Overview The study of architecture develops intellectual, professional, and creative knowledge and skill. Architectural studies allow students to generate physical solutions to complex environmental design problems that often have competing economic, social, and political parameters. The profession of architecture attracts those who have a wide range of interests and skills and wish to make a unique contribution to society.

Current Program

The School offers a single degree, the Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.). The program is open to students that have completed high school, transfer students, and from students that have completed Baccalaureate or advanced degrees. The program is designed for students who seek to expand their knowledge and skill such to lead in making positive change in the built and natural environment.

The program combines coursework in history and theory, design, structures and materials, environmental and sustainable design, and professional practice, and has many options for students including international programs, community design, and practicum experiences.

The program length is determined by incoming educational qualifications and the award of transfer credit for advanced standing. Students entering directly out of high school may complete the program in approximately seven years. Students holding a 4 year non-professional baccalaureate degree in a field related to architecture may complete the program in approximately 3 years. Students holding a baccalaureate degree in a field unrelated to architecture must complete an intensive summer program prior to initiating the 3 year program. Students holding a professional B. Arch. or M. Arch. degree should contact the SoA for information on placement and degree requirements.

The four year segment of the D.Arch. program is open to students who have not completed a Baccalureate degree. The first four years of the program provide the student with a broad and deep background in the liberal arts and sciences, and expose students to important issues which affect the design of the built environment and the impact on the natural environment. Students are able to enroll in architecture studio in the first semester and to therefore have a better basis to judge whether architecture or related design fields are the right career choice for them. Students are given the choice of a concentration within the degree; concentrations include Landscape Architecture, Construction Management, Interior Design, Urban Design, and Historic Preservation. The concentrations give students focus to their studies, and allow them to pursue these specialized areas later in academic or professional settings.

The three-year segment of the D.Arch. program is open to students who have completed a Baccalaureate or higher degree. Students entering the program in a field unrelated to architecture will be required (based on an evaluation of transfer credit and degree type) to attend an intensive summer program prior to initiating the three year curriculum sequence. The three year curriculum offers over 90 graduate level credits in courses necessary for accreditation by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB). In most U.S. state jurisdictions, a NAAB accredited degree is a pre-requisite to obtaining professional architecture licensure. The curriculum offers students a number of unique opportunities for study including study abroad with a focus on Asia and the Pacific, professional experience, and a culminating Doctorate project that combines research and design.

Accreditation Notice:

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.