Students need five years of education through the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) undergraduate program to learn all necessary skills for becoming professional architects. Students receive both academic theory instruction and hands-on training through this program as it teaches architectural design followed by building materials and structural systems and environmental studies and urban planning. Students receive professional readiness through a learning structure that combines educational classes with hands-on work experiences including internship assignments and design practice. The B.Arch. course in India and other countries operates under the oversight of the national architectural councils that maintain academic and professional criteria at the Council of Architecture (COA) in India.
The 5-year B.Arch. curriculum extends across ten semesters containing an integrated curriculum of essential courses together with elective study and design studio work. Students in the later parts of their program participate in internship roles and thesis development to acquire practical industry experience. The longer program span than typical undergraduate degrees becomes essential because architecture demands deep understanding of design together with engineering and environmental sustainability concepts. Postgraduate students have multiple career paths following their graduation as they become qualified for work opportunities in architecture or urban planning or interior design positions respectively or they can do further study at the postgraduate level. Through its organized framework students achieve both artistic expertise and technical skills which prepares them to work in the field as ready-to-work architecture professionals.