RIBA Validation additional costs at this stage as there is no possibility of the
RIBA gaining members through the process until the first
International Validation by the RIBA is cost effective because graduates emerge from a validated programme.
it relies on the efforts of experts who donate their time free of Consultancy Visits
charge due to a commitment to the promotion of excellence The experienced members of the RIBA Validation Panel are
in architectural education both in the UK and overseas. In available to visit schools in a consultancy capacity. Newly
return Professional members recognise the experience they established schools and schools in the early stages of
gain of learning about international educational systems in preparing for RIBA validation can benefit substantially from a
architecture. The costs of the process depend on the nature visit by one or more members of the Validation Panel.
of the Board. Guidance is not restricted to preparations for validation and
can cover any aspect of course development. For such visits,
Initial Visiting Boards, Full Visiting Boards, Monitoring Visits the school involved would be expected to cover all travel and
The costs of validation charged to the school being visited are subsistence costs of the member(s) involved, a daily honoraria
restricted to the costs of travel and subsistence for the Board to the visitors, plus a contribution to the RIBA's
members and the Board Secretary. It is usual practice for the administrative costs in arranging the consultancy visit. The
schools to book and pay directly for all hotel accommodation RIBA would be happy to discuss detailed costings.
and meals taken in the hotels. Schools often prefer to book air
tickets themselves thus having complete control of the costs In some countries where there have been no previous links with
involved; this is much easier now e-tickets are the norm. If the RIBA, assistance with international travel and other costs may
necessary the RIBA will arrange travel for the Board, alerting be forthcoming from agencies such as the British Council. The
the School to approximate costs before bookings are RIBA has enjoyed considerable support from the British Council
confirmed. The School also reimburses the RIBA for any for a number of its international activities. Schools, at the earliest
other costs such as visa fees, meals taken outside the hotel etc. opportunity, may wish to approach the Council for funding. The
In addition, the school will incur the costs of organising the Institute would be happy to write independently in support of
visit including the preparation of documentation, the your request. Please contact us with a copy of your proposal.
organisation of an exhibition of student work, and the
collection of relevant examples of student work in all areas of
study for inspection by the Visiting Board.

Exploratory Boards and Exploratory/Initial Boards

In addition to the costs set out for Initial Visiting Boards and
Full Visiting Boards, Schools inviting an RIBA Visiting Board
for an Exploratory Board or Exploratory/Initial Board are
expected to make a contribution towards the administrative
costs of the process. The RIBA seeks to recover these
RIBA International Validation Procedures 15
1. RIBA Procedures for International Initial Visiting Board: a first full Visiting Board to a course or
Validation examination not previously recognised by the RIBA
Exploratory/Initial Visiting Board: a first full Visiting Board to
1.1 Purpose and Objectives of Visiting Boards a course or examination not previously recognised by the RIBA,
but which is located in a well-established school of architecture,
The purpose of Visiting Boards is to evaluate courses and empowered to make the full range of recommendations normally
examinations in architecture and to make recommendations open to both Exploratory and Initial Boards
regarding their possible exemption from the RIBA’s Visiting Board: a full Visiting Board normally takes place every
Examination’s leading to Chartered Membership of the Institute. five years to courses previously recognised by the RIBA
The objectives of validation are: Revisiting Board: a revisit by a full Visiting Board, or sub group
a. To raise standards and promote excellence in architectural of a Visiting Board may be required as a condition of validation by
education; enhancing the provision of high quality the RIBA
professional programmes and encouraging Mid Term Monitoring Visit: an optional informal visit which
experimentation, innovation and contemporary relevance normally takes place between full Visiting Board
in course delivery and teaching methods to strengthen the
overall education of architects as the bedrock for a mature 1.3 Visiting Boards for Validation
and socially responsible practising profession.
b. To promote RIBA standards and systems of architectural This section concerns the arrangements for the continued
education world-wide to enhance the stature, credibility Validation of courses and examinations which have previously
and influence of the Institute and its members across the been recognised by the RIBA and the arrangements for the initial
world Validation of courses which have previously been awarded
c. To increase the number of architects eligible for RIBA Candidate Course for Validation status.
Membership who are qualified to RIBA recognised
standards The RIBA has established a panel from which Visiting Boards are
drawn known as the Validation Panel. The panel includes RIBA
1.2 Types of Visiting Boards chartered members from practice and RIBA chartered and affiliate
members from academia. (The Panel also includes non-architect
The RIBA operates six types of Visiting Boards. The type of members and student/graduate members, but they only participate
Visiting Board invited to a school of architecture will depend on in UK Visiting Boards) Membership of the Validation Panel is
the circumstances of the courses offered for validation. The types normally for a period of four years with the opportunity of
of Visiting Boards are: reappointment for a further four years. Student/graduate
Exploratory Visiting Board: for new courses preparing for an members are re-appointed annually. The membership of the panel
Initial Visiting Board; can make a recommendation of Candidate may be extended to provide a pool of experienced board chairs
Course status only. and to facilitate the appointment of continuity members to boards.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 16

Visiting Boards to international schools are normally held every are covered in the course. The completed templates will be
five years. Membership of each Visiting Board is drawn from collected by the Visiting Board secretary and retained to provide
experienced members of the RIBA Validation Panel and normally evidence of the assertions made in the final report. See Appendix
includes two RIBA chartered members from practice and two 11.
RIBA chartered members (or one RIBA chartered member and
one RIBA affiliate member) from education. The minimum 1.4 Documentation required Prior to a Visiting Board
membership of a Visiting Board empowered to recommend The school is asked to submit a Critical Self-Appraisal eight weeks
validation is three members of the Validation Panel. In addition, prior to a Visiting Board and additional material in the form of a
one architect (normally a practitioner) from the local Questionnaire and Supplementary Information four weeks in
country/region joins the Visiting Board as a full member. Every advance of the Board. In addition to the documentation provided
effort is made to ensure continuity with the membership of the by the school, the Visiting Board Secretary provides members of
previous Visiting Board, with normally one member of the the Visiting Board with copies of the last Visiting Board report of
previous Board involved. The chair of the Visiting Board will be the course(s), any Mid Term Monitoring reports, other
an experienced Validation Panel member, normally an architect background briefing material and a detailed template for recording
practitioner. The vice-chair will be an experienced academic (or observations.
experienced practitioner if the chair is an academic). The role of
the vice-chair is to deputise for the chair if necessary, but not Critical Self-Appraisal.
normally during the actual Visiting Board. The size of the Visiting In the critical self appraisal the school analyses developments since
Board can be increased where the school concerned has a large the last Visiting Board, explains how it has responded to issues
number of programmes to be considered or where there is a raised in the last Visiting Board report, sets plans for the future
complex unit structure. Other than RIBA officers, only one and provides the rationale for any proposed changes. It is the
observer is permitted on the Visiting Board, subject to the school’s opportunity to provide a statement of its views to the
agreement of the RIBA, the chair of the Visiting Board and the Visiting Board and the RIBA. It is expected to address problems
school of architecture concerned. Agreement is not to be as well as achievements. Guidance on issues to be covered is given
unreasonably withheld. in Appendix 2 Section 3

An International Visiting Board will be quorate providing it has at The Critical Self-Appraisal will be treated as confidential by the
least three members of the RIBA Validation Panel. RIBA, but the School may use the document for any purpose it
wishes. The Critical Self-Appraisal is discussed at a RIBA
Members of Visiting Boards will be provided in advance of a visit Validation Committee meeting prior to the visit to the school, and
with a detailed template to assist them in recording their thus the comments of the Committee on the Self Appraisal form
observations and findings of both the preliminary documentation is one of the starting points for the Visiting Board’s appraisal. It
and materials made available for scrutiny during the visit. The may also be discussed at full Validation Panel meetings prior to, or
School will first have been asked to complete a mapping exercise after, the visit.
using this template to indicate how the RIBA Validation Criteria

RIBA International Validation Procedures 17

The school should discuss a draft version of the Critical Self- to take account of the number of courses under review or other
Appraisal with student representatives and incorporate their views particular circumstances. In particular the duration of the visit may
into the final document. If this is not possible, the student body be extended for a school with provision more complicated than
should provide a separate submission to the Visiting Board which the normal or where a complex unit structure is in place. The
can take the form of an appendix to the Self-Appraisal or a paper length of a visit may also be extended where extensive translation
in preparation for the Visiting Board’s meeting with the student of the various meetings is required. An Initial Visiting Board to a
group. programme that shares common features with an existing
validated programme in the same school may be of reduced
A statement should be included in the Critical Self-Appraisal duration. Final decisions in such cases will rest with the Chair of
indicating exactly how it has been put together and by whom. Validation Committee

Questionnaire and Supporting Information. An individual timetable is negotiated for each visit and the school
The answers to the questionnaire provide the Visiting Board with is asked to annotate the timetable to provide all necessary
factual information about the course(s) and must be supplied to information such as the location and the main participants for
the Visiting Board four weeks prior to the visit. Schools will also each meeting. The Visiting Board Schedule (set out in Appendix
be asked to provide a "mapping" indicating where, in their view, 1) outlines the purpose and focus of each meeting held during the
the Criteria for Validation are being met within each of their visit. Visits need to be held while the school is in session so that
programmes. This particular information will be recorded in a the Visiting Board is able to witness the school functioning
format which will form the basis for templates to be used by normally with student design-based and other work in progress.
Visiting Board members during the visit (see Appendix 11). In
addition, supporting materials such as Course Handbooks and
external examiners’ reports are required. The full questionnaire 1.6 Facilities and Information Required during Visiting
and details can be found in Appendix 2 Section 4. In the near Boards.
future, the questionnaire will be delivered to schools electronically
and the responses used to populate a database. Visiting Boards normally last a minimum of two working days
although the Board also meets privately in its hotel the evening
before to prepare for the visit. Similarly it maybe appropriate for a
1.5 Timetable for the Visit board to arrive prior to the official start of the visit to address the
demands of international travel.
A timetable for a Visiting Board is given in Appendix 1. The RIBA
welcomes suggestions for variations to this that could assist the Hotel
school in its planning and organisation. The RIBA will consider, The hotel booked for the Visiting Board should be at least
for example, running the Visiting Board in parallel with an internal equivalent of UK 3 star standard. It should have email facilities
validation, or an accreditation by a local professional or statutory and a meeting room that should be booked by the school for the
body. The timetable may also be adjusted in advance of the visit Board's initial evening meeting.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 18

 each award being assessed. The material must be presented in such
Hospitality and Gifts a way so as to make it possible to identify an individual student’s
Members of RIBA staff are not permitted to accept personal gifts work and marks in different subjects/modules.
over a token value. A copy of the RIBA gifts policy is available on
request. The normal minimum requirement is for the three lowest pass
academic portfolios, two middle pass and two high pass academic
The nature of the programme dictates that board members will portfolios to be made available for each year of each course under
require the evening meal between the first full and second full day consideration. As a general rule the Visiting Board would expect
of the visiting board to be retained for private deliberations. to see at least 10% of the portfolios of a given cohort with a
Similarly it will not be possible for board members to leave the minimum of seven as specified above. It is also helpful to the
schools during the time set aside for lunch. Most Visiting Boards Board’s deliberations if “highest fail” portfolios for each course
have found the most effective lunch arrangements to be a light can also be provided. In the case of courses that operate via a unit
buffet style. structure, discussion at the preliminary meeting is necessary to
establish an appropriate distribution of portfolios to be made
Base Room available. In addition to the normal requirements, as a minimum,
The school is asked to provide the Visiting Board with a lockable the lowest pass portfolios in each unit should also be made
room within the school that can be used as base-room and for all available.
private discussions during the visit. The room should be equipped
with a telephone, computer terminal with Internet access for It is helpful if tutors/course leaders are available for the Board to
email. consult if necessary. Boards can, and do, discuss individual
portfolios with tutors or course leaders to gain insights. This is
Supporting Material standard practice if the Board has identified particular problems.
To supplement the information provided to all Visiting Board
members prior to a visit, other supporting material must be made Mark sheets
available for reference or inspection during the visit. The Marksheets should be made available to the Board. These should
documents required, which include for example copies of detail the students’ aggregate marks and the marks of those
examination papers and course-work assignments and staff CVs, students whose portfolios are being reviewed should be
are listed in full in Appendix 2 Section 5. highlighted.

Inspection of Student Work Academic Portfolio

A major focus of the visit is the inspection of students’ work. A The term academic portfolio is used to describe all the assessed
representative sample of all assessed work for the preceding work produced by the student concerned for the year in question.
academic year from each course and each module/unit and This includes written assignments, reports and exam scripts as well
level/year must be available for inspection. This must represent as design work. Examples of development work such as sketch
the full range of outcomes (high, middle and low) for each year of books etc. should also be included. Student work may be

RIBA International Validation Procedures 19

presented on CD Rom, or accessed via other electronic means,
provided the Board has access to the appropriate facilities to view
this work. Briefs should be included in the portfolio as this greatly
assists Boards with their assessment. See also Appendix 7.

Translation Facilities
Where English is not the first language of the School, an
interpreter is required to accompany the Board throughout the
visit. The interpreter must not be a staff member or a student
connected with the School of Architecture

1.7 Feedback Following Visiting Boards

Feedback questionnaires will be sent to all Visiting Board

members after each Board. A feedback questionnaire will also be
sent to each School on the completion of its Visiting Board. The
questionnaires will be analysed and the outcomes considered
regularly by RIBA Validation Committee.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 20

 students graduating from the courses and examinations listed
2. RIBA Visiting Board Reports satisfied all the RIBA Criteria for Validation. The report will also
include a clear statement of the actual portfolios sampled.
The findings of the Visiting Board are recorded in its report.
Reports follow a standard format that is given in outline in
Appendix 3. In summary the report records: the full title of the
courses and exams submitted for Validation, recommendation for Continued Validation with Conditions
Validation, conditions of Validation if appropriate, including Where the Visiting Board has serious concerns regarding the
proposed timing and purpose of any revisit, recommendations and operation of a course, Continued Validation with Conditions may
advice to the School for improvement and details of the be recommended. Continued Validation with Conditions will only
documentation which was made available to the Visiting Board. be recommended to the RIBA in respect of concerns in the
following four categories:
2.1 Outcomes of Visiting Boards Recorded in the Board’s a. The lowest pass standards being set for a course being
Report unacceptable
There are several possible outcomes of a Visiting Board. The b. The Validation Criteria not being met by all graduates
Visiting Board will recommend one of the following to the RIBA from a course
(and will not necessarily make the same recommendation in c. Evidence that the School has neither responded to
respect of all courses which were the subject of the visit) in their recommendations made by previous Visiting Boards, nor
report. provided the RIBA with a clear rationale for not doing so
d. By exception, any other matter of sufficient gravity, which
Validation would lead the Visiting Board to believe that Validation
If, on the basis of the sample of academic portfolios and other Criteria will not be met, or lowest pass standards not be
evidence examined as outlined in Appendix 5, the Board is acceptable within the foreseeable future and that cannot
satisfied that all the graduates from a course have satisfied all the satisfactorily be addressed via annual monitoring, or the
Validation Criteria and achieved the necessary standard, mid-term visit.
Validation is recommended unconditionally for a period of
five years from a date specified in the report. For a school to Validation would then be subject to conditions on remedial action
retain validation the revalidation procedure must be to be taken. Such conditions normally concern actions required to
completed within 7 years. Schools will be notified prior to the rectify omissions within the course content and/or specification of
withdrawal of their validated status if they fail to meet this areas where standards need to be improved. Conditions must be
timetable. fulfilled within a specified timescale that will differ according to
the nature and extent of the identified causes of concern. Where
Where appropriate the Visiting Board report will include a Continued Validation with Conditions is recommended, one or more
statement as follows: “On the basis of the sample of academic of the following will be required in order to provide evidence to
portfolios examined, the Visiting Board was satisfied that all the demonstrate that the conditions have been met:

RIBA International Validation Procedures 21

a. a requirement for the school to make a report, or following the decision of the RIBA Professional Services Board
sometimes annual reports, to the RIBA Validation (PSB).
Committee showing how the concerns giving rise to the
conditions recorded in the Visiting Board report have Candidate Course for Validation.
been, or will be, addressed; Where course and examinations being considered for Initial
b. a requirement that the school, in consultation with the Validation have yet to achieve the necessary standards but the
RIBA Validation Committee, should appoint a Visiting Board judges they are likely to do so within the next two
professional advisor or advisors (normally for two years) years, the course is not recommended for Validation but to
to work with the school and provide regular reports to the continue as a ‘Candidate Course for Validation’, with a further
RIBA; Visiting Board to be held in two years. Conditions may be attached
c. a revisit at a specified time by a sub-group of the Visiting to this recommendation. (see section 5).
Board (normally the Chair, Secretary and one or two other
members). The precise areas of concern of such a revisit 2.2 Standard Requirements of Validation Recorded in the
will be specified in the report; Board’s Report
d. a revisit by the full Visiting Board at a time to be specified;
e. other arrangements as specified by the Visiting Board. Standard requirements of validation are that:
a. External examiners are appointed or some acceptable
Where a recommendation for Continued Validation with alternative means implemented for ensuring that academic
Conditions is ratified by the RIBA, and the RIBA Validation standards set on the programme is consistent with that at
Committee is satisfied that conditions have been met within the other comparable institutions.
specified time, the Validation Committee will recommend b. The institution undertakes to inform the RIBA Validation
Validation without conditions until the next scheduled Visiting Committee of any significant changes to the courses and
Board. Where the RIBA is not satisfied, on the basis of evidence examinations during the period of Validation.
received, that the necessary improvements have been made within c. Any change of award title, and the effective date of the
the specified timescale, a full Visiting Board will be held. This will change, is reported to the RIBA so that, where
be at the earliest possible opportunity and will result either in appropriate, recognition can be formally transferred to the
continued Validation or withdrawal of Validation. new title by the RIBA;
d. A list of students awarded each of the recognised
Withdrawal of Validation or Candidate Course Status qualifications, with their contact details, is supplied to the
Where there are very serious concerns regarding either the failure RIBA each year.
of the course to address the criteria or meet required standards
which, in the opinion of Visiting Board could not be rectified by
specifying conditions of Validation or extending the period of
candidate course status, it will recommend that Validation be
withdrawn with effect from the end of the academic session

RIBA International Validation Procedures 22

2.3 Recommendations, Advice and Commentary Commentary
Recorded in the Board’s Report The commentary section of the report explains the factors which
have led the Visiting Board to particular recommendations and to
Recommendations. justifies its decisions. The detail provided in this section is
Where the Visiting Board judges that graduates from a school intended to assist the school in making further improvements in
satisfy the validation criteria and meet minimum standards the quality of its architectural education and will provide a focus
requirements but still has concerns about aspects of the provision for discussion with the next Visiting Board. The commentary will
in the school, these can be communicated to the School by means be structured around the key headings of the RIBA Validation
of Recommendations. Recommendations might arise from Criteria.
concerns about such issues as the resourcing of a course, QA
procedures, aspects of course provision, which, while meeting the
criteria, give the Board cause for concern. The School is expected
to act on recommendations and the RIBA would expect to see the
outcomes reported on in the annual monitoring returns submitted
by the School for the course concerned. A clear focus for any
monitoring visit and the next Visiting Board would be the actions
taken by the school in response to recommendations made.
Evidence that the School has neither responded to
recommendations made by previous Visiting Boards, nor provided
the RIBA with a clear rationale for not doing so, would result in a
recommendation of Continued Validation with Conditions by a
future Visiting Board.

Advice
The Visiting Board may also provide advice to the school on
desirable but not essential improvements which it is felt would
assist course development and/or raise standards. Validation is not
dependent on such advice being followed although subsequent
reports may take note of any examples of advice being acted upon.
Any such advice is based upon the opinions of Visiting Board
members and is intended as helpful advice to assist in improving
the standards in the school.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 23

3. RIBA Consideration of the Visiting Board Publication of Visiting Board Reports
Report UK Visiting Board reports have been published in their entirety
on the RIBA website (www.architecture.com) for all UK Visiting
The Visiting Board Report is drafted and agreed by the Visiting Boards held since September 2004. This applies to all full Visiting
Board members, normally within four weeks of the visit. The Boards, any revisits undertaken as a result of these Boards, Initial
draft report is sent to the school for correction of any factual Visiting Boards and Exploratory Board visits which recommend
inaccuracies. A revised report is then issued to the School before Candidate Course status. It is the RIBA's intention to publish in
being submitted to the RIBA Validation Committee. The School full all International Visiting Board reports in the same categories
may request a review of the report’s findings at this point. If the from the date of the implementation of these revised procedures.
report is endorsed by the Validation Committee, the findings are
then forwarded to the RIBA Education Committee. The RIBA Review Process
Education Committee is delegated to make a formal decision on Within 7 days of the receipt of the revised report the Head of
behalf of the RIBA in all cases except a recommendation for the School may write to the Visiting Board Secretary setting out any
removal of validation, or the removal of candidate course status. submission that by reason of procedural or other errors the report
In such cases a final decision will rest with the RIBA Professional ought to be reviewed and raising any matter which the Visiting
Services Board. Board ought to have taken into account but did not. If a review is
requested, the Validation Committee will convene a Review
Reconsideration by the RIBA Visiting Board Group of three members of the Validation Panel who were not
In the exceptional circumstance that the RIBA Validation members of the original Visiting Board to meet with
Committee or the RIBA Education Committee does not accept representatives of the school and the Visiting Board to hear
the Visiting Board’s recommendations, the report is referred back representations as to changes to the draft report. The Review
to the Visiting Board for further consideration, with such direction Group will provide a written report to the Validation Committee
as Validation Committee, or Education Committee may see fit to to enable the Committee to take into account any remaining issues
give. The Visiting Board is required to submit its reconsidered in its advice to the RIBA Education Committee.
report within twenty working days. As part of this process, the
school may be asked for amplification but new evidence is not Appeals Procedure
considered. a. If the decision made by RIBA Education Committee or the
RIBA Professional Services Board is anything other than:
Confirmed Report • Continued Validation following a visit by a Board to a school
Copies of the confirmed report, as approved by Education with existing validation
Committee or Professional Services Board, are provided to the • Initial Validation following a first full Visiting Board to a
school, and the Vice Chancellor and Academic Registrar (or School
equivalent) of the Institution. • Candidate Course Status following an Exploratory Visit
The school may within 28 working days of notification of the
RIBA decision lodge an appeal against the decision. It does so in
RIBA International Validation Procedures 24
writing to the RIBA Head of Validation indicating the basis on
which it is challenging the decision and enclosing any additional
documentary evidence it believes should be considered.

b. Any appeal will be heard by a tribunal consisting of

• the President of the RIBA (or his/her nominee, normally a
member of RIBA Council)
• A University Registrar (or equivalent)
• one other member of Council.
None of the members of the appeals tribunal shall have had any
involvement in the Visiting Board concerned, or its subsequent
consideration by Validation Committee, Education Committee or
(if appropriate) Professional Services Board.

c. The RIBA Head of Validation will obtain the response and

comments of the following to be submitted to the appeals tribunal
along with the school's documentation:
• Chair of the Visiting Board
• Chair of RIBA Validation Committee
• Chair of RIBA Education Committee
• (if appropriate) Chair of RIBA Professional Services Board

d. The appeals tribunal will normally operate on the basis of

written submissions, but can request representatives from the
school, the visiting board and chairs of the RIBA Committees
concerned to attend a meeting should it wish.

e. The appeals tribunal will undertake a reconsideration of the

original decision and will report its findings with reasons to the
school and to RIBA Education Committee or Professional
Services Board as appropriate. The decision of the appeals
tribunal will be final.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 25

4. Revisiting Boards, Revisits by Full Visiting possible recommendations are available to the Board in the report
Boards and Suspension of Visiting Boards they produce following their visit:
a. Unconditional Validation if conditions are judged to have
4.1 Revisit by a Sub-Group been met.
b. Removal of Validation if conditions have not been met.
A Visiting Board may recommend a condition requiring a revisit
by a sub-group of the Visiting Board. Such a visit is normally 4.3 Suspension of Visits
undertaken by the Chair (or Vice Chair) of the original Board and
one or two additional members, one of whom will have been a If during a visit it becomes clear that the school has failed to
member of the original Visiting Board, plus a Secretary from the provide the evidence necessary for a Visiting Board to complete its
RIBA Education Department. . The purpose and timing of the work, the visit will be suspended. The reasons for this serious step
visit will have been recommended in the original Visiting Board will be communicated to the Principal of the Institution who will
report. The revisit will normally be a one-day event. Two possible be asked to make a commitment to ensure that all necessary
recommendations are available to the Revisiting Board in the information is provided for a reconvened visit. This will normally
report they produce following their visit: take place within six months.
a. Unconditional Validation if conditions are judged to have
been met. Schools will be expected to bear the normal costs of any Revisit
b. Continued Validation with Conditions if conditions have required and to make a contribution to the administrative costs
not been met. incurred.
The failure to meet conditions will result in a revisit by a full
Visiting Board to consider the relevant course(s) at a time to be
specified in the report.

4.2 Revisit by a full Visiting Board

If an Visiting Board or Revisiting Board imposes a condition

requiring a revisit by a full Visiting Board, the membership of the
Board will be drawn up as set out in section 1.3. There will be a
balance of members drawn from the previous board to provide
continuity together with new members, but the Chair will not have
been a member of the previous Board. The purpose and timing of
the Revisit by a full Visiting Board will have been recommended in
the original Visiting Board report. The revisit will normally be a
one-day event with a pre-meeting the evening before. Two

RIBA International Validation Procedures 26

5. New Course Proposals Once the proposals for a new course have been
validated/approved by the host institution, it may seek its
5.1 Initial Discussions designation as a ‘Candidate Course for Validation’ by the RIBA.
The designation ‘Candidate Course for Validation’ implies that the
Institutions developing new programmes of architectural study proposals for the course are judged to have the potential to meet
which they aim to have validated by the RIBA are encouraged to RIBA criteria, if implemented as anticipated. It is not, however,
contact the Validation Committee at an early stage. New courses equivalent to Validation, which can only be granted once the
in an Institution which does not already have a comparable RIBA standards of the work produced have been assessed and found
validated course must seek Validation as a new course under the satisfactory.
following procedures. This is also required of new courses in
institutions with existing recognised courses where the new In some cases a new course will be considered while still at
programme does not have significant elements in common with proposal stage, in others there may be a small cohort of students
programme(s) already recognised. Consideration of the in the early years of the course. It is, however, common for the
development of new courses is undertaken by a sub-committee of RIBA to be invited to validate well-established courses at
the RIBA Validation Committee, the RIBA New Courses and international institutions. The procedures that follow attempt to
Course Changes Group (NCCCG). accommodate the full range of possibilities. Whilst consideration
as early as possible is recommended, a formal recommendation
Where the new proposal is for a course with significant elements will not be made by NCCCG until the course concerned has
in common with an already validated course, it may be considered received formal validation via the institution's internal
under procedures for changes to recognised courses.(see Section mechanisms. Consideration will normally involve a visit from an
6). Exploratory Visiting Board.

5.2 Consideration of New Courses by an Exploratory Documentation required for an Exploratory Visiting Board
Visiting Board Documentation required for an Exploratory visit to consider a
new course covers as far as possible the same topics as those for a
Exploratory discussions will be held with the Institution in order Visiting Board. This will normally be full details of the course (or
to gain a clear understanding of the proposal to determine whether proposed course) and the school context, including staffing. This
it should be considered as a new course or a course change, and to will typically be the information made available for the institutions
advise how the course might best be dealt with in relation to the own internal validation/approval. The information specified in
RIBA Criteria for Validation. The Institution should contact the Appendix 2 must be provided, omitting only those details which
RIBA Head of Validation in the first instance. All proposals for will not yet be available (normally students’ statistics and copies of
new courses must be submitted to the NCCCG for consideration such documents as examination papers for previous years and
and comment. external examiner reports). Documentation prepared for internal
validation within an Institution may be sufficient for this purpose.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 27

In place of the critical self-appraisal, a ‘New Course Statement’ Where the RIBA is invited to organise a Visiting Board for the
must be provided. This covers the rationale for the introduction of first time to a well-established international school of
the course, proposed special features, the context (including the architecture, RIBA Validation Committee may agree to its
relationship with the wider academic provision of the school) and designation as an Exploratory/Initial Visiting Board. The
any other issues which the school wishes to draw to the special basis for this is that that the supportive role of a
attention of the Exploratory Visiting Board. straightforward Exploratory Board may be inappropriate
given the long established nature of the school. In order for a
Timetable and Facilities for the Exploratory Visit Board to be so designated, in addition to the documentation
Since students’ work is not available for inspection it is normally normally required for a new course, New Courses & Course
possible to amend the usual timetable set out in Appendix 1, so Changes Group must be supplied with a sample of graduating
that the visit takes one day. A timetable is produced for each visit student work (at both Part One and Part Two level if
and the school is asked to provide the relevant information applicable). The work, which can be supplied electronically,
including the locations and the names of the main participants in must include examples at lowest pass level. The decision as to
each meeting. Visits are usually held while the school is in session the appropriate designation of the Board will be taken by
so the board has the opportunity to witness the normal RIBA Validation Committee. It will do so on the basis of a
functioning of the departments. The school is asked to provide a recommendation from New Courses and Course Changes
secure room that can be used as a base and for all private Group that the documentation submitted suggests there is a
discussions during the visit. sound basis for considering the school for validation and the
examples of graduate work supplied suggest that there is clear
Conclusion and Report of the Exploratory Visiting Board potential for the validation criteria to be met. If the Board is
The Exploratory Visiting Board will produce a Board Report in thus designated it must have ideally four, and at least three
accordance with the guidelines in Appendix 3. Candidate Course members of the RIBA Validation Panel. It must be made clear
for Validation status is recommended if the course content and to the school concerned that, whilst the Board is empowered
structure is judged to have the potential to fulfil RIBA Criteria for to recommend validation, this is not a formality and a full
Validation if implemented in the way anticipated. The Exploratory range of options will be available by way of recommendations
Visiting Board will specify the time period (not to exceed five to RIBA Validation Committee viz:
years) in which the Candidate Course for Validation status should • Initial Validation
apply. Conditions are not attached to such a recommendation. • Initial Validation with Conditions
Where the course content and structure are not judged to have the • Candidate Course Status
potential to fulfil all criteria for approval, a statement will be • No Candidate Course Status
provided in the report of the visit outlining the areas where All procedures will be as set out for Initial Visiting Boards.
changes or improvements are needed. The school may enter into
further discussions with the RIBA Validation Committee and When a recommendation of Candidate Course status has been
request another visit at a later date. made, under normal circumstances an Initial Visiting Board
will be organised after the first cohort has graduated.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 28

 reporting requirements are identical to those for a normal Visiting
From the implementation of these procedures, Visiting Board Board, see Appendix 3. All other aspects of the report and the
reports recommending Candidate Course Status will be arrangements for ratification through the RIBA are as set out in
published in full on the RIBA website www.architecture.com sections 1.2 to 1.9.
Where an Exploratory or Initial/Exploratory Board does not
recommend Candidate Course status, the report will not be
published and will be regarded as confidential to the RIBA
and the school concerned.

Students studying on ‘Candidate Courses for Validation’ are

eligible for RIBA student membership.

It is very important that the status of the course, and the

associated qualification, is correctly described in all publicity
material. To avoid misinterpretation, courses with ‘Candidate
Course for Validation’ status are strongly advised to submit all
publicity material to the RIBA for guidance prior to publication to
ensure that there is no misrepresentation.

5.3 Initial Visiting Board

Schools may seek Validation of courses and examinations

previously designated a ‘Candidate Course for Validation’ once the
first cohort of students has completed the course. The procedures
for an Initial Visiting Board are essentially the same as for a
Visiting Board but the range of possible outcomes differs (see 2.1
above).

The information on composition of the Visiting Board,

documentation required prior to a visit, the timetable and facilities
and information required during the visit outlined in sections 1.3
to 1.9 above apply equally to Visiting Boards held for the purposes
of Initial Validation, except that the Initial Visiting Board will have
reference to documentation from the RIBA’s Head of Validation
as well as any Exploratory Visiting Board report(s). The standard

RIBA International Validation Procedures 29

6. Changes to Recognised Courses Course Changes Group is satisfied that the course still fulfils the
criteria for approval (including the percentages specified for core,
6.1 Changes to Award Titles related and other subjects), and that the change does not radically
alter the purpose and results, it will recommend that it be
All changes in the title of a recognised award must be notified to accepted, subject to a full evaluation at the next scheduled Visiting
the RIBA Head of Validation (whether accompanied by changes Board. Where changes are judged to alter fundamentally the
in the course content or not) so that, where appropriate, RIBA content and thrust of a course, the RIBA New Courses and
approval can be formally transferred to the new qualification. Course Changes Group may recommend that proposals be
considered under procedures for new courses (see Section 5).
6.2 Significant Course Changes
6.3 Approval
Any significant changes to a recognised course and the associated
examination must be notified to the RIBA Head of Validation. Final approval for any change in award title rests with RIBA
This applies also to a series of small changes which cumulatively Education Committee. Responsibility for approving other course
represent a significant change. Consideration of the changes is changes rests with RIBA Validation Committee, the outcome to
undertaken by a sub-committee of the RIBA Validation be reported to RIBA Education Committee. (See the Decision
Committee, the RIBA New Courses and Course Changes Group. matrix in Appendix 10.)

All significant changes to any aspect of the course as described in

documentation provided at the time of Validation must be notified
including, for example, major changes to course structure or
content; teaching resources, including staffing; assessment
methods and arrangements; the method of arriving at award
classifications, and arrangements for professional practice. Where
a school is uncertain if a change should be notified, it is best to
consult the New Courses and Course Changes Group.

Whilst consideration as early as possible is recommended, a formal

recommendation will not be made by NCCCG until the course
changes concerned have received formal validation via the
institution's internal mechanisms.

Courses are expected to evolve in order to reflect changes within

architecture and higher education more generally. If, after
scrutinising the details of a change, the RIBA New Courses and
RIBA International Validation Procedures 30
7. RIBA Mid Term Monitoring a. To allow discussion of the school’s response to
recommendations and advice offered in the Visiting Board
7.1 Mid Term Monitoring Visit report
b. To allow discussion of issues arising from the Annual
The RIBA will be pleased to organise Mid Term Monitoring Visits Monitoring reports submitted by the school.
to schools in between full Visiting Boards, but these are optional. c. To allow general discussion on course developments.
Should the school wish a visit, the precise timing is flexible and d. To begin the planning for the next Visiting Board.
can be discussed with the RIBA Education Department. Mid e. To discuss relationship between school and RIBA region
Term Monitoring visits are informal visit to the school by one or and local practices, including RIBA student issues.
two members of the last Visiting Board and a Secretary from the
RIBA Education Department. A typical duration of a Mid Term The outcomes of the Mid Term Monitoring Visit should be
Monitoring Visit would be a whole day. There is no requirement recorded. The factual accuracy of the records should be checked
for formal paperwork to be produced for this meeting, although with the schools concerned and a definitive copy sent to the
previous annual monitoring reports will provide a clear basis for School and lodged in the RIBA's files. Mid-term Monitoring
the visit. The aim of the visit is to provide an informal mechanism Reports will not be published.
for discussion between the School and the RIBA between formal
visits. The objectives of the typical monitoring visit are:

RIBA International Validation Procedures 31

APPENDIX 1.
RIBA International Visiting Board Schedule
Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

At least six months Arrange date of visit The RIBA tries to accommodate schools’ wishes as far as
prior to the proposed possible with regard to the date of a visit. However, dates are
visit allocated strictly on a first come/first served basis and
therefore this may not be possible although every effort will be
made. Early agreement on dates is also helpful when
canvassing availability of Validation Panel members.

The Vice Chancellor (or equivalent) is asked formally to invite

a Visiting Board on the mutually convenient date.

Three months prior Arrange membership of The Secretary contacts members to establish availability Schools are asked to advise if any proposed member would
to the visit the Visiting Board and, in consultation with the Validation Committee Chair, have a conflict in interest, or whether there are other well-
proposes membership of each Visiting Board ensuring a founded reasons for opposing their involvement.
balanced team of academics/ practitioners, men/women
etc., This to include the designation of a Chair

Two months prior to Travel arrangements and Travel arrangements are made either by the RIBA or the Travel arrangements are made either by the School or RIBA as
the visit accommodation finalised School as agreed agreed; the RIBA is notified of accommodation arrangements
made for the Board.

Eight weeks prior to The School provides a The Validation Committee review the critical self appraisal Appendix 2 section 3 details the information a School must
the visit (precise date critical self appraisal and passes comments to members of the Visiting Board. include in the critical self appraisal. Students are encouraged to
to be agreed) contribute to the CSA or provide a statement as an appendix.

Four weeks prior to Delivery of five copies of School documentation is circulated to Visiting Board Appendix 2 sections 4 and 5 detail the documentation required.
the visit school documentation to members along with a Briefing Note generated by the
RIBA plus details of the Visiting Board secretary plusdetails of arrangements for the
Board's programme visit (including flights and hotel arrangements etc.)

At least one week The school faxes or

prior to the visit emails to the RIBA the
completed
Documentation checklist
in Appendix 14.

Prior to leaving the country board Members are expected to have read all the documentation provided and to have begun to record their observations
and any issues for further discussion using the templates provided with the validation paperwork by the RIBA Head of Validation.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 32

Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

Day One The Visiting Board’s Normally held at the hotel in a private room The School should book a private meeting room in the hotel
first private meeting accommodating Visiting Board members and arrange for
appropriate refreshments to be available.

18.00 Review of School’s Systematically review and identify matters for clarification
documentation and investigation during the visit

18.40 Reports of last visit and Consider the response in the critical self appraisal and
any review visit identify important issues to be investigated during the visit

19.00 Preparation for the Identify topics for discussion, bearing in mind that this is
meeting with the Head of primarily the Institution’s and School’s opportunity to
Institution and Head of explain their priorities and programme of study to the
School Board

19.20 Identify matters for This may include academic developments, standards, the
discussion with School’s response to comments from the external
external examiner, examiners/jurists; clarification of what the examiners
external jurits examine .

19.30-20.00 Allocation of tasks for the Agree the division of members into pairs to review the
first day of the visit (11.30 record of student work in detail, the first group to
onwards). To be concentrate initially on Part One, a second on Part Two,
completed on Friday if and a third on Part Three (if appropriate) with tasks
necessary subsequently rotated.

Delegate individual members to: The School should alert relevant staff that Visiting Board

observe teaching, studio work, crits etc members may wish to meet them as part of its programme of

visit laboratories and workshop activities. It is entirely appropriate for boards to discuss

review IT facilities individual portfolios with tutors/course leaders to gain insights.

review library provision This has become standard practice if the Board has identified

discuss research activities particular problems or requires clarification.
give particular attention to dissertations, course work, exam
paper and answers in particular topics as appropriate

20.00 Private Dinner of the Normally held at the hotel; informal discussions of the visit
board continue

RIBA International Validation Procedures 33

Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

Day Two First full working

day of the visit

08.45 Visiting Board arrives at Establish base. A private secure base must be provided for use throughout the
the School visit. The supply of refreshment at appropriate points
throughout the visit is appreciated. The base room must have a
telephone and computer with Internet and e-mail access.

09.00 Private meeting with the If appropriate the Dean of Faculty might also be invited to This is the Institution's opportunity to introduce itself to the
Head of the Institution this meeting Board, explain the place of architecture within the institution
and to highlight issues for the Board's attention

09.30 Private meeting with the This meeting can be extended if necessary. This is not The Visiting Board will have identified some issues for
Head of the School necessarily the only opportunity the Board has to discuss discussion but the meeting also provides the Head with the
matters with the Head of School. The Chair may request opportunity to bring issues to the Board’s attention.
further meetings with the Head of School at any time if
she/he believes it to be appropriate.

10.00 Orientation tour of the A brief orientation tour of the School should be provided This should be a brief tour to allow Board members to get
premises their bearings; there will be the opportunity later for Board
members (in small groups) to look in details at the various
facilities.

10.30 Introduction to the The display should help members gain a clear A member of staff (perhaps accompanied by one or two
display of student work understanding of the overall content and structure of the students) briefly explains the work of each year/level/unit
course(s) and progression within them

11.30 Observation of work in The Visiting Board divides into smaller groups to visit The Secretary will advise the proposed times of such activities
progress, visits to studios, sample lectures, seminars and crits, visit the library, and the School should ensure relevant staff are available
facilities, etc labs, workshops, IT facilities, discuss research etc.

13.00 Lunch and informal Completion by 14.00 is essential This should be informal and low- key
discussions with key
members of staff

RIBA International Validation Procedures 34

Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

14.00 Brief private meeting Short review to establish whether the morning’s events have The Visiting Board may hold private meetings throughout the
triggered any matters to be pursued, or changes in task visit as the need arises.
allocation and priority

14.15 Private inspection of Members of the Visiting Board inspect student work in An initial presentation from staff on marking schemes and
student work pairs the first group concentrating on Part One, a second mark sheets may be requested
on Part Two, then rotating.

15.45 Brief private meeting Short review of progress

16.00 Continue private Ensure balanced review of all parts of the programme of
inspection of student study cross-checking findings and substantive evidence to
work, observations of support conclusions
teaching etc.

17.15 Meeting with external Raise the points agreed in the initial private meeting and The aim of this meeting is to give the Board the opportunity to
examiners, external jurists others which have arisen in the course of the day’s discuss the programme with architects who provide external
and/or local employers activities. scrutiny of the outcomes

18.15 Private Meeting of the Some issues may be left for discussion at the beginning of
Visiting Board the Board’s programme on the third full day of the visit.

Review progress Review and report back on the day’s activities. Note any
incomplete areas of work. Confirm that all required
information is available; if there are serious omissions
decide whether to suspend the visit

Identify matters for Students may have provided an agenda for this meeting.
discussion with students Consider a wide range of issues and the use of SWOT
analysis to avoid over influencing the meeting

Identify matters for Agree the structure of the meeting and issues to be Agree with the Visiting Board whether the Head of School will
discussion with staff discussed. These should include any areas of major concern attend the meeting. Should the Head attend he/she should not
at this stage in the visit. Decide whether there is a need for lead the school’s responses.
additional discussions with smaller staff groups, eg to
review a particular area of the record of student work.

20.00 Private Dinner for Board Discussions continue Visiting board members only
Members
Throughout the day board members will be recording observations and tentative conclusions using standard templates supplied

RIBA International Validation Procedures 35

Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

Day Three Second full working day

of the visit
09.15 Visiting Board arrives at Preparation for the day’s events and the opportunity to re-
School; Private meeting examine aspects of the record of student work together.

09.45 Meeting with students Ensure views are obtained from students at all levels within This meeting is open to all students. It is important that
the course. In addition to answering questions, students students from all years attend including representatives from
should be encouraged to raise any issues that concern them. any groups out on placement. The School is responsible for
briefing students on the purpose of the meeting.
10.45 Private meeting If necessary revise questions for staff in the light of student
views.

11.00 Meeting with staff Encourage a wide and open discussion, with opportunity The Head of School would not normally be present at this
for staff to raise issues as well as responding to the Visiting meeting. If it is agreed that the Head may attend, she/he
Board’s questions. should not lead the School's contribution to this meeting.

12.30 Lunch and informal Members should not discuss the progress of the visit. The Board welcomes the opportunity to lunch with staff and
discussions students but they should be advised that members cannot
discuss the progress of the visit.
13.30 Private meeting of the Review progress and identify any outstanding work. NB The afternoon programme for the final day is flexible and
Visiting Board Allocate tasks. The Secretary should be asked to alert the can be amended as appropriate. Once the board reaches a
Head of School if any additional information is required or consensus following its final discussions and has agreed the
staff are to meet members of the Visiting Board. content of the report, the proceedings can be brought to a
close.
13.45 Completion of This may include further inspection of student work. In the It is important that all work remains available for inspection
outstanding tasks event that all tasks are complete then the final meeting will until this point.
commence earlier.

14.45 Final private meeting of Prior to agreeing the content of the report item by item, it
the Visiting Board will be helpful to hear general comments from each
member of the Board. Agree the content of the report in
accordance with the format. The Board should not attempt
at this stage to draft the detailed prose of the report.

17.15 Private meeting between If possible, the Chair relates the recommendations of the This is intended as a private informal briefing; other members
the Visiting Board Chair , Board and the main observations. The meeting should be of the faculty are not normally present. The findings are subject
Vice-Chair, Secretary and brief and focused. If achievement of consensus amongst to refinement in drafting.
the Head of School Board Members has proved difficult, the Chair will outline
(whole Visiting Board can the areas of concern and indicate the timescale within which
attend if appropriate) the Board will reach a final recommendation.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 36

Day and Time Activity Guidance for Visiting Board Members Guidance for School

Following the Visit Draft report issued to The Secretary produces the draft report. Visiting Board
Within two weeks Visiting Board members receive a copy of the draft for comment and
amendment as necessary. A response is normally required
within two weeks.
Within three weeks Draft report issued again Secretary incorporates all member's comments. Report is
to VB members then "signed off" by the Chair .

Within four weeks Draft report issued to The document must be treated in confidence by the The Head may make correction of fact. At this stage the report
Head of School members of the Board and Secretary of the Validation is still a draft and Schools are recommended to keep the
Committee. findings confidential. Failure to comment within one week
indicates acceptance of report

Within six weeks Final comments are The Secretary incorporates final comments, consulting the Within 7 days of the receipt of the draft report the Head of
incorporated. The revised Visiting Board Chair if necessary. School may write to the Visiting Board Secretary requesting a
report is issued to the formal review See section 3
School

Within two months The report is received and RIBA Validation Committee's role is to ensure that the The findings of the report and the Committee’s comments will
discussed by the report is both internally and externally consitent. be passed to the RIBA Education Committee for decision
Validation Committee

Within three months Consideration of the RIBA Education Committee has delegated authority to The report is issued to the Vice Chancellor (or equivalent) of
recommendations by the make decisions on behalf of the RIBA except the removal the Institution copy to Head of School by the RIBA Head of
RIBA Education of validation or Candidate Course status. Validation once confirmed by RIBA Education Committee
Committee

Within four months Consideration of any

decision to remove
Validation or Candidate
Course status by RIBA
PSB

Following Discussion and The RIBA will publish the report on its website Schools are encouraged to discuss the findings of the report
confirmation of dissemination of the www.archietcture.com with staff and students and to provide a copy of the report to
approval of the report external examiners.
report’s
recommendations

Within six months RIBA Council Outcome of Visiting Board is noted by RIBA Council.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 37

APPENDIX 2
The Critical Self-Appraisal should include (although not
Documentation required for a Visiting Board necessarily using these points as headings);
- a brief history of the course(s) and an explanation of the current
A2.1 Introduction position (including the relationship to the wider academic
provision within the school/faculty and approximate student
Key documents are required in advance of the visit to collectively numbers)
demonstrate that the course(s) fulfil the Criteria for Validation. - a critical evaluation of the achievement of course aims and
There are three aspects to this: a critical self-appraisal, responses objectives, their continued relevance and conformity to the
to a questionnaire, and supplementary information. The key Validation Criteria;
documentation must be translated into English. Additional - special features of the course(s) whether planned or not;
documentation is also provided for inspection during the visit. - a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis
Information to be included in each category is explained below. In - changes introduced since the last visit and reasons for their
all cases it is necessary to provide adequate information on each introduction (including the way comments and
course/qualification for which Validation is sought, though recommendations in the report of the last visit have been
duplication should be avoided. addressed and responses to external examiners’ reports);
- how the course(s) has developed in response to students’
A2.2 Student Views comments;
- effects of changes in the resource base in recent years and
Students’ views should be reflected in the critical self-appraisal. In anticipated future changes in resources;
addition, the student body is encouraged to provide a submission - plans for the future.
to the Visiting Board either as an appendix to the self appraisal or - a summary of the way the critical self appraisal was compiled
as a paper in preparation for the Visiting Board’s meeting with the and the involvement of students and other members of the
student group. school community.

A2.3 Critical Self-Appraisal A2.4 Questionnaire

In the Critical Self-Appraisal the school analyses developments The following data is intended to provide the necessary details of
since the last Visiting Board, explains plans for the future and the course(s) and a clear statement and demonstration of how the
provides the rationale for changes made or proposed. It is the criteria for validation are achieved. If this information is available
school’s opportunity to provide a statement of views to the RIBA in existing documentation e.g. student handbooks these may be
Validation Committee, but it should openly address problems as supplied in place of documents drafted specifically for the Visiting
well as achievements. The appraisal should be no more than five Board, but a detailed reference to the relevant sections (page and
pages in length, with no attachments, and should be self- paragraph numbers) should be supplied. Copies of the completed
contained. questionnaire are provided to the Visiting Board members in
advance.
RIBA International Validation Procedures 38
 State the overall objectives of each course and demonstrate how
Introductory Information the criteria for validation are achieved.
- Name and address of the Institution
- Details of the university/institutional structure and management Aims of each year/level/Unit
arrangements State the aims of each year/level/Unit of each course (provide a
- Name and address of the school (or other academic unit) brief separate statement for each year/level/Unit).
responsible for the course and its position in the university
structure. Course Structure
- Head of the School or Head of Architecture (if not Head of For each course attach a detailed course structure diagram
School) showing module titles (or separate course elements if not modular)
- Name and post of the main contact staff member (to answer any and credit weighting of each, and clearly indicating which
queries on the submission), telephone/fax/e-mail numbers elements/modules are compulsory and which are optional giving
- Date of visit full details of the options available. (Where two awards/courses
have significant content in common it may be most appropriate to
Course details show this through one diagram).
The course details and course structure diagram should describe
each course for which Validation is sought. If available, this can be Professional Practice
supplied in the form of a standard Course Handbook. If there are Explain any arrangements the school has via which students can
significant changes from the course(s) as taken by students whose gain professional experience alongside their academic studies.
work will be seen by the Visiting Board, an explanation of these
changes and an outline of the previous version should be Mapping of School's Programmes against the RIBA
provided. Validation Criteria
A key element of the Visiting Board process is to establish that the
For each award/qualification for which Validation is sought course(s) concerned meet the RIBA Validation Criteria. Visiting
state: Board members will gather this information using standard
- the title (as it appears on the award certificate); templates. To initiate this process Schools will be provided with
- the awarding authority; the standard templates in electronic form and required to
- the length, if studied full-time without interruption, of the course complete a section indicating where (in the view of the School)
(and periods of practical training if applicable) which leads to the each element of the criteria is met. These templates are intended
award; for guidance only and schools are welcome to submit their own,
- the stage within each course/programme at which the School provided that the courses are mapped clearly against the criteria.
believes it meets RIBA Part One and Part Two requirements (if The completed templates should be returned with the
applicable). Questionnaire.

Strategic Objectives External Examiners/External Jurists

RIBA International Validation Procedures 39

The methods of involvement of external examiners and/or - date appointed
external jurists. The key here is to demonstrate how the school - grade/post
gets external input to help inform its academic decision making - full-time, part-time (or Visiting Lecturer) – if part-time the
and thus is able to demonstrate that the standards of its awards number of hours
are similar to those of comparable institutions. This should - responsibilities/subjects taught
include brief CVs of External Examiners and/or External - current professional activities.
Jurists plus copies of any reports they supply in their role..
List of technical and administrative/support staff providing for
Admissions Policies each:
- Staff/Student Ratio. Specify the staff/student ratio and explain - name
how this has been calculated. - date appointed
- Admissions Policy. Give admissions policies and required - grade/post
qualifications for entry to each course. Provide target intake - responsibilities
figures.
- Explain the policy on direct entry at a stage other than the start Where relevant, details of staffing provided from a collaborating
of the first year of each course, including arrangements covering school, department or institution.
Accredited Prior Learning or Accredited Prior Experiential
Learning. Equal Opportunities
- If not included in the student statistics section, provide a
Student Statistics breakdown of students in the School in terms of gender, age, and
- Provide an analysis of the qualifications of entrants to the first ethnic origin
year/level of each course for the past three years giving names of - If not already included in the staffing statistics, provide a
qualification, subjects and grades. breakdown of staff in the School in terms of gender, age, and
- Separately provide this information for entrants to later ethnic origin
years/levels of the courses. - Provide a commentary on this data and on any actions being
- Provide full-time student cohort statistics for the courses being taken by the School in relation to equal opportunity agendas and
presented for validation over the last five years using (if demonstrating compliance with the RIBA's Equal Opportunities
appropriate) the forms outlined in Appendix 8. Policy.
- Provide a commentary on the numbers of students who
withdrew/failed or failed/were referred in each year. A2.5 Supplementary Information

Staffing The following is a guide to the supplementary information which

List of all academic staff from the school involved with the is requested to support the case for Validation and which should
courses for which Validation is sought providing for each: be submitted with the responses to the questionnaire. Normally
- name this information will be found in Course Student Handbooks,
- qualifications Course Documents, Quality Assurance Handbooks and research
RIBA International Validation Procedures 40
reviews etc. These may be submitted together with detailed
reference to the relevant sections (page and paragraph numbers) in
the place of further information drafted specifically for the The School Context
Visiting Board. Committee and Management Structure. A chart showing the
committee and management structure of the school and its place
Course to be Validated within the wider institutional structure.
Full details of the content of each element (e.g. modules or lecture
programmes) of the course(s) at all levels/years, including a Other Taught Courses
summary list of design projects available for studio work. The courses in related areas, but for which Validation is not
Explanation of the method for co-ordinating and integrating sought, taught in the school or Institution. This should
subject course work with design projects. indicate if there is any content in common or joint teaching
with the course(s) for which Validation is sought and provide
Awards approximate student numbers for each.
The requirements in order to gain each award: in the case of
modular/credit-rated courses how many credits are required, Research Activities
which modules must be passed etc. How award classifications for This may include:
each award are decided: for modular courses how the marks - numbers of students taking research degrees in Architecture
gained in each module contribute to the overall degree over the last five years; titles of recent MPhil/PhD
classification. dissertations;
- the staff research policy and major areas of research/
Teaching and Learning Approaches consultancy activity;
A brief description of the range of teaching methods and their use - a list of funded research projects;
within the course(s), the use of visiting critics and guest speaker - an explanation of the relationship between research activities
series (or similar). The opportunities for student travel (including and the courses to be validated.
field trips, overseas visits etc.), whether formally integrated within
the course(s) or not, and how these are funded. Staff Development
Staff development activities relevant to these courses and funding
Assessment provided for these. Links with the profession and Continuing
A brief description of the main assessment methods and their Professional Development (CPD) activities. The school’s role in
application at various years/levels of the course(s). This should CPD activities and the other relationship with the architectural
include any protocols for moderation, compensation, referral etc. profession (locally, nationally, internationally).
Professional Experience Arrangements
Quality Assurance Procedures
How help is provided to students in finding training posts,
- The institution's quality assurance procedures, outlining the
whether they are visited in their offices etc.
arrangements for student feedback and course monitoring and
review mechanisms.
RIBA International Validation Procedures 41
- Any reports from external agencies, independent advisors or
assessors.
Physical Resources
Accommodation A2.6 Information to be Provided as Part of the Visit
- Names of the sites where the course(s) are delivered.
- Plans of accommodation. One copy of the following documents should be available at the
- Details of studio, workshop, laboratory, darkroom provision etc. start of the visit in the base room:
- Copies of published versions of the most recent reports on the
Information Resources course(s) or school from governmental bodies.
What library sources are available, where they are situated and the - CVs for each member of the academic staff.
library opening hours. The stocks of books, periodicals and other - The School’s and Institution’s prospectus.
resources to support these course(s). Whether there is a specialist - The full Syllabus for all subjects/modules, reading lists for each
librarian for architecture, full or part-time. and full details of the assessment method. This should cover
both studio and non-studio work.
IT Facilities - Timetables.
What IT facilities are available to students, including details of - Copies of the examination question papers and all other
computers, plotter/printer facilities, software available etc. assessments for all levels of all courses in the year immediately
preceding the visit.
Financial Resources - List of recent dissertation topics.
Provide details of the financial resources available to the School,
including institutional and departmental plans including future
plans.

Engagement with the Profession

Provide details of such activities as:
- guest lecture series
- advisory boards
- mentoring schemes etc.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 42

 5. Details of the Outcome
APPENDIX 3 REPORT FORMATS
- Unconditional Validation
A3.1 Visiting Board Report Format - Continued Validation with Conditions
Statement of reasons for Continued Validation with Conditions:
1. Introduction i.e. either
The Introduction should include a. The lowest pass standards being set for a course being
- Date of Visiting Board unacceptable
- Members of Visiting Board b. The Validation Criteria not being met by a course
- Background to the visit, highlighting strengths and weaknesses c. Evidence that the School has neither responded to
- The date of the next Visiting Board recommendations made by previous Visiting Boards, nor
provided the RIBA with a clear rationale for not doing so
2. Recommendations of the Visiting Board d. By exception, any other matter of sufficient gravity, which
The title of each course and award submitted for RIBA Validation would lead the Visiting Board to believe that Validation
and the associated recommendation. The titles should be as given Criteria will not be met, or lowest pass standards not be
by the school in the answer to the first section of the acceptable within the foreseeable future and that cannot
questionnaire. satisfactorily be addressed via annual monitoring, or the
mid-term visit.
3. Criteria for Validation Evidence required to demonstrate that the conditions have been
On the basis of the academic portfolios examined, the Visiting met. Timescale for fulfilling conditions. Where a revisit is
Board was (or was not) satisfied that the students graduating from recommended, the purpose, timing, number of members to be
the courses and examinations listed satisfied the RIBA Criteria for involved.
Validation. - Withdrawal of Validation
The report will also include a clear statement of the actual
portfolios sampled. 6. Conditions
Comments for each named award/course systematically taking Details of any special conditions imposed by the Visiting Board.
account of the statements from the school on Strategic Objectives
and the Aims of each year, the details of courses and particularly 7. Standard Requirements of Recognition
the RIBA Validation Criteria. List of standard requirements i.e.:
- External examiners are appointed or some acceptable
4. Standards alternative means implemented for ensuring that academic
The work from previous years of these courses inspected during standards set on the programme is consistent with that at other
the visit was judged to meet required standards (or not) and the comparable institutions.
following comments on each course apply: - Any significant course change must be notified to the RIBA.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 43

- Any change of award title, and the effective date of the change design/non-design work)
is reported to the RIBA so that, where appropriate, recognition - progression within the course
can be formally transferred to the new title by the RIBA; - assessment: methods, content and coverage, relative weightings,
- Names of all students passing the courses/qualifications listed standards achieved (commenting separately on examinations,
should be submitted annually to the RIBA course work, dissertations, design projects as appropriate), external
examining arrangements
8. Recommendations - teaching and learning methods
Where the Visiting Board judges that the school satisfies the - professional experience
criteria and meets minimum standards requirements but still has - admissions and arrangements for direct entry at a stage other
concerns about aspects of the provision in the school, these can be than the start of the course
communicated to the School by means of recommendations.
Recommendations might arise from concerns about issues such as: Students
- The resourcing of a course Any relevant points arising from the documents provided by, or
- QA procedures meeting with, students which are not covered elsewhere in the
- Aspects of course provision, which whilst meeting the Criteria report. Comments based on the student statistics.
for Validation, still give cause for concern.
Staff
9. Advice Any special strengths or other comments. Involvement of
The Visiting Board may also provide advice to the School on practitioners etc on a part-time basis. Any points raised in the staff
desirable, but not essential improvements, which it is felt would meeting which are not covered elsewhere in the report.
assist course development and/or raise standards
Equal Opportunities
10 . Commentary A commentary on any equal opportunities issues including
Additional comments to amplify the reasons for the whether compliance has been demonstrated with the RIBA Equal
recommendations and advice to the RIBA detailed above: Opportunities Policy
- points arising from the Self-Appraisal
- the responses made to the previous Visiting Board report (and External Examiners/External Jurists
to reports of any revisits) and external examiner comments. How they are selected/appointed; whether they prepare reports
- other developments since the last visit and anticipated in the for the institution; how the School responds to issues raised.
future.
- Context of the courses within the wider provision of the school Research
or Faculty. Impact of research activities on the courses under examination.
For each course, more detailed comments (where appropriate) on: Resourcing and facilities
- clarity, validity and achievement of course objectives Comments regarding accommodation, library, IT facilities etc.
- course design and content: quality and coverage of the syllabus
and design projects (including balance and integration between
RIBA International Validation Procedures 44
11. Attachments Statement of reasons for Continued Validation with Conditions
Record of the documentation provided before and during the visit. Evidence required to demonstrate that the original conditions
have not been met.
A3.2. Revisiting Board Report Format Where the revisit has been undertaken by a subgroup and they
judge that there has been a failure to meet conditions, the
1. Introduction recommendation will be a full Visiting Board returns to consider
As for a full report. the relevant course(s).
- Withdrawal of Validation (This recommendation can be made
2. Recommendations where the revisit is undertaken by a full Visiting Board)
The title of each course and award submitted for RIBA Validation
and the associated recommendation. The titles should be as given 6. Conditions
by the school in the answer to the first section of the Details of any special conditions imposed by the sub-group.
questionnaire.
7. Standard Requirements of Recognition
3. Criteria for Validation List of standard requirements i.e.:
On the basis of the academic portfolios examined, the Visiting - External examiners are appointed or some acceptable
Board was (or was not) satisfied that the students graduating from alternative means implemented for ensuring that academic
the courses and examinations listed satisfied the RIBA Criteria for standards set on the programme is consistent with that at other
Validation. comparable institutions.
The report will also include a clear statement of the actual - Any significant course change must be notified to the RIBA.
portfolios sampled. - Any change of award title, and the effective date of the change
Comments for each named award/course systematically taking is reported to the RIBA so that, where appropriate, recognition
account of Criteria for Approval, particularly the RIBA Outline can be formally transferred to the new title by the RIBA;
Syllabus, the statements from the school on Strategic Objectives - Names of all students passing the courses/qualifications listed
and the Aims of each year, and the details of Course Structures] should be submitted annually to the RIBA

4. Standards 8. Recommendations
The work from previous years of these courses inspected during Where the Visiting Board judges that the school satisfies the
the visit was judged (or not) to meet required standards and the criteria and meets minimum standards requirements but still has
following comments on each course apply: concerns about aspects of the provision in the school, these can be
communicated to the School by means of recommendations.
5. Details of the Outcome Recommendations might arise from concerns about issues such as:
- Unconditional Validation - The resourcing of a course
- Continued Validation with Conditions (this recommendation is - QA procedures
only available when the revisit is undertaken by a sub-group - Aspects of course provision, which whilst meeting the Criteria
rather than a full Visiting Board). for Validation, still give cause for concern.
RIBA International Validation Procedures 45
9. Advice 4. General Comments
The Visiting Board may also provide advice to the School on The Exploratory Board should comment on the course and the
desirable, but not essential improvements, which it is felt would school’s provision as follows:
assist course development and/or raise standards
- observations the Board wishes to highlight in point form
10. Commentary - The course itself. Structure, aims and objectives, comments on
Additional comments to amplify the reasons for the portfolios and exhibition viewed during the visit (if student
recommendations and advice to the RIBA detailed above: cohorts are already on the course).
- Meeting with staff
11. Attachments - Meeting with students (if any enrolled at time of visit)
Record of the documentation provided before and during the visit. - Resources: current and projected
- Staffing
- IT facilities
- Library
A3.3 Exploratory Visiting Board Report Format - Workshops and studios
- Research – school’s research interests, how they are
1. Introduction and Summary anticipated to complement the course if appropriate.
The Introduction - Date of Visiting Board - Documentation provided by the School before and during the
- Members of Visiting Board visit.
- Background to the visit and summary of the full report (course
philosophy, implementation, previous discussions with NCCCG).
- The date of the Initial Visiting Board (if known).

2. Recommendations
The title of each course and award submitted for RIBA candidate
course status and the associated recommendation. The titles
should be as given by the school in the answer to the first section
of the questionnaire. The recommendation will also state the
timespan of the “Candidate Course for Validation status i.e. the
deadline by which initial Validation should be sought.

3. Definition
Standard Definition Standard definition of “Candidate Course for
Validation” and its implications

RIBA International Validation Procedures 46

APPENDIX 4 - The existing length of study of the course
- Proposed length of study, (if changed)
New Course/ Course Change Notification - The mode of study, (FT, PT, etc.)
- Proposed mode of study, (if changed)
Institutions wishing to propose new courses or course changes for - The qualification in architecture, for which Validation is
consideration by the RIBA New Courses and Course Changes requested and the stage within each programme at which RIBA
Group (NCCCG) should submit a written report to the RIBA Part One (if applicable)and Part Two are achieved.
Head of Validation that follows this format. - Proposed date for course change
- The date of submission to the RIBA.
Introductory Information
- Name and address of institution c. Summary of new course proposal/ course change
- Name and address of school or other academic unit responsible - Detailed comments on:
for the course(s) - Course objectives
- Head of School - Admission and direct entry arrangements
- Name and post of the main staff member submitting request and - Course design and content
telephone, fax numbers and e-mail address - Teaching and learning and assessment methods
- Practical training arrangements
For each award/ qualification for which consideration is - Student statistics
sought,
d. Summary of where the RIBA Criteria for Validation are met
a. For new courses; within the course programme ideally in the form of a mapping
- The course title (as it will appear on the award certificate) document.
- The awarding body
- The length of study of the course which leads to the award e. Name, signature and date of person completing the report
- The mode of study, (Full time (FT), Part time (PT) etc)
- The qualification in architecture for which Validation is IN ALL CASES, PRIOR TO A FORMAL
requested and the stage within each programme at which RIBA RECOMMENDATION BEING MADE BY NCCCG,
Part One (if applicable)and Part Two are achieved. CONFIRMATION IS REQUIRED THAT THE NEW
- Proposed date for course commencement COURSE OR COURSE CHANGE BEING SUBMITTED
- The date of submission to the RIBA. HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE INSTITUTION'S
INTERNAL VALIDATION PROCEDURES
b. For changes to existing recognised courses;
- The existing course title (as on the award certificate)
- The awarding body
- Proposed course title, (if changed)
RIBA International Validation Procedures 47
APPENDIX 5 plus, possibly (with the approval of the School) one observer.
Larger Boards will be assembled, and/or the duration of the visit
Preparing For a Visiting Board – a Guidance Note extended, following discussion with the School, where there is
more than one course to consider, or where the School has a
for Schools complex unit structure. Smaller Boards and/or shorter visits may
be appropriate for Initial Visiting Boards to courses where there is
A5.1 Introduction significant overlap with existing validated provision.
A successful Visiting Board requires careful preparation and A5.3 Your points of contact:
forward planning by all the staff at the School. This information
aims to assist you in preparing for a Visiting Board. It lists the Your main points of contact are:
information you should provide for the Board, what you should Stephanie Beasley-Suffolk, Validation Co-ordinator,(tel: +44 207
expect during a visit; how the Visiting Board will work and what it 307 3783, email: [email protected]); Sarah
will do. It will also discuss possible outcomes to a Visiting Board Bedding, Validation Manager (+ 44 207 3716;
and some of the general guidelines on conduct for the Board [email protected] and Jannine Newman, Validation
Members and the staff at the School. In addition to this note you Administrator (tel +44 207 307 3675 email:
should refer to three published documents: [email protected] ).
RIBA International Validation Procedures effective from A5.4 What will a Visiting Board look at?
November 2007, RIBA Validation Criteria published in March
2002, effective September 2003 and published in ‘Tomorrow’s A full Visiting Board will normally last two days, a revisit or an
Architect,’ available from RIBA publications. All these documents, initial visit to a new course in a school with existing validated
apart from ‘Tomorrow’s Architect,’ can be downloaded from the provision, one day. The Head of School should prepare a
RIBA website (www.architecture.com. ) programme for the Visiting Board based on the timetable
published in the RIBA Validation Procedures’ document. The
A5.2 What is a Visiting Board? Visiting Board will:
- meet with the Head of Institution
A Visiting Board: - meet with the Head of School
- is a peer review - monitors compliance - be guided around the display of student work
- is outcome orientated - encourages excellence - inspect the student work
- is evidence based - makes recommendations to the - meet with external examiners
RIBA - meet with students
A full Visiting Board will normally comprise: - meet with staff
- 2 architect academics - 2 architect practitioners
- 1 local nominee - 1 secretary

RIBA International Validation Procedures 48

Meetings with Head of Institution and Head of School Inspection of student work – see section 5 below.

The Visiting Board will first meet the Head of the Institution. It is Meetings with the External Examiners/External Jurists
often useful to meet him/her together with the appropriate Dean The meeting with the External Examiners/Jurists is designed to
of Faculty. However, there should be no more than two university help the Board understand how the school gets external input to
representatives at this meeting. The meeting with the Head of its academic decision making and how it . It is helpful if these
School would normally only include the Head of School and the meetings can be organised in rooms with board room seating close
Visiting Board (plus the Visiting Board observers). We understand to the Board's baseroom.
that Architecture is not always a stand-alone subject within its own
School. As a result the Head of School is generally deemed to Meeting with the Students
mean the Head of Architecture. Schools are reminded that ALL students are welcome and should
be encouraged to attend this meeting. The School may wish to
Orientation Tour of the School of Architecture consider suspending any teaching to allow students to attend. In
This should be brief and designed to ensure that Board members addition students out on professional placements should be
can get their bearings and have an overall understanding of the invited to return for the meeting. Ideally the Board will wish to
layout of the School's accommodation. There will be opportunities meet with students from each year of each course being
later for Board members (in small groups) to look in detail at considered. Boards recognise that the fixed layout of many lecture
specific facilities. rooms may preclude this, but they prefer to meet students in a
room with informal seating to avoid an "us and them"
Tour of the display of student work atmosphere. Where the timetable allows board members may also
This should be an introduction to the work that students seek the opportunity to speak to students informally.
undertake during the courses under inspection. This should
include an introduction to all years of all courses. Staff should be Meeting with the Staff
on hand to provide a brief explanation of each project undertaken Schools are reminded that ALL full and part-time staff within the
by students throughout each year of each course that is being School should attend this meeting. It is not usual for the Head of
considered. Where appropriate the School may wish to invite one School to attend, although he/she may do so if this is agreed by
or two students to present a brief introduction to their work. It is the staff team. If the Head does attend it is suggested that, given
also helpful at this stage if staff provide the Board with a very brief the earlier meeting with the Board, he/she only speaks if
explanation of how the School approaches the five core areas of specifically invited to. It is helpful if this meeting can be organised
the RIBA Validation Criteria i.e., Design, Technology & in a room which is laid out in board room style.
Environment, Cultural Context, Communication, and In addition to the above, Board members will want to observe any
Management Practice & Law. It is important that this part of the relevant seminars, lectures and/or crits. taking place during the
visit runs to time to allow the Visiting Board time to carry out its visit – the School should place copies of the timetable for the two
other work. days of the visit in the base room and provide a guide to take
members of the Board to the locations of lectures etc. School are
not expected to timetable extra lectures or crits. for the purpose of
RIBA International Validation Procedures 49
the Visiting Board; the Board will only wish to observe the normal - QA procedures
activities of the School on that day of the week. - facilities
A Visiting Board will use all of these opportunities to gather
evidence; therefore Members’ questions to staff and students may It is important that the School provides all the information listed
range from the strategic to requests for basic information. above in advance of the visit.

A5.5 What Information Will the Board Expect to See? On arrival at the Base Room
- Prospectus & marketing info
About Eight Weeks Before the Visit (precise date to be agreed - Staff CVs
with the RIBA): - School timetable
Critical Self-Appraisal - Most recent HEFCE/QAA Report
- history and context - School and Institutional Prospectuses
- critical evaluation of achievement - Full Syllabus for all subjects/modules
- strengths & weaknesses - Copies of the examination question papers and all other
- future ambitions etc. assessments for all levels of all courses in the year preceding the
visit.
Four weeks prior to the visit: - to be sent by the School directly to
Visiting Board members (address labels supplied): During the Visit
An exhibition of student work which is representative of all years
Completed Questionnaire for all courses being considered for validation. The exhibition is
- details of each course intended to give the Board an outline of all the design projects and
- details of professional practice arrangements threads of the courses that students are undertaking. The Board
- admissions policies welcomes a mixed range of work from the lowest passes to the
- student statistics highest. The Board welcomes a brief explanation of each year’s
- cohort analysis etc. work by the relevant tutors and one/two students. In addition,
- staff lists: full-time, part-time and visiting academic staff plus the Board would welcome a brief explanation of how the School
technical/support staff tackles each of the five main areas of the Criteria for Validation
for each course, and how these are integrated into the courses.
External Examiner Reports
- reports from all external examiners since the last visit (unless Mark Sheets
already supplied in Annual Monitoring), together with the School's Full mark sheets for the graduating cohort(s) from the preceding
responses. year. These should identify on the mark sheet, the work provided
for the Board to examine. If there is more than one cohort of
Supplementary Information graduates each year, then the board will want to see mark sheets
-teaching, learning and assessment approaches and samples of work for all cohorts in that year
- school context
RIBA International Validation Procedures 50
Academic Portfolios: Parts One & Two have to be suspended the board will leave the institution
For Parts One and Two the Board will wish to see a minimum of immediately and all costs be borne by the institution.
seven full academic portfolios of student work from the preceding
year for each course being considered for validation. A minimum Boards have experienced incoherent displays of work – Schools
of 2 high passes, 2 middle passes, and the 3 lowest passes for each are asked to label work clearly and ensure that it correlates to the
year of each course should be provided. Each academic portfolio mark sheets and identifies the high, medium and low passes.
should contain all students assessed work from that particular level
– there is no need to include work the student has completed in The exhibition and portfolios should be displayed in a quiet space,
previous years unless this is necessary to demonstrate that specific which can be closed off to staff/students etc. The Board must be
aspects of the Validation Criteria are being met. Boards welcome able to examine the portfolios in private, with no staff or students
more work than the minimum seven samples. As a guide, for present unless the Board members specifically request that a
larger courses 10% of student's work should be provided. For member of staff is present to explain a particular aspect of the
Schools that operate vertical studios or atelier studios, the lowest portfolio/marksheets.
pass portfolios should be provided from each of those studios.
Whilst they are not necessarily easy to retain, Boards appreciate The Board is often split into groups to examine portfolios/part
being able to observe failed portfolios to better understand the three material. The groups are then encouraged to swap over, so
School's decisions in respect of pass thresholds. Portfolios should that everyone is able to examine as much information as possible.
contain all the examination and written work for those particular The Board will split up to visit such things as the library, the IT
students in addition to the design work. The Board also welcomes facilities, the studios etc.
the opportunity to examine any preparation work students may
have undertaken, i.e. sketch books. The Board recognises that Please expect that there will be requests for additional information,
there are many different mediums through which student work made through the Visiting Board Secretary. If the School wishes
may be expressed. Student work may be presented on CD Rom, to supply additional information to follow up issues raised in
provided the Board has access to the appropriate facilities to view meetings, please channel this through the Visiting Board Secretary,
this work. All portfolios/work should be clearly labelled so that so the Board can note what it has received.
work is easily identifiable.
Schools often wish to display work from other postgraduate
courses and research projects. Please remember that the Board
A5.6 General Issues will only be interested in this material in so far as it has an impact
Suspended Visits on the courses being examined for validation. Whilst it is
If a school fails to provide sufficient information for a Board to interesting for the Board to see this information, Members will not
make a decision on validation and it is deemed by the Board to be have time to look at it and will focus on what they are there to
serious enough, the Board is able to suspend its consideration of look at.
the relevant course(s). A school shall be given the opportunity to
address the demands of the visiting board however should a visit

RIBA International Validation Procedures 51

A5.7 What are the Outcomes of a Visiting Board? - The appointment of an advisor, approved by the School and the
RIBA,
A Visiting Board may recommend three possible outcomes to the for a specified time period. (The advisor will be asked to report
RIBA Education Committee: regularly to the RIBA)
- Continued Validation: no problems identified, will apply for - The submission of external examiners’ reports to the RIBA for a
four years; specified time period
- Conditional Continued Validation: will be recommended - A revisit, by either a sub-group of the Board or a full Visiting
where: Board.
a. The lowest pass standards being set for a course being
unacceptable If a School is unhappy with the outcome of a visit, a formal review
b. The Validation Criteria not being met by a course procedure exists. Within 7 days of the receipt of the draft Visiting
c. Evidence that the School has neither responded to Board report, the Head of School may write to the Secretary to the
recommendations made by previous Visiting Boards, nor Visiting Board and request that, by reason of procedural or other
provided the RIBA with a clear rationale for not doing so errors, the report should be reviewed, raising any matter which the
d. By exception, any other matter of sufficient gravity, which Visiting Board ought to have taken into account, but did not.
would lead the Visiting Board to believe that Validation
Criteria will not be met, or lowest pass standards not be A5.8 Following a Visit
acceptable within the foreseeable future and that cannot
satisfactorily be addressed via annual monitoring, or the The Visiting Board report will be drafted by the Secretary to the
mid-term visit. Visiting Board. Visiting Board members will be asked to
comment on the draft document and amend it as necessary. The
- Withdrawal of Validation: Report will then be sent to the Head of School for factual
Where there are very serious concerns regarding either the failure correction. The Head of School must make a response within one
of the course to address the criteria or meet required standards week of receiving the report. The report is amended accordingly,
which, in the opinion of Visiting Board could not be rectified by re-issued to the Head of School and is formally lodged with the
specifying conditions of Validation it will recommend that RIBA. The report is first considered by the RIBA Validation
Validation be withdrawn with effect from the end of the academic Committee which checks for consistency of approach and that the
session following the decision of the RIBA Professional Services recommendations made in the report are fully supported by the
Board (PSB). evidence cited. Validation Committee then recommends a
decision to RIBA Education Committee which has delegated
If Conditional Continued Validation is recommended, the Board powers from the RIBA Professional Services Board to make all
may recommend one or more of the following: formal decisions other than one to withdraw validation.

- The submission of reports on the aspect of provision in question Under the modernised Procedures, Schools have an opportunity
to the RIBA for a specified time period, (usually, but not always, to request a reconsideration of the decision of the RIBA
for two years) Education Committee should the Visiting Board’s
RIBA International Validation Procedures 52
recommendation be anything other than unconditional computer with internet email access. A regular supply of
recognition. refreshments to the base-room throughout the visit is appreciated.

Once the report has been formally confirmed by the RIBA

Education Committee, (or the RIBA Professional Services Board
in the case of a decision to withdraw validation), a copy of the
confirmed report will be sent to the Vice-Chancellor and the Head
of School and published on the RIBA website.

A5.9 General Housekeeping

For a full Visiting Board to a currently validated course, the

Secretary will make all the arrangements for the Board’s
accommodation and evening meals. The School is asked to
provide refreshments for the Visiting Board members and any
observers throughout the day including lunches. The Secretary
will also be responsible for making transport arrangements for the
Board during the visit. It is helpful however, if Schools can
provide, in advance of the visit, details of local hotels etc.

For visits relating to new courses, for revisits required as a result

of the imposition of conditions by an original board and for
reconvened boards following suspension of an original Board,
Schools are responsible for directly organising or reimbursing
accommodation, meal and travel costs for the Board members.
This can be discussed with the Secretary prior to the visit.

It is useful it the School can inform the Secretary in good time of

any potential problems there may be with regard to accessibility,
i.e. any lack of lift access to rooms to be used in the visit ,
awkward or step stairways. The RIBA would expect School’s to
ensure that there is reasonable access to all areas that the Visiting
Board needs to access to carry out its work.

The Board should be provided with a lockable base-room for their

use throughout the visit. The room should have a telephone, and
RIBA International Validation Procedures 53
APPENDIX 6 Validation Panel Procedures 5. Training
The RIBA will organise at least one training event per year for all
1. Introduction Validation Panel members. In addition at least one additional
The RIBA will maintain a Validation Panel from which nominees session will be organised per year to allow Visiting Board members
for each Visiting Board will be selected. The Validation Panel will to share their experiences of Visiting Boards and to learn from
be of a sufficient size to ensure an adequate number of best practice.
appropriately experienced individuals are available for each
Visiting Board. Appointments to the Validation Panel are 6. Code of Practice
approved by the RIBA Education Committee advised by the The RIBA has a Code of Practice which it expects all members of
RIBA Validation Committee. the Panel to adhere to. Copies are available from the Head of
validation at the RIBA.
2. Membership
The Validation Panel membership will include RIBA chartered 7. Member's Expenses
members from practice, RIBA chartered and affiliate members The RIBA will reimburse the reasonable travel and subsistence
from academia together with RIBA student/graduate members expenses of individuals serving on the Validation Panel when
and non-architect members. The clear aim will be to recruit high serving on Visiting Boards and when attending training sessions.
calibre individuals to all constituencies of the Panel. Panel Standard RIBA policy on expenses will apply.
members will be expected to participate in two Visiting Boards per
year and to attend the annual training session(s). 8. Declaration of Interest
Members of the Validation panel will be asked annually to submit
3. Term of Office an up-to-date CV to the RIBA. Members will be asked to declare
Membership of the Validation Panel is normally for a period of any possible conflict of interest (e.g. member of staff, external
four years with the opportunity of reappointment for a further examiner or advisor in the previous 4 years) in relation to any
four years. Student/graduate members are re-appointed annually. school of architecture with recognised courses.
The membership of the panel may be extended to provide a pool
of experienced board chairs and to facilitate the appointment of 9. List of members
continuity members to boards A list of members of the RIBA Validation Panel will be published
on the RIBA website. Declarations of interests are sought from all
4. Selection panel members and are lodged at the RIBA.
The RIBA will openly advertise for new Validation Panel members
to refresh the Panel on an annual basis. Selection will be by
interview. The RIBA Equal Opportunity Policy will apply.

RIBA International Validation Procedures 54

APPENDIX 7
Guidance Note on Academic Portfolios Whatever format is adopted, all portfolios/work should be
sensibly structured and clearly labelled so that work is easily
identifiable.
1. What is an Academic Portfolio?
The academic portfolio is a comprehensive chronological record Schools should provide their students with clear guidance on the
of a student’s design project work together with all other course assembly and maintenance of academic portfolios with a view to
work, including reports, dissertations, sketch books and any other ensuring that the portfolio is a coherent, complete, well-structured
evidence of work, (with project briefs and examination papers), and carefully catalogued assembly of information capable of
that have been assessed as part of the course leading to an award independent consideration. In particular, emphasis should be
for which validation is being requested. placed on developmental materials being retained and
incorporated in the portfolios, for example sketch books should
2. Purpose of an Academic Portfolio be included and photographic records of physical models need to
The purpose of the academic portfolio is two-fold. It is primarily be made and included.
intended as a personal tool for the student to assemble work that
can be used in future to gain professional placement or 4. What Academic Portfolios will an RIBA Visiting Board
employment. It is also a tool for documenting the outcomes of wish to see?
student work to allow RIBA Visiting Boards to assess whether or
not the RIBA Validation Criteria are being met and appropriate The Board will wish to see a minimum of seven full academic
standards being achieved by students studying on the course portfolios of student work from the preceding year for each
concerned. course being considered for validation. A minimum of 2 high
passes, 2 middle passes, and the 3 LOWEST passes for each year
3. Portfolio Format of each course should be provided. Each academic portfolio
Although the word "portfolio" is used, this does not necessarily should contain all the students assessed work from that particular
mean that the work has to be assembled in a traditional portfolio level – there is normally no need to include work the student has
case, although this is still the most common approach. The completed in previous years, but see section 4.1.3 below. Boards
alternative dictionary definition of portfolio: "drawings, welcome more work than the minimum seven samples. As a guide,
photographs and other material that demonstrate recent work" is for larger courses, the portfolios of 10% of the cohort should be
perhaps more helpful. Visiting Boards recognise that there are provided.
many different mediums through which student work may be
expressed and many different ways in which the collected work The LOWEST mark means the lowest aggregate mark once all
can be assembled. Student work may be in electronic form on CD aspects of the course have been taken into consideration. It does
or accessible via the university network provided the Board has NOT mean the lowest pass in design.
access to the appropriate facilities to view this work. The Board,
however, also need the opportunity to examine any preparation
work students may have undertaken, i.e. sketch books, models etc.
RIBA International Validation Procedures 55
If a school does not normally calculate the aggregate mark and Academic portfolios should normally contain work from the
classify awards accordingly, they should discuss this with the RIBA preceding year/ level of the course. Schools should, however
well in advance of the Visit. include the work of the previous year(s) (making two or three
academic years in all) where:
4.1.1 Schools with Vertical Studios or Atelier Systems • There has been a significant change in the course
For Schools that operate vertical studios or atelier studios, the one structure/content. For example if a change has been made to
lowest pass portfolios from each studios should be provided, a Part One course such that the work undertaken by the last
rather than the three lowest passes overall. The two middle and second year cohort is significantly different from the work
two high pass portfolios should be drawn from across the studios undertaken by the recently graduated cohort in their second
so that a reasonable balance is maintained in the work to be year.
viewed by the Board. In these cases, the specific arrangements • The School's mapping of its course onto the Validation
will be discussed at the Preliminary Visit. Criteria indicates that areas of the Validation Criteria are being
met in the year(s) preceding the final year of the programme.
4.1.2 Part-time Provision
For part-time courses the advice differs depending on the format 4.1.4 Failed Portfolios
of the programme. Whilst they are not necessarily easy to retain, Boards appreciate
• Where part-time students simply follow a course of extended being able to observe failed portfolios to better understand the
duration, but are taught and assessed in an integrated fashion School's decisions in respect of pass thresholds. Portfolios should
alongside full-time students undertaking exactly the same contain all the examination and written work for those particular
assignments and projects, no special arrangements are students in addition to the design work.
required. The portfolios of students following a part-time
route would be included if they fall in the lowest three passes.

• Where part-time students follow the same course and

undertake the same assignments as full-time students, but a
separate design studio group is operated for part-timers, the
lowest pass portfolio from this studio should be made
available.

• Where an independent part-time course is operated with

distinctive teaching and separate design studios, this should be
treated as a separate course and the three lowest, two middle
and two high portfolios provided for scrutiny by the Board.

4.1.3 Work from Previous Years

RIBA International Validation Procedures 56

APPENDIX 8
Student Statistics – Tables A and B

TABLE A Course title

Provide cohort statistics for the Part One course(s) in the current and each of the five preceding years (for the current year only intake figures will be available; for the preceding year
full ‘first year’ information and intake figures for ‘year two’ will be available and so on). Two copies of this chart are required to cover the necessary cohorts. The chart may be
adapted by adding extra boxes or years to fit the particular circumstances of a course or school.

Cohort _______ ___________ ___________

First Year year ________year ________year ________

Enrolled Year 1

less withdrew/transferred before assessment

less failed assessment

Passed Year 1

less withdrew/transferred after assessment

Second Year year year year

Continuing to Year 2

plus direct entry to Year 2

plus students repeating Year 2

less withdrew/transferred before assessment

less failed assessment

Passed Year 2

less withdrew/transferred after assessment

RIBA International Validation Procedures 57

Third Year year year year

Continuing to Year 3

plus direct entry to Year 3

plus students repeating Year 3

less withdrew/transferred before assessment

less failed assessment

Passed Final Examination

Results 1st
2.1
2.2
3rd

RIBA International Validation Procedures 58

TABLE B COHORT ANALYSIS - PART TWO

PART TWO course(s) Course title

Provide cohort statistics for the Part Two course(s) in the current and each of the five preceding years (for the current year only intake figures will be
available; for the preceding year full’ first year’ information and intake figures for ‘year two’ will be available and so on). Two copies of this chart are
required to cover the necessary cohorts. The chart may be adapted by adding extra boxes or years to fit the particular circumstances of a course or
school, eg details of the professional practice year should be included where this is possible.
Cohort _______ ___________ ___________

First Year year ________year ___year ________

Entrants from the School’s Part One course(s)

plus entrants from other Schools

plus entrants from overseas

plus students repeating this year

Total intake to the first Year of the Part Two

less withdrew/transferred before assessment

less failed assessment

Passed First Year (Part Two)

less withdrew/transferred after assessment

RIBA International Validation Procedures 59

Second Year year year year

Continuing to Second Year (Part Two)

plus direct entry to Second Year (Part2)

plus students repeating Second Year (Part Two)

less withdrew/transferred before assessment

less failed assessment

Passed Final Examination

Results Distinction

Pass

RIBA International Validation Procedures 60

APPENDIX 9
Visiting Board Report Template

Royal Institute of British Architects

Report of the RIBA Visiting Board

to the [Institution Title]
Confirmed by RIBA Education Committee X XX 200X

[Title 1; school/ group/etc.]

[Title 2; Faculty /etc.]

[course title 1]
[course title 2]
[course title 3]
[course title 4]

Date of Visiting Board: XX-XX Month 200X

RIBA International Validation Procedures 61

 [Member 4]
1. Information About the Courses [Member 5] (Regional Nominee)
[Member 6] (Non-Architect Member)
1.1 Courses offered for revalidation: [Member 7] (Student Member)
[Course title 1] Part 1
[Staff ] (RIBA) was in attendance as Secretary to the
X years FT or X years PT
Board.
[Course title 2], Part 2
[name] attended the Board as an observer.
X years FT or X years PT

1.2 Address of the Institution where the courses are 3. Procedures & Criteria for the Visit
delivered
3.1 The Visiting Board was carried out under the ‘RIBA
[Address line 1]
Procedures for the Validation of UK Courses and
[Address line 2]
Examinations in Architecture,’ published September 2003,
[Address line 3]
effective from September 2003, 'RIBA Criteria for
[Address line 4]
Validation', published March 2002, effective from
[Address line 5]
September 2003. For more information see
Country
www.architecture.com.
Code

T: 4. Recommendations of the Visiting Board

F:
W: 4.1 The Visiting Board recommended
[Continued/Continued Validation with
1.3 Name of Awarding Body Conditions/Withdrawal of Validation] of;

1.4 Name of Head of School [Course title 1] Part 1

X years FT or X years PT
2. Membership of the Visiting Board [Course title 2] Part 2
X years FT or X years PT
2.1 The members of the RIBA Visiting Board for the visit on
XX-XX Month 200X were:
4.2 The next Visiting Board should take place in (year:
[Member 1] (Chair) 200X+5)
[Member 2]
[Member 3] 5. Criteria for Validation
RIBA International Validation Procedures 62
 iii. any change of award title, and the effective date of
5.1 On the basis of the sample of academic portfolios the change, being reported to the RIBA so that,
examined, the Visiting Board was satisfied that all the where appropriate, recognition may formally be
students graduating from the courses and examinations transferred to the new title by the RIBA
listed in 4.1 above satisfied all the Criteria for Validation iv. submission to the RIBA of the names of students
passing the courses/qualifications listed in 4.
6. Standards
9. Summary of Previous Visiting Board
6.1 On the basis of the academic portfolios examined, the Reports
work from the previous year of the courses listed in 4.1
inspected during the visit was found to meet the required 9.1 The last RIBA Visiting Board to the University of
standards. xxxxxxxx took place on the XX-XX Month XXXX (year).
The Board recommended that Continued/Conditional
7. Conditions of Validation Recognition be granted to:

7.1 There were no conditions attached to the courses listed in [Course title 1] Part 1
4.1. or The Visiting Board recommends that the courses X years FT or X years PT
listed in 4.2 receive continued validation with conditions. [Course title 2] Part 2
The following conditions of recognition applies; X years FT or X years PT

[Course title 1] Part 1 or 2 as appropriate 9.2 [Insert summary of XXXX (year) Board report….]
i. [Insert e.g Revisit by a full visiting board in Month
200X ]
ii. [Insert, e.g submission of a report as described in
section 11 in Month 200X ]
10. Details of the Conditions in Item 8.
10.1 There were no conditions attached to the courses listed in
8. Standard Requirements of Recognition 4.1 or The following conditions have been applied to:

8.1 RIBA recognition of all courses/qualifications is [Course title 1] Part 1

dependent upon: i. [Insert condition e.g Revisit by a full visiting board
in Month 200X ]
i. external examiners being appointed for the course; ii. Insert condition, e.g submission of a report as
ii. any significant changes to the courses and described in section 12 in Month 200X ]
examinations being submitted to the RIBA

RIBA International Validation Procedures 63

10.2 [Insert statement for reasons for Continued Validation 13.1 Self-Appraisal and Developments since the last visit
with Conditions]
10.3 [Insert timescale for fulfilling conditions] 13.2 Documentation and Arrangements for the Visit
10.4 [If Revisit, insert purpose, timing & number of members 13.2.1 Record of Academic Portfolios sampled during the visit
to be involved]]
13.3 Responses made to the previous Visiting Board
11. Recommendations report (and to reports of any revisits) and external
examiner comments.
11.1 The Visiting Board has made the following
recommendations. The RIBA will expects the Institution 13.4 Context of the courses within the wider provision of
to report on action taken or planned as a result of the the school and Faculty.
recommendations in the annual monitoring returns
submitted by the school and in the mid term review. 13.5 Detailed Commentary on the Course leading to the
Failure by an Institution to act on recommendations, or [Insert Course Title 1]
provide the RIBA with a clear rationale for not doing so, 13.5.1 Clarity, validity and achievement of course objectives
may result in a course being conditioned by a future 13.5.2 Course design and content
Visiting Board. 13.5.3 Quality and coverage of the syllabus (including balance
and integration between design/non-design work)
11.2 [Insert recommendations regarding; - Design
The resourcing of a course - Technology & Environment
QA procedures - Cultural Context
Aspects of course provision, which whilst meeting - Communication
the Criteria for Validation, still give cause for - Management Practice & Law
concern.] - Preparation for Professional Experience, (Part 1 only)
13.5.4 Progression within the course
12. Advice 13.5.5 Assessment: methods, content and coverage, relative
weightings, standards achieved (commenting separately on
12.1 The Visiting Board offers the following advice to the examinations, course work, dissertations, design projects
Institution on desirable, but not essential improvements, which it as appropriate),
is felt would assist course development and/or raise standards; 13.5.6 Admissions and arrangements for direct entry at a stage
other than the start of the course
12.2 [Insert advice]
13.6 External examining arrangements
13. Commentary

RIBA International Validation Procedures 64

13.7 Arrangements for Monitoring Professional
Experience

13.8 Students: Any relevant points arising from the documents

provided by, or meeting with, students which are not
covered elsewhere in the report. Comments based on the
student statistics.

13.9 Staff: Any special strengths or other comments.

Involvement of practitioners etc. on a part-time basis. Any
points raised in the staff meeting which are not covered
elsewhere in the report.

13.10 Research: Impact of research activities on the courses

under examination.

13.11 Equal Opportunities

13.12 Resourcing and facilities: Comments regarding studio

accommodation, library, labs and workshops, Information
Technology (IT) etc.

14. Attachments
Record of the documentation provided before and during
the visit. Course structure diagrams for courses
recommended for Validation (as provided by the school
prior to the visit).

RIBA International Validation Procedures 65

APPENDIX 10
RIBA Committee Structure
Considers and
Considers and confirms confirms report if
Visiting Board report if recommendation is
recommendation is withdrawal of
validation/Continued validation or removal Notes outcome of
Prepares Visiting Considers Visiting Validation with of candidate course Visiting Board
Board report Board report Conditions/ continued status
validation

RIBA
RIBA RIBA RIBA Professional RIBA RIBA Council
Visiting Board Validation Education Services Board
Committee Committee (PSB) Holdings Board

Review Process Appeal against Appeal against

decision of decision of PSB
Education
Committee

Only in respect of decisions on Only in respect of

validation, continued validation or decisions to withdraw
Continued Validation with validation or remove
Conditions candidate course status

RIBA International Validation Procedures 66

DECISION MAKING MATRIX

Nature of Report and Recommendation NCCCG RIBA RIBA RIBA RIBA Council

Review**
Validation Education Professional

Review*

Appeal

Appeal
Committee Committee Services Board

Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Approve - - Note

Continued Validation
Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Approve √ - Note
Continued Validation with Conditions
Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Consider - Approve √ Note
Withdrawal of Validation
Initial Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Approve - - Note
Initial Validation
Initial Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Approve √ - Note
Extension of Candidate Course Status
Initial Visiting Board Report recommending √ Consider Consider - Approve √ Note
Withdrawal of Candidate Course Status
Exploratory Visiting Board recommending √ Consider - Consider Approve - -
Candidate Course Status
Exploratory Visiting Board - NO √ Consider - Consider Approve √ -
recommendation of Candidate Course status
Approval for Change of Degree Title Consider - Consider Approve - -

Approval for Minor Change in Course Approve - Note Note - -

Content
Approval for Major Change in Course Consider - Approve Note - -
Content

* Review by Sub-Group of NCCCG

** Review by Sub-Group of Validation Committee

Page 67
APPENDIX 11

Mapping Templates

Page 68
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART ONE DESIGN

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 1 students will demonstrate

coherent designs that integrate a
knowledge of:

• The ways that analysis, research,

context, budget, preparation and
development of a brief inform a
design proposal

• The regulatory frameworks, and

health and safety considerations that
guide design and building
construction

• Architectural histories and theories,

of physical, artistic and cultural
contexts, and their use in informing
the design process

And ability to:

• Work as part of a team

Page 69
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART ONE TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN COURSE OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

(to be completed by School) VISITING BOARD MEMBER

At Part 1 students will demonstrate,

within coherent architectural designs and
academic portfolio, the ability to integrate
knowledge of:
• The principles of building
technologies, environmental design
and construction methods, in relation
to:
- human well-being
- the welfare of future generations
- the natural world
- consideration of a sustainable
environment
- use of materials
- process of assembly
- structural principles

• The impact of design on legislation,

codes of practice and health and
safety both during the construction
and operation of a project.

Page 70
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART ONE CULTURAL CONTEXT

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN COURSE OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

(to be completed by School) VISITING BOARD MEMBER

At Part 1 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and
academic portfolio

Awareness of:
• The influence on the contemporary
built environment of individual
buildings, the design of cities, past and
present societies and wider global
issues.

Knowledge of::
• The histories and theories of
architecture and urban design, the
history of ideas, and the related
disciplines of art, cultural studies and
landscape studies.

Ability to:
• Form considered judgements about the
spatial, aesthetic, technical and social
qualities of a design within the scope
and scale of a wider environment

• Reflect upon, and relate their ideas to, a

design and to the work of others.

Page 71
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART ONE COMMUNICATION

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN COURSE OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

(to be completed by School) VISITING BOARD MEMBER

At Part 1 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and
academic portfolio ability to:

• Use visual, verbal and written

communication methods and
appropriate media (including sketching,
modelling, digital and electronic
techniques) to clearly and effectively
convey and critically appraise design
ideas and proposals.

• Use the conventions of architectural

representation from two-dimensional
and three-dimensional graphics to
computer generated and physical
models

• Listen, and critically respond to, the

views of others

Page 72
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART ONE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE & LAW

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN COURSE OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

(to be completed by School) VISITING BOARD
MEMBER
At Part 1 students will demonstrate
within an academic portfolio

An awareness of:

• the principles of business

management and how a small
business operates

A knowledge of:

• How buildings are designed and built

in the context of architectural and
professional practice and the
framework of the construction
industry within which it operates

And ability to:

• Manage and appraise their own

working practices, whether working
independently or collaboratively

Page 73
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO DESIGN SHEET ONE

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will produce and

demonstrate coherent and well resolved
architectural designs that integrate

Knowledge of:
• The social, political, economic and
professional context that guides building
construction

Understanding of:
• Briefs and how to critically appraise them
to ensure that the design response is
appropriate to site and context, and for
reasons such as sustainability and budget

• The regulatory requirements, including the

needs of the disabled, health and safety
legislation and building regulations and
development control, that guide building
construction

Page 74
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO DESIGN SHEET TWO

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will produce and

demonstrate coherent and well resolved
architectural designs that integrate an

Understanding of:
An appropriate philosophical approach which
reveals an understanding of theory in a cultural
context

And ability to:

• Generate and systematically test, analyse
and appraise design options, and draw
conclusions which display methodological
and theoretical rigour

• Work as part of a team

Page 75
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT SHEET ONE

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate, within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio, the ability to integrate

Knowledge of:
• The principles and theories associated
with visual, thermal and acoustic
environments
• Climatic design and the relationship
between climate, built form, construction,
life style, energy consumption and human
well-being

Understanding of:
• Building technologies, environmental
design and construction methods in
relation to:
- human well-being
- the welfare of future generations
- the natural world
- the consideration of a sustainable
environment
• The impact on design of legislation, codes
of practice and health and safety both
during the construction and occupation of
a project

Page 76
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT SHEET TWO

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate, within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio, the ability to

• Devise structural and constructional

strategies for a complex building or group
of buildings, employing integrative
knowledge of:
• Structural theories
• Constructional techniques and
processes
• The physical properties and
characteristics of building materials
and components and the
environmental impact of specification
choices
• The provision of building services

Page 77
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO CULTURAL CONTEXT SHEET ONE

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio

Understanding of:
• The influences on the contemporary built
environment of individual buildings, the
design of cities, past and present societies
and wider global issues

• The histories and theories of architecture

and urban design, the history of ideas, and
the related disciplines of art, cultural
studies and landscape studies and its
application in critical debate

• The inter relationship between people,

buildings and the environment and an
understanding of the need to relate
buildings and the spaces between them to
human needs and scale

Page 78
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO CULTURAL CONTEXT SHEET TWO

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio, an ability to:

• Critically appraise and form considered

judgements about the spatial, aesthetic,
technical and social qualities of a design
within the scope and scale of a wider
environment

• Independently define, and critically

appraise, their ideas in relation to a design
and to the work of others

Page 79
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO COMMUNICATION SHEET ONE

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio

Understanding of:
• The contribution of other professionals in
the design process showing an appropriate
use of team working skills, recognising the
importance of current methods in the
construction industry

And ability to:

• Use visual, verbal and written

communication methods and appropriate
media (including sketching, modelling,
digital and electronic techniques) to
represent the testing, analysis and critical
appraisal of complex design proposals and
their resolution to a range of professionals
and lay audiences

Page 80
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO COMMUNICATION SHEET TWO

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within

coherent architectural designs and academic
portfolio,

Ability to:

• Use architectural representations having

critically appraised the most appropriate
techniques available

• Produce documentation and reports which

are clear, analytical and logical covering a
range of architectural issues of culture,
theory and design

Page 81
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO MANAGEMENT PRACTICE & LAW SHEET ONE

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within an

academic portfolio

Knowledge of::
• How cost control mechanisms operate
within the development of an architectural
project

Understanding of:

• The basic principles of business

management and factors related to
running a design practice and how
architects organise, administer and manage
an architectural project, recognising
current and emerging trends in the
construction industry such as partnering,
integrated project process, value
engineering and risk management

• The inter-relationships of individuals and

organisations involved in the procurement
and delivery of architectural projects, and
how these are defined and effected
through a variety of contractual and
organisational structures

Page 82
 VISITING BOARD TEMPLATE: PART TWO MANAGEMENT PRACTICE & LAW SHEET TWO

RIBA CRITERIA WHERE ADDRESSED IN OBSERVATIONS MADE BY NOTE ON EVIDENCE

COURSE VISITING BOARD MEMBER
(to be completed by School)

At Part 2 students will demonstrate within an

academic portfolio

Understanding of:
• The fundamental legal, professional and
statutory requirements as they are relevant
to building design and practice, with
particular reference to matters relating to
health & safety and universal design for
access.

• The professional duties and

responsibilities of architects, as defined
and described in the Codes and Standards
relating to their professional practice

And ability to:

• Identify and manage individual learning

needs so as to prepare for and maintain
professional standards commensurate with
qualification

Page 83
 London: Kingston University
APPENDIX 12: List of Schools with Courses recognised by London: London Metropolitan University
the RIBA London: Royal College of Art (Part 2 only)
London: London South Bank University
UK London: University of Westminster
Manchester: Manchester School of Architecture
Aberdeen: Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, Robert Newcastle: University of Newcastle
Gordon University Newcastle: University of Northumbria (Part One only)
Bath: University of Bath Nottingham: University of Nottingham
Belfast: The Queen’s University, Belfast Oxford: Oxford Brookes University
Belfast: Ulster University (Part One only) Plymouth: University of Plymouth
Birmingham: Birmingham School of Architecture, Birmingham Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth
City University Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University (Part One only)
Bristol: University of West of England Sheffield: University of Sheffield
Brighton: University of Brighton
Cambridge: University of Cambridge (Part One only)
Canterbury: Canterbury School of Architecture, University of the
Creative Arts
Canterbury: Kent School of Architecture, University of Kent
Cardiff: Welsh School of Architecture, University of Cardiff
Dundee: University of Dundee
Edinburgh: Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh
Glasgow: University of Strathclyde
Glasgow: The Mackintosh School
Huddersfield: The University of Huddersfield
Leeds: Leeds Metropolitan University
Leicester: De Montfort University
Lincoln: University of Lincoln
Liverpool: University of Liverpool
Liverpool: Liverpool John Moores University
London: Architectural Association
London: The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College
London: University of East London
London: University of Greenwich

84
International Schools University of Chile, Santiago
University of the Bio Bio, Concepcion
* Recognised through the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA)
# Part One only Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago
Amended April 2009 University of Talca
University of La Serena
Argentina University of Valparaiso
University of Mendoza
Belgrano University, Buenos Aires China
Palermo University, Buenos Aires *University of Hong Kong
*Chinese University of Hong Kong
Australia
*University of Canberra Colombia
*University of Technology, Sydney Catholic University of Colombia, Bogota
*University of New South Wales National University of Colombia, Bogota
*University of Newcastle, New South National University of Colombia, Medellin
Wales Pontifical University of Bolivariana, Medellin
*University of Sydney Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota
*Queensland University of Technology,
Brisbane Egypt
*University of Queensland, Brisbane Arab Academy of Science and Technology - Alexandria
*University of South Australia, Adelaide Arab Academy of Science & Technology - Cairo #
*University of Adelaide
*University of Tasmania, Launceston Ghana
*Royal Melbourne Inst. of Technology, *University of Science and Technology,
Victoria Kumasi
*University of Melbourne
*Deakin University, Victoria India
*Curtin University of Technology, Perth *Kamla Raheja Vidyyanidhi Institute for Architecture &
*University of Western Australia, Environmental Studies, Mumbai
Nedlands *Manipal Institute of Technoloy, Manipal #
*Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai
Bulgaria
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering & Geodesy, Sofia Ireland
University College Dublin
Chile
Central University Santiago
Page 85
 *Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria
Jamaica *University of Witwatersrand
*The University of Technology, Caribbean School of Architecture
South Korea
Kenya The Korean National University of the Arts
*University of Nairobi, Kenya
*Jomo Kenyatta, University of Agriculture Sri Lanka
and Technology, Nairobi University of Moratuwa

Malaysia Uganda
University of Malaya *Makere University #

New Zealand
*University of Auckland
*Victoria University of Wellington
*UNITEC Institute of Technology

Papua New Guinea

* University of Technology, Papua New Guinea

Poland
Cracow Institute of Technology

Romania
‘Ion Mincu’ Institute of Architecture, Bucharest

Singapore
National University of Singapore

South Africa
*University of Cape Town
*University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
*University of the Free State, Bloemfontein
*Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
*University of Pretoria

Page 86
APPENDIX 13 equivalence to the Part 2 stage of UK architectural education
The RIBA Examination in Professional Practice and before you can take Part 3.
Management : Part Three
Contact:
The Examination in Professional Practice and Management The Architects Registration Board
(or ‘Part 3’) is the final stage in an architect’s education and Ability House
training and the foundation for life-long learning and 7 Portland Place
development as a member of the architectural profession. London
Successful candidates are entitled to register as an architect in the W1B 1PP
UK and to apply for Chartered membership of the Royal Institute T 020 7580 5861
of British Architects. F 020 7436 5269
E [email protected]
The Part 3 Examination marks the culmination of an W www.arb.org.uk
architect’s 7+ years of education and training and the
starting point of full professional status, with its associated For further information, please see the RIBA Information Sheet 3:
commitments to the Code of Professional Conduct and to RIBA Examination in Professional Practice and Management (Part
maintaining and developing professional skills (formalised for 3), available from [email protected],
RIBA members in the RIBA CPD Scheme).
See also
http://www.architecture.com/EducationAndCareers/Studying/P
You are eligible to take the Examination in Professional Practice artIII.aspxl
and Management if you have passed Part 1 and Part 2 of the RIBA
Examination in Architecture, or courses recognised by the RIBA
for exemption from its professional membership examinations
and by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) for UK
registration. You should also have gained a minimum of two
years professional experience in architecture. One of the
years should have been gained in the UK after passing Part 2,
working under the direct supervision of an UK registered
architect. If you obtained your Part 2 overseas through a CAA
or RIBA recognised school it is important to contact the
Architects Registration Board (ARB), as they no longer
recognise any overseas qualifications for UK registration. You will
need an individual assessment by the ARB Assessment Panel for
Page 87
APPENDIX 14 –CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTATION AND ARRANGEMENTS

To be completed by the school of architecture and faxed* to the RIBA no later than 7 working days prior to the Visiting Board departing the
UK. Please see Appendix 5 (pages 48-50 for full details of documentation to be submitted before and during the visit).
*This form can also be emailed to the RIBA to [email protected]

Fax to: Stephanie Beasley-Suffolk From:

Fax No. 44 20 7307 3754 Fax No.
Direct Tel No. 44 20 7307 3783 Direct Tel No.
Date. School

Email. [email protected] Address

1. Please indicate if you have already sent to the RIBA; Yes/ No

• Critical Self Appraisal
• Copies of the Questionnaire and Supplementary Information (one for each Board member
and one for the RIBA secretary. See Appendix 5, Page 50.
2. Please indicate if the following information will be available to the Visiting Board as Yes/ No
part of the visit:
a. In the Base Room;
• Copies of published versions of the most recent reports on the course(s) or school from
governmental bodies.
• CVs for each member of academic staff.
• The School’s and Institution’s prospectus.
• Course timetables for the academic year
• The full syllabus, reading list and assessment methods for all subjects/modules, including
studio and non-studio work.
• Copies of the examination question papers for all levels of all courses in the year
immediately preceding the visit.
• Copies of design project briefs and all other assessments for all levels of all courses in the
year immediately preceding the visit.
b. Display of Student Work Yes/ No
• Display of student work from each year/ semester of the course
c. Student Portfolios (see Page 19 and Appendix 5 page 51 for the RIBA definition of the Yes/ No
Academic Portfolio. Exact sample size to be agreed with the RIBA before the visit)

Page 88
• Mark sheets for the full student cohort for all levels of all courses in the year immediately
preceding the visit.
• At least three lowest pass portfolios of student work at Part 1
• At least three lowest pass portfolios of student work at Part 2
• At least two mid pass portfolios of student work at Part 1
• At least two mid pass portfolios of student work at Part 2
• At least two highest pass portfolios of student work at Part 1
• At least two highest pass portfolios of student work at Part 2

d. Please indicate if the following people or groups of people will be available for the Yes/ No
Visiting Board to meet during the visit at the times specified in the Visiting Board
timetable
• Vice Chancellor
• Dean of Faculty
• Head of School
• All full and part time staff
• Students from each year of the course(s)
Note: The Portfolios should be a full record of the student’s including design projects, course work, examination scripts, dissertations, reports and other assessed material

Page 89
© RIBA Education Department 2003

The right of RIBA to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Design & Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Page 90