BAR Architecture

The Bachelor of Architecture program at Pratt is a professional degree granting program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and requires a minimum of five years of full-time academic study. In most U.S. jurisdictions, an accredited professional degree is required for individuals seeking architectural registration and licensure. The Bachelor of Architecture program is structured to prepare students for professional practice and licensure in architecture and requires the completion of 170 credits organized into three curricular categories; Professional coursework in Architecture (107 credits), Liberal Arts (37 credits), and Elective coursework (26 credits). 

As outlined in the yearly plan of study, the required Professional Architecture Foundation, or Core, is completed during the first three years of the program. This coursework provides foundational instruction in architectural design, building technology, graphic communication & representation, and architecture history & theory. 

The Liberal Arts component requires 37 credits, and includes coursework in Humanities and Media Studies (4 credits), Literary and Critical Studies for Architects (6 credits), Cultural and Global History (6 credits), Social Science & Philosophy (6 credits), and Math & Science (6 credits). The remaining (9 credits) are fulfilled through Liberal Arts electives selected from offerings within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 

The Elective course offerings consist of professional electives in architecture (15 credits), including at least one 3-credit course in Architecture History & Theory, and All-Institute Electives (11 credits), selected from courses offered by any school within the Institute.  Through elective selection during the final four semesters of the program students may pursue areas of focused study within the discipline such as design, preservation, building technology, history & theory, planning, construction management, or urban design. 

The program culminates in the fifth-year Degree Project, an advanced architectural research & design exploration supported by critical reading & writing and developed under the guidance of faculty critics selected by the student.