BAR Architecture

The Bachelor of Architecture program is a professional program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) requiring a minimum of five years of study. Most states require that individuals intending to become architects hold an accredited degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration and licensure to practice as architects. The 170 credits required for the Bachelor of Architecture degree are organized in three main categories: a core of required courses in architectural study, liberal arts courses, and electives. The core of 95 credits is primarily taken in the first three years and is designed to give basic professional preparation in architectural design, construction technology, graphic communication, and the humanistic aspects of design. The liberal arts areas require 48 credits, of which 12 are taken within the School of Architecture (ARCH-151, 152, 251, and 252), 6 credits in English, 6 in cultural history, 6 in science, and 6 in social science. The remaining 12 credits are taken as electives selected from the liberal arts courses offered by the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The elective courses consist of 15 credits of professional electives selected from courses offered by the undergraduate architecture programs, and 12 all-Institute electives, selected from courses offered by any school in the Institute. By purposefully selecting courses within all elective areas during their last four semesters, students can develop their own unique architectural education based on their own needs and goals. This personalized fourth-year curriculum is directed toward culmination in the fifth-year degree project. Individual curricula may be developed to place more emphasis on such subject areas as design, preservation, building technology, history and theory, planning, construction management, and urban design in the final two years of study. The degree project year completes the student’s academic architectural experience with an in-depth design study, preceded and accompanied by research. The degree project is executed with guidance from critics chosen by the student.