Study in Europe › Germany › Whitecliffe

BA Architecture

Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences (formerly Berlin International University of Applied Sciences) · Berlin, Germany

100% taught in EnglishApply direct to the university, not the CAOPortfolio/auditionPrivate universityPortfolio requiredTaught in English
Duration4 years
StartsAutumn 2027
EntryPortfolio/audition
Deadline (EU)Rolling (no fixed date)
EU fee 2026/27€8,940 / yr

About the course

A four-year (8-semester), full-time, studio-based degree taught in English on the Berlin campus. It covers architectural design, construction, visualisation, history and urban thinking, building up to complex design projects and a bachelor’s thesis.

Entry requirements for Irish students

  • Whitecliffe asks for the German Abitur, Fachabitur or a recognised equivalent, and publishes nothing specific on the Irish Leaving Certificate. Under German rules (KMK/anabin), the Leaving Cert counts if you have six subjects: at least two at Higher Level with H5 or better, the other four at H6/O6 or better, including two languages and Maths at O5/H6 or better. LCA and LCVP are not accepted. Conditional applications based on predicted grades are accepted. Confirm with admissions.
  • You must submit a portfolio: one PDF (max 25 MB) of at least 10 pieces of your own work showing your artistic interests, skills and a clear interest in spatial and architectural questions. No entrance test or interview is mentioned for this course.
  • English at CEFR B2 or above is required (for example TOEFL iBT 74, IELTS Academic 6.0, Cambridge FCE, PTE 59 or Duolingo 120), or you can sit the university’s own on-campus English exam. The application form lists ‘Native Speaker’ as a way to skip testing, but the university does not say how it treats Leaving Cert English, so confirm with admissions before booking a test.

How to apply

  1. Prepare your portfolioPut at least 10 pieces of your own work (drawings, designs, model photos and so on) into one PDF under 25 MB, showing an interest in space and architecture.
  2. Apply on the portalCreate an account on Whitecliffe’s online portal, choose the Fall 2027/28 intake, and upload your passport, Leaving Cert results or predicted grades, English evidence and portfolio.
  3. Get a decisionArchitecture decisions take up to 4 weeks. Offers can be conditional on your final Leaving Cert results.
  4. Accept and enrolPay the €300 registration fee and sign the study contract. Welcome days run 27 September to 1 October 2027 and teaching starts on 4 October 2027.
Deadline for Irish/EU applicants: No application deadline is published. The online application form already lists Fall 2027/28 as an intake option, and decisions for Architecture take up to 4 weeks. First-year students start in autumn. For 2027 entry, welcome days run 27 September to 1 October 2027 and teaching starts on 4 October 2027 (official 2027/28 academic calendar). Apply early, as places are limited..

Costs

  • Private, state-recognised university. EU students pay €745 a month, in 6 instalments per semester (€4,470 a semester, about €8,940 a year). On accepting an offer you pay a one-off €300 registration fee and sign a study contract. A public transport ticket costs a further €226.80 a semester. No application fee is published. Non-EU students pay €4,640 a semester.
This is a private, state-recognised university charging about €8,940 a year (€745 a month), unlike Germany’s tuition-free public universities, and you will also need to budget for Berlin rent. If you intend to register as an architect in Ireland later, check professional recognition of this 4-year BA before applying.

At a glance

CountryGermany
CityBerlin
LanguageEnglish
Apply viaUniversity online portal
PlacesNot published
EntryPortfolio/audition
Programme page ↗EU (domestic) admissions ↗Academic calendar 2027/28 ↗← Back to all European courses

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Checked against the official Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences website: September 2026 (2027 entry). Fees are from the current 2026/27 pages and no application deadline is published, so confirm with the university. Always confirm details with the university before applying.