The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) at Thapathali Campus is a five-year undergraduate program conducted by the Department of Architecture under the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University. The program is organized across 10 semesters and consists of 54 courses carrying 200 credit hours. Thapathali Campus has an intake of 48 students for B.Arch.
Architecture study at Thapathali Campus combines design studios with mathematics, architectural graphics, free-hand sketching, building materials and construction, architectural history, structural study, building science, computer-aided drafting, surveying, human settlement planning, conservation, sustainable architecture, building services, construction management, economics, professional practice, research, practicum, and thesis work. Design Studio appears throughout the program and remains one of its main academic components.
Admission, eligibility, entrance requirements, curriculum administration, examinations, and degree award follow the academic rules and regulations of Tribhuvan University and the Institute of Engineering.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) |
| Level | Bachelor's Degree |
| Institution | Thapathali Campus |
| Department | Department of Architecture |
| Institute | Institute of Engineering (IOE) |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Duration | 5 Years |
| Semesters | 10 |
| Courses | 54 |
| Credit Hours | 200 |
| Total Marks | 6900 |
| Intake | 48 Seats |
| Degree-Awarding University | Tribhuvan University |
| Location | Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal |
The B.Arch curriculum is built around architectural design while also requiring students to study the technical, historical, structural, social, environmental, and construction aspects of buildings and settlements.
Design Studio begins in the first semester and continues through Design Studio VIII in the ninth semester. Alongside studio work, students study architectural graphics, sketching, building materials, construction methods, architectural history, design theory, building science, structural subjects, surveying, building services, settlement planning, conservation, sustainability, economics, and professional practice.
The academic sequence gives substantial time to drawing, design development, project work, and studio-based learning. It also includes a minimum 90-working-day practicum and concludes with architectural research followed by a 16-credit thesis.
The Department of Architecture supports this work through design studios, architectural drafting facilities, model-making spaces, and urban-planning instruction.
B.Arch is relevant to students whose interests combine design, drawing, buildings, construction, spatial planning, technical problem-solving, and the study of how people use built environments.
The curriculum requires both visual and analytical work. Students encounter free-hand sketching and architectural graphics alongside mathematics, applied mechanics, structures, building science, construction, surveying, and building services. Studio courses require sustained design work across several years rather than occasional drawing assignments.
Students should also be prepared for project-based assessment, studio work, drafting, model preparation, research, professional exposure, and an extended final thesis.
Eligibility for admission follows the undergraduate requirements prescribed by the Institute of Engineering and Tribhuvan University.
The undergraduate admission framework includes +2 Science, A-Level, or an equivalent three-year Engineering Diploma with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Candidates must also satisfy the minimum academic requirements prescribed through the applicable IOE entrance regulations.
Admission to B.Arch at Thapathali Campus is conducted through the Institute of Engineering entrance and admission system.
Candidates seeking admission to undergraduate programs at Thapathali Campus are required to take and pass the IOE entrance examination. Eligible candidates then take part in the centralized merit and program-priority process used for IOE constituent campuses.
Thapathali Campus has 48 seats in the Bachelor of Architecture program.
The broader entrance standard, merit process, academic eligibility, admission procedure, examinations, and degree requirements remain under the IOE and Tribhuvan University system.
The Bachelor of Architecture takes five academic years and is divided into 10 semesters. The curriculum contains 54 courses and 200 credit hours, with a total academic assessment structure of 6900 marks.
Unlike programs centered mainly on lecture and laboratory subjects, B.Arch assigns substantial credit to studio work. Design Studio courses carry eight credits during several early and middle semesters, rising to 10 credits in later stages. The final semester is devoted to a 16-credit thesis.
The program also includes project work, practical drawing, construction study, surveying, computer-aided drafting, professional exposure, and research.
| Academic Stage | Credits | Main Academic Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Year I, Part I | 20 | Mathematics, Design Studio I, Introduction to Architecture, Building Material I, Architectural Graphics I, Free Hand Sketching I |
| Year I, Part II | 23 | Mathematics, Architectural Graphics II, Design Studio II, Building Construction I, Nepalese Architecture, Sketching, Applied Mechanics |
| Year II, Part I | 25 | Design Studio III, Eastern Architecture, Building Materials II, Design Theory I, Building Science I, Building Construction II, Structure I |
| Year II, Part II | 24 | Design Studio IV, Building Science II, Western Architecture, Design Theory II, CAD and Drafting, Structure II, Surveying |
| Year III, Part I | 20 | Design Studio V, Contemporary Architecture, Building Construction III, Working Drawing, Sociology and Culture, Communication English |
| Year III, Part II | 23 | Design Studio VI, Building Construction IV, Human Settlement Planning, Elective I, Estimation and Specification, Building Services I and II |
| Year IV, Part I | 8 | Practicum |
| Year IV, Part II | 23 | Conservation, Design Studio VII, Sustainable Architecture, Construction Management, Elective II, Building Services III, Building Economics |
| Year V, Part I | 18 | Seminar, Design Studio VIII, Professional Practice, Architectural Research for Thesis, Elective III |
| Year V, Part II | 16 | Thesis |
The first semester introduces students to the main tools and concepts used in architectural education. Mathematics for Architecture I sits alongside Design Studio I, Introduction to Architecture, Building Material I, Architectural Graphics I, and Free Hand Sketching I. The semester carries 20 credits.
The second semester continues with Mathematics for Architecture II, Architectural Graphics II, Design Studio II, Building Construction I, History of Nepalese Architecture, Free Hand Sketching II, and Applied Mechanics. It carries 23 credits.
This first year places drawing and design beside technical foundation subjects. Students study both how architectural ideas are represented and how materials, construction, mechanics, and historical context relate to buildings.
Year II, Part I contains Design Studio III, History of Eastern Architecture, Building Materials II, Design Theory I, Building Science I, Building Construction II, and Structure I. The semester carries 25 credits.
Year II, Part II continues with Design Studio IV, Building Science II, History of Western Architecture, Design Theory II, Computer Aided Design and Drafting, Structure II, and Surveying. The semester carries 24 credits.
The second year broadens architectural study beyond drawing and initial design. Students encounter structural principles, environmental aspects of buildings, construction methods, historical traditions, surveying, and digital drafting while continuing studio-based design work.
Year III, Part I includes Design Studio V, Contemporary Architecture, Building Construction III, Working Drawing, Sociology and Culture, and Communication English. It carries 20 credits.
The inclusion of Working Drawing marks an important shift toward the detailed representation required for building documentation. Sociology and Culture add a social dimension to the study of architecture, while Contemporary Architecture extends historical study into more recent architectural thought.
Year III, Part II includes Design Studio VI, Building Construction IV, Human Settlement Planning, Elective I, Estimation and Specification, Building Services I, and Building Services II. The semester carries 23 credits.
Students at this stage study buildings not only as design objects but also as parts of settlements and construction systems. Estimation, specifications, and building services bring economic and technical considerations into the design process.
Year IV, Part I is dedicated to an eight-credit practicum. The curriculum specifies a minimum of 90 working days in architectural firms, organizations, or government offices.
This practicum separates the fourth year from the earlier studio sequence. Students spend an extended period in a professional work setting before returning to campus-based advanced architectural study.
Year IV, Part II includes Architectural Conservation, Design Studio VII, Sustainable Architecture, Construction Management, Elective II, Building Services III, and Building Economics. The semester carries 23 credits.
Architectural Conservation and Sustainable Architecture extend the curriculum into the treatment of existing built heritage and environmental considerations. Construction Management and Building Economics introduce management and economic aspects that sit alongside advanced studio work.
The ninth semester contains Seminar & Directed Studies, Design Studio VIII, Professional Practice, Architectural Research for Thesis, and Elective III. It carries 18 credits.
Design Studio VIII carries 10 credits, while Architectural Research for Thesis prepares students for the final independent academic work. Professional Practice also appears at this stage, following the earlier practicum experience.
The tenth semester consists of ENAR 561 Thesis carrying 16 credits.
The thesis forms the final academic stage of the B.Arch curriculum. It follows nine semesters of studio, construction, history, technical subjects, planning, professional exposure, and architectural research.
Design Studio runs from Design Studio I through Design Studio VIII. The sequence begins with an eight-credit studio in the first semester and continues throughout the program before the thesis semester.
Studio courses require students to work through architectural design assignments rather than relying solely on written examinations. Their place across eight semesters shows how central design development is to the academic structure.
The wider architectural facilities at Thapathali Campus include drafting boards, display-review areas, and model-fabrication facilities.
Representation begins with Architectural Graphics I and Free Hand Sketching I in the first semester. Both continue into the second semester.
By the fourth semester, the curriculum introduces Computer Aided Design and Drafting. Working Drawing follows in the fifth semester.
This sequence moves from hand-based drawing and visual communication toward digital drafting and more detailed architectural documentation.
Building-related technical subjects are distributed across several years rather than grouped into one semester.
Building Material I appears in the first semester. Building Construction I follows in the second semester, while Building Materials II and Building Construction II appear in the third semester. Building Construction III and IV continue through the third year.
The curriculum also includes Applied Mechanics, Structure I and II, Building Science I and II, Surveying, Estimation and Specification, and three stages of Building Services.
These subjects connect architectural design with structural behavior, construction methods, environmental conditions, measurement, services, and technical documentation.
History and cultural context are introduced early in the program.
Students study History of Nepalese Architecture in the second semester, History of Eastern Architecture in the third semester, and History of Western Architecture in the fourth semester. Contemporary Architecture appears in the fifth semester.
Sociology and Culture then adds a social perspective, while Architectural Conservation appears in the eighth semester.
This sequence places architectural design within historical, cultural, and conservation-related study rather than treating it only as technical building design.
Human Settlement Planning appears in Year III, Part II. Sustainable Architecture is taught in Year IV, Part II.
These subjects extend the academic scope beyond individual buildings. Students encounter planning and settlement-related study alongside environmental considerations in architectural design.
The Department of Architecture also includes urban-planning instruction within its academic area.
The B.Arch curriculum contains a formal practicum in Year IV, Part I.
Students must complete a minimum of 90 working days in architectural firms, organizations, or government offices. The practicum carries eight credits.
Later, the ninth semester includes Professional Practice as a separate academic course.
This creates two distinct forms of professional preparation: extended workplace exposure through practicum and structured academic study of professional practice.
Assessment operates under the Institute of Engineering and Tribhuvan University academic system.
The B.Arch curriculum uses different forms of assessment depending on the course. Theory subjects include internal assessment and IOE board examinations, while studio and project-oriented subjects use their prescribed studio and project assessment arrangements.
B.Arch students also undertake formal studio juries and thesis work as part of the program's practical and design-oriented academic structure.
The Exam and Academic Administration section at Thapathali Campus handles campus-level processes including examination forms, admit cards, internal-assessment records, practical examination documentation, results, and mark-sheet administration.
The final degree is conferred by Tribhuvan University.
The B.Arch curriculum supports the development of skills connected with architectural drawing, free-hand sketching, computer-aided drafting, design development, model preparation, working drawings, building construction, structural understanding, surveying, architectural research, settlement planning, estimation, specifications, and professional communication.
Repeated studio work can build experience in developing and presenting design proposals. Construction and building-services subjects connect those proposals with technical considerations, while architectural history, sociology, conservation, and sustainability provide additional contexts for design decisions.
The practicum introduces students to workplace processes, and the thesis requires extended independent research and architectural work.
The Department of Architecture has design studios, architectural drafting units, model-making spaces, and facilities connected with urban-planning instruction.
Architectural studios include drawing and drafting boards, display-review panels, and model-fabrication facilities.
Students also study within the wider facilities of Thapathali Campus, which include computer laboratories and other technical laboratories used across engineering and architecture education.
The campus library contains 30,792 books, manuals, and copies of important documents and papers, with additional project and thesis materials supporting academic study.
The curriculum directly exposes students to architectural design, building construction, working drawings, human settlement planning, conservation, sustainable architecture, construction management, building economics, professional practice, and workplace practicum.
Graduates may explore work connected with architectural design, architectural drafting and documentation, building planning, conservation-related work, construction coordination, settlement and planning activities, and other architecture-related roles. The practicum framework specifically places students in architectural firms, organizations, and government offices.
Employment depends on professional requirements, individual skills, experience, portfolio quality, available positions, and the nature of the organization.
Architecture (B.Arch) at Thapathali Campus is identified within the Nepal Engineering Council regulatory alignment for the undergraduate programs conducted by the campus.
The academic degree is awarded by Tribhuvan University. Professional practice is subject to the applicable professional and regulatory requirements governing the field.
Students considering this program should look closely at its actual academic workload.
B.Arch is not limited to drawing or visual design. The curriculum includes mathematics, mechanics, structures, construction, building science, surveying, services, economics, management, settlement planning, architectural history, conservation, sustainability, professional practice, research, and thesis work alongside the studio sequence.
The five-year duration also includes a 90-working-day practicum and a final 16-credit thesis. Students need to be prepared for sustained studio work, technical subjects, project development, presentations, research, and long-form design work across the degree.
The B.Arch program takes five academic years and is organized into 10 semesters. It consists of 54 courses carrying 200 credit hours.
Thapathali Campus has an intake of 48 seats for the Bachelor of Architecture program.
The Bachelor of Architecture is conducted under the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University. Tribhuvan University is the degree-awarding university.
Yes. Candidates seeking undergraduate admission at Thapathali Campus must qualify through the IOE entrance system and complete the applicable merit and program-selection process.
The undergraduate eligibility framework includes +2 Science, A-Level, or an equivalent three-year Engineering Diploma with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, together with the academic requirements prescribed under the applicable IOE entrance regulations.
Yes. Design Studio runs from Design Studio I through Design Studio VIII across the first nine semesters before the final thesis semester.
Yes. Year IV, Part I consists of an eight-credit practicum requiring a minimum of 90 working days in architectural firms, organizations, or government offices.
Yes. Computer Aided Design and Drafting is included in Year II, Part II. Working Drawing is included in Year III, Part I.
Yes. The curriculum includes History of Nepalese Architecture, History of Eastern Architecture, History of Western Architecture, and Contemporary Architecture.
Yes. Architectural Research for Thesis is included in Year V, Part I, followed by a 16-credit Thesis in Year V, Part II.
The Department of Architecture has design studios, architectural drafting units, model-making spaces, and urban-planning instruction. Architectural studio facilities also include drafting boards, display-review panels, and model-fabrication facilities.
Students study mathematics, building materials, construction, architecture history, mechanics, structures, building science, surveying, computer-aided drafting, sociology, settlement planning, building services, estimation, conservation, sustainability, construction management, building economics, professional practice, and research.
The academic and examination framework operates through the Institute of Engineering and Tribhuvan University. Thapathali Campus handles local academic and examination administration, while IOE manages the central examination framework.
