Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Your Four-Year Journey

The pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture is designed as a four-year program that builds skills progressively through studio and coursework. Below is a snapshot of the goals and milestones students reach each year.

Students spend their first year developing an understanding of how designers make decisions and how architecture and landscape architecture determine the built environment via lectures, assigned readings and design-related projects. At the end of year one, students are selected, based on their GPA and performance in first-year environmental design courses, for admittance to year two of the program.

Curriculum, Year 1

FallClass NameCredits
ENVD 101Intro to Environment Design3
ENVD 102Drawing Basics for Env. Designers1
ENVD 130Drawing Skills for Env. Designers3
ARCH 321History/Theory of Architecture I3
ENGL 110College Composition *3
Science/Tech.Science/Tech Gen. Ed.*3
Total16
SpringClass NameCredits
ENVD 104Env. Design Fundamentals1
ENVD 172Env. Design Fund. Studio3
ENGL 120College Composition II*3
COMM 110Public Speaking*3
ARCH 322History/Theory of Architecture II3
QRQuantitative Reasoning*3
WellnessWellness General Ed*2
Total18

Year two marks the beginning of intense architectural design studio work that lays the foundation for successfully completing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. All classroom learning gets directly applied in the studio through individual and group projects. Students must buy a laptop by spring semester of their second year.

Curriculum, Year 2

FallClass NameCredits
ARCH 271Architectural Design I6
ARCH 231Architectural Drawing3
ARCH 233Math for Designers1
PHYS 120Intro to Physics *3
ARCH 323History/Theory of Arch. III .3
Total16
SpringClass NameCredits
ARCH 272Architectural Design II6
ARCH 232Design Technology3
ARCH 344Structures 13
PSYCH 111Introduction to Psychology* .3
PHILPhilosophy elective*3
Total18

The third-year curriculum focuses on technical aspects of architecture and students are expected to apply these concepts in their studio projects. Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 after completion of the third year may apply to the graduate school for pursuing a Master’s of Architecture degree.

Curriculum, Year 3

FallClass NameCredits
ARCH 371Architectural Design III6
ARCH 341Site Design for Architects3
ARCH 351Materials and Construction4
ARCH 453ECS I (Passive Principles)3
Science/Tech.Science Laboratory*1
Total17
SpringClass NameCredits
ARCH 372Architectural Design IV6
ARCH 450Architectural Detailing3
ARCH 454ECS II (Active Systems)3
ARCH 461Urban Design3
ENGL 326Writing for Design Professions*3
or ENGL 357Visual Language and Culture
Total18

Students develop their Bachelor degree's capstone project and may begin graduate-level coursework during the fourth year. Architectural knowledge, ability, and self-reliance reach their peak as students approach graduation.

Curriculum, Year 4

FallClass NameCredits
ARCH 471Architectural Design V6
ARCH 443Advanced Structures3
ANTH 111Introduction to Anthropology3
Science/Tech.Science/Tech Gen. Ed.*3
Elective*3
Total18
SpringClass NameCredits
ARCH 472Architectural Design VI6
or ARCH 474International Design Studio
SOC 110Introduction to Sociology*3
Elective*3
Elective*3
Total15