Bachelor of Arts in Architecture

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Bachelor Architecture

It offers professional and up-to-date training with a strong orientation towards project realisation. The long tradition in construction is complemented by the development dimension of the project, new forms of management and representation, and sustainability.

SUPSI Course Overview

Overview

  • Degree awarded

    Bachelor of Arts SUPSI in Architettura

  • Credits

    180 ECTS

  • Study modes

    Full Time (TP), from 3 years
    Part-time (PT), from 4 years

  • Applications *

    (TP) November 17th, 2025 - April 30th, 2026
    (PT) November 17th, 2025 - April 30th, 2026

  • Start date

    September 2026

  • Language

    Italian

  • Semester fee

    From CHF 800.-

  • Location

    Mendrisio, Campus SUPSI

*For further details see the "Admission and registration" section

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The SUPSI architect is a broad professional figure with in-depth and up-to-date theoretical, technical and socio-cultural expertise. Dealing with conception and design, from a constructional point of view, of an architectural project and developing it with logical methods and innovative tools throughout its various phases.

The skills, acquired through the Bachelor's degree, allow for:
  • Conceive projects that respond to constructive, organisational and aesthetic requirements by drawing on the historical and epistemological aspects of architecture. 
  • Develop architectural projects considering the evolution of construction techniques, material technologies and energy considerations. 
  • Develop the various phases of the project in respect of the relationship between man, work and environment with a view to sustainability. . 
  • Manage the different phases of the construction process ensuring formal and structural quality, as well as compliance with standards, costs and time. 
  • Knowing how to work within multidisciplinary teams by effectively managing interactions and communication. 
  • Act in a professional and ethically responsible manner with method, precision and critical spirit.

In order to convey these skills, the training is articulated through a federating theme, that of living in its broadest sense, and through three subject areas: Construction and Implementation, Design and Sustainability.

The first five semesters are characterised by an extensive and coherent content offering, organised in disciplinary modules of the three areas. During the sixth semester and in the Bachelor's thesis, students are offered three optional courses of study, depending on their specific interests, possible future professional orientations, or in relation to a possible continuation of their studies.
The main objective of these optional courses lies both in the acquisition of specialised skills and in the broadening and consolidation of methodological and operational competences, which are increasingly necessary for the performance of specific individual and interdisciplinary tasks required of Bachelor graduates in the world of work, in an ever-changing professional environment.

The qualification awarded to those who complete all the modules set out in the Study Plan and corresponding to 180 ECTS credits is the SUPSI Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. The degree is federally recognised and constitutes a federally protected qualification.
 
Professional perspectives
The Bachelor's degree provides a highly professional university qualification aimed at direct access to the world of work. The Bachelor's degree in architecture allows graduates to register with the professional association (OTIA), and enables them to practise as independent professionals in Switzerland or as employees internationally. The professional outlets are manifold:
  • architectural and construction management firms, 
  • municipal technical studies, 
  • cantonal and federal logistics offices,
  • construction company offices.
Study perspectives
The Bachelor's degree also allows access to the second level of university studies, the Master's degree, generally comprising 90-120 ECTS credits, which can be attended in Switzerland or abroad by those who intend to continue their studies, either consecutively to the Bachelor's degree or after a few years of professional activity. Among the specialisation possibilities offered at European level, the Degree Course in Architecture has established mutual recognition agreements with the following university bodies:
  • USI-ARC Mendrisio;
  • ETH Zurich;
  • Politecnico di Torino;
  • UAS Masters in Lucerne, Basel, Fribourg, Burgdorf, Geneva, Winterthur.

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The Construction Workshop and Project Workshop enable students to acquire and develop their skills. The hours set aside in the weekly grid are divided between hours of contact with the relevant teacher(s) and hours of individual work, accompanied by the assistant(s) or carried out independently.
The project is the teaching method for both workshops that allows theoretical knowledge and practical skills to be used and combined in an interdisciplinary manner. The topics subsequently developed, which are of a practical nature and relevant in the local context, present an increasing degree of interaction, complexity and involvement of lecturers and specialists from various disciplines, active in the workplace and in applied research.  In conditions similar to those they will face in the profession, students practise presenting and arguing their work, carrying out analyses, comparisons and verifications of the entire process leading from the design to the realisation of the work, also learning from participation in group work and collective criticism.
Specific courses, included in the Project Workshop modules, accompany the entire training to develop both verbal and written communication skills and the use of other media.

 In addition to the Workshops, there are diversified forms of teaching and learning such as:
  • lectures, usually combined with tutorials;
  • seminars, in which interdisciplinary topics are discussed, also with the participation of students from other degree courses;
  • study trips, guided visits to completed works, construction sites, production units and workshops;
  • tutoring of students' individual study and work.

In order to foster the interaction between theoretical notions and practical skills and to transfer the experience gained from professional practice and research activities into training, teaching is mainly carried out by lecturers working as freelancers and by researchers from the Department of Environment, Constructions and Design.

Course FB Modules List

The contents of the published study plans reflect the structure of the modules and/or courses currently planned and may be subject to change over time, based on the evolution of the educational offering.

SUPSI Course Responsibles

Francesco Piatti

Docente e Responsabile corso di laurea Architettura - Department of Environment Constructions and Design

Course FB Teachers

The full-time study mode allows the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture to be completed in six semesters. The first five semesters last 14 or 16 weeks, while the sixth semester lasts 10 weeks, followed by 9 weeks for the Bachelor's thesis.

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The part-time study mode makes it possible to reconcile work and study commitments with an individual training plan. With a minimum attendance of 50%, the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture is awarded after 11 semesters of study as it is recommended that the sixth semester and the Bachelor's thesis be completed consecutively.

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To submit your application, please follow the online procedure available on the Student Portal.

Instructions for completing the enrolment process will be provided via the Student Portal, based on the qualification obtained or currently being pursued. Any additional documentation will be requested directly by the relevant Bachelor's programme assessment committee.

Please note that your application must be completed by the official deadline (April 30th) 
An administrative fee of CHF 200.- is required at the time of application. For applications submitted after the deadline, the fee is CHF 300.-.
The administrative fee is non-refundable and cannot be deducted from the semester fee.

Depending on the number of applications received, the Bachelor's programme may extend the enrolment period beyond the established deadlines, or close it earlier if the maximum number of places available has been reached.

NON-EU APPLICANTS
Applicants from non-EU/EFTA countries who require an entry visa must submit their application for admission by April 15, regardless of the deadlines set by individual Bachelor's degree programs.

Please note that visa applications to the competent authorities, accompanied by documentation previously verified by the International Office, must be submitted to the Embassy by June 30.

For further information, please refer to the SUPSI International Office, in the section dedicated to Visas, permits, health and accident insurance.

For more information, candidates are invited to contact the relevant Academic Secretariat, as appropriate for the course of study they are interested in.
 

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The placement test is only conducted if the number of applications is very high and is usually held in June.

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Final registration is required by the deadline set and communicated by the secretariat with the confirmation of admission.
After this deadline, enrolments can only be accepted if places are available. For each degree course, the maximum number of students admitted takes into account the capacity of the facilities and teaching aids, beyond which the quality of teaching would be compromised.

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Direct Admission
Students with the following qualifications are directly admitted:
  • Federal Certificate of Competence (AFC) and professional maturity certificate, specializing in technology, architecture and life sciences (MPT) or design and art (MPA) in a profession related to the field of study;
  • specialized high school diploma in the field of visual arts;
  • diploma from a higher technical college (SSST) related to the field of study;
  • high school diploma or other professional qualifications, with one year of practical experience in a profession related to the field of study recognized by the management or one year of training "Assisted Practice Year (APA)" organized by the university.
Aptitude test
Depending on the number of applications, the degree course reserves the right to conduct an aptitude test, which will be held before the start of the academic year.

Candidates with the following qualifications obtained in Italy are admitted to the aptitude test:
  • Construction, Environment and Territory technician diploma from an upper secondary school.
  • High school diploma in art
Admission with one year of professional practice
Students with a Baccalaureate or other Professional Baccalaureate are admitted after completing a year of professional practice recognized by SUPSI in a profession related to their chosen field of study.
The Department of Environment, Construction, and Design (DACD) organizes an "Assisted Practice Year" (APA). 
Admission to the degree course is subject to the assessment of the skills acquired during the practice and the satisfactory performance of the same.
Read more about the APA route on the dedicated page: Assisted Practice Year.
 
Other profiles
Applicants over the age of 25, with proven secondary education and at least three years of professional experience may be admitted "on dossier".
The applicant should submit an educational and professional curriculum vitae that demonstrates the skills acquired in the specific field of the degree course, along with a portfolio showcasing their work.

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Semester fee

The fee is CHF 1'600 per semester, respectively CHF 800 for students benefiting from the application of the Intercantonal Agreement on Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (Swiss nationality or tax domicile in Switzerland or Liechtenstein). Specific agreements apply for students resident in Campione d'Italia.
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Application fee
When submitting an application for admission, a fee of CHF 200 must be paid online. If an application is submitted after the deadline, the fee required is CHF 300.  This fee is non-refundable and cannot be deducted from the semester fee.
Contribution to teaching costs and other expenses

A flat fee is required as a contribution to the teaching costs and administrative expenses of the degree program, which amounts to CHF 200 per semester.
Expenses for the purchase of consumable materials, study trips and off-site visits, some special activities of the Degree Course, and Fab Lab costs are the student's responsibility.

 
Scholarships

Various public and private institutions offer support to students in need. More information.

Frequently asked questions

FAQs List

SUPSI qualifications are valid both in Switzerland and worldwide. In regulated professions, SUPSI qualifications also qualify for the profession in Switzerland, while in other countries it is necessary to check with the relevant body for recognition.

Open days/evenings are held between January and March each year, during which, for example, the content of the course, professional outlets and the admission procedure are presented. It is also possible to visit the campus and meet directly with students and lecturers.

You can take a semester an maximum one year at another university in Switzerland or abroad through related agreements. Find more information and reference contacts on the dedicated page.

They are a contribution to the costs of teaching (school materials, charges for visits, general administrative and secretarial costs, teaching and IT support, etc.).

Following the Bologna Reform, study courses have been structured into modules and each module is allocated a number of study credits according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). One ECTS credit is equivalent to a workload of 25 to 30 hours. 60 credits represent the annual workload in the case of full-time education. A Bachelor's degree requires 180 ECTS and a Master's degree 90 to 120 ECTS.

Visualizzatore contatto

  • DACD Basic Training Secretariat

    University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

  • Campus SUPSI Mendrisio
    Via Flora Ruchat-Roncati 15
    CH-6850 Mendrisio

  •  

  • T +41 (0)58 666 69 53

    dacd.fb@supsi.ch

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