neither diplomas are truly recognizable overseas. LUCT's will be recognized by a select school in australia, but not the rest of the world. this is the same with TARC's as well.

but bottom line is, if u're targeting a degree, it does not matter which path u took. if doing architecture in TARC can get u into a recognized/credible school like melbourne or RMIT, then got for it. but if it only lands u in some backwater school in russia, then why bother?

figure out ur destination. then u will better understand which path u gonna take. if u cant decide, then i recommend the safer choice: A-levels or STPM.

Unfortunately, you are required to take LAM Parts 1 & 2 as part of your degree, even though a small part, was done in an unaccredited uni ie. LUCT. The degree may be accredited by RIBA/ARAIA but not by our LAM.

This would probably set you back by another year.

Surprisingly,  a lot of students taking this route are not aware of this.

Have you started the diploma in LUCT?

actually, u can. assuming u did both part 1 and 2 locally.

all overseas graduates now will have to sit for the exam, regardless of accreditation.

for those from accredited degree (RIBA, RAIA etc), u will go through an interview where u will pin-up/exhibit ur portfolio. this is fairly straightforward. they will assess all ur works based on LAM part 1 or 2 criteria. they will ask u a few questions, explore on ur works, ur experience and knowledge of local practice.

those from non-accredited degree, i heard it's a little bit different.

no, if u join an IPTA (accredited) and pass, u will be exempted, accordingly. it doesnt matter which diploma.

what u should worry is that, whether the IPTS diploma can qualify u into an IPTA in the first place.

let me make a little correction.

those graduating from RIBA schools that is accredited by LAM (refer LAM website) can immediately register as a graduate member and practice. those not from those universities, regardless being accredited by RIBA, must go through the exam as mentioned before.

- as clarified by the CAAEM member.
refer above.

if u graduate from LAM accredited schools, u should be able to register as LAM graduate member. but whether u can do so without any problem remains to be seen.

i really cant say.
definitely.

yes. i've discussed this matter quite thoroughly with one of the CAAEM member, and he agrees that taylor's at the moment is the closest IPTS to getting accreditation. and i wont be surprised if taylor would manage to get it this july. they had the preliminary visit by CAAEM, and they were quite satisfied, minus some issues that only would take a year or two to fix.

there are lots of other reasons why an IPTS did not get accreditation. two of the major issues common to all are:

i. lack of peer learning: there's little to no evidence that peer learning occurs in the school. and we're not talking about group works here. most students are just concerned about their own self, their own works and their own grades. look at any IPTAs and u will see a stark contrast in the community.

ii. lack of facilities. most of it is about dedicated studio. in IPTAs, studio is assigned to the students, but in IPTS, the student is assigned to the studio. students share the studio with other students according to the schedule. if it's not their time, they have to go out. just like u use a classroom. LAM requires the student to have their own studio for use throughout the semester and not be shared by those not a part of their group/unit.

others like the lack of computing facilities are quite common. one IPTS actually tried to "mask" a bunch of computers into a lab just to fulfill this requirement. but when the committee checked with the students, they told them that the lab was just "assembled" 4 days before the visit. so this practically cheating the students.
so it's not impossible to achieve accreditation. UTM just finished its accreditation now. i can tell u that they are extremely objective. it's as scary as the audit system.

i dont think any other are due this year. but i dont have the schedule .

results are normally known during the exit meeting (between the school and the panel on the final day of the visit). they will inform whether it's ok or not. then they will have to return and write a full report, which holds the formal, official results.

i got in bartlett (UCL) masters using my measly UTM degree. some friend of mine went to AA using diploma from UTM. it's safe to say if they accept UTM diploma/degree, they definitely accept australian reputable schools'.

undergraduate is a bit harder to get in compared to masters (the one i took). for masters, it's pretty straightforward. i filled out the form, enclosed 2 endorsement letters, ceevees and stuff and sent it. the next thing i know, offer conditional offer letter came in. then sorted out the scholarship thingy, and a few days letter the unconditional letter came in. then i'm off.

they would prefer an interview, but it's not always necessary. if ur ceevee and portfolio is good enough, they dont need to interview u.

Hi

Why did you move to study in UK after part 1?

i went there on scholarship, yes. and yes, u would need good portfolio and ceevee. but truth be told, my portfolio isnt much to shout about. i never scored an A in design. the highest is A-. but i've got a good ceevee, ranging from local competitions to the director of international student event.

bottom line is, they dont only look at ur grades. portfolio and ceevees matter too.

the education in the UK is fairly different, but mostly on the approach part. they are more open, but always rigorous. they have strong motivations to succeed with their works. and success is whatever they define themselves. in malaysia, most motivation is governed by the need to get an A. and ofcourse, studying in the UK puts u very close to a lot of different countries. EU consists of a lot of different countries and cultures. so everything is within affordable range if u're staying in the UK.

my wife and i spent most of our scholarship money traveling. the rest of the students spent it on clothes, gadgets, furnitures and cars. those things i could buy later when i'm richer. but traveling? u can only do it when u have no kids to worry about. so it's either when we're young, or when we're really, really old .

So why do you want to do it that way?

Part 1 in Oz and Part2 in UK?

i was on JPA-UTM scholarship.

ceevee = curriculum vitae.

and yes, portfolio and ceevees are more important than grades in architecture.

they dont expect work experience for part 1. so most of the time, they just disregard it unless u worked under zaha hadid or some big shot architect prior to part 1. but for part 2, yes, work experience counts.

and btw, work experience is usually counted by YEARS, not months .

like i said, work experience normally counted by the years. so if u have any prior experience less than a year, usually it's just going to sit there in ur ceevee to look pretty . but it may add a bit to ur credibility should it come to a tie-breaker situation.

why did u email PAM, where the body controlling the accreditation is LAM? these are two different bodies. u should've emailed LAM and get a straight answer.

if u observe carefully, both are indeed correct. the secretary of PAM was indeed correct. she just missed the part that it must be done in a particular institution full time. LUCT have a knack of circumventing this ruling by declaring that their degree is 3+0, meaning u will be doing it in a particular campus full time entirely. the trick is, instead of u going abroad for a 2+1 programme, they will bring the examiners from overseas here, and then call it a full time course.