University of Virginia

Undergraduate Record 1995-1996

Chapter 7: School of Architecture

General Information

Reflecting Jefferson's interest in architecture, courses in architectural drawing and construction were taught at the University as early as 1832. Students now, as then, benefit from the proximity of Jefferson's classical structures and the availability of his plans and drawings for the University Grounds and other buildings. At the end of World War I, a formal curriculum in architecture began, and from the mid 1950s through the early 1970s the Architecture School continued to expand its programs. Today a student may receive a baccalaureate in architectural history, urban and environmental planning, and architecture.

Because the faculty believes that each student deserves personal attention, guidance, and supervision, the School of Architecture has a small, carefully selected student body. The school seeks applicants with strong academic records and demonstrated artistic creativity.

A prospective student applies to one of the three undergraduate departments, but can transfer from one program to another during the first or second year.

The undergraduate program in architecture combines a solid humanities foundation with an emphasis on the role of architecture as cultural expression, and provides two to three years of studio experience in the development of architectural ideas and the design of built form. The program is pre-professional and most students pursue further studies at the graduate level in order to obtain the first professional degree in architecture or related disciplines.

The undergraduate program in architectural history is the only one in the United States. The program is directed toward developing knowledge and understanding of the history of the built environment: architecture, cities and landscapes. Opportunity is also provided for an introduction to the issues and practices of historic preservation. Most graduates go on to advanced degrees in architectural history, art history, architecture, landscape architecture or planning.

The undergraduate professional program in planning is one of less than a dozen such programs in the nation accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. The study of planning theory, processes, and methods is integrated with the contextual exploration of political and market forces, resource limitations, environmental concerns, and social needs. With the Bachelor of City Planning degree many graduates go directly into professional jobs with governmental agencies or private planning and development firms. Others go on to advanced degrees in planning, architecture, law, public administration and business.

Address

School of Architecture
Campbell Hall
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 924-3715

Academic Information

The School of Architecture offers three undergraduate programs of instruction under the Department of Architecture, the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, and the Department of Architectural History. Supporting course work is offered through the cooperation of departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The specific degree requirements as shown in this section for each program depict the general structure and the number of credits necessary for the degree. Evaluation of courses and curricula modification are continuing processes in the school. Therefore, the specific degree requirements are subject to change.

Bachelor of Science (Architecture)   The undergraduate degree in Architecture offers students an opportunity to combine a foundation in the liberal arts with coursework in architecture. A four-year, pre-professional program, prepares graduates to enter a variety of graduate or career pursuits or to complete the requirements of the professional, accredited architecture degree at the graduate level.

Most states require that an individual intending to become an architect hold an accredited degree. There are two types of degrees that are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board: (1) The Bachelor of Architecture, which requires a minimum of five years of study, and (2) the Master of Architecture, which requires a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor's degree or two years following a related preprofessional bachelor's degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration/licensure as architects.

The four-year, preprofessional degree, where offered, is not accredited by NAAB. The preprofessional degree is useful for those wishing a foundation in the field of architecture, as preparation for either continued education in a professional degree program or for employment options in architecturally related areas.

Bachelor of City Planning   The Bachelor of City Planning is a professional degree recognized by the Planning Accreditation Board. The program has a strong liberal arts emphasis, and the student is expected to take most course work in the College of Arts and Sciences. During the final two years the student has a wide range of professional seminars and application courses to choose from in the areas of environmental planning, land use planning and growth management, and urban development and housing policy.

Bachelor of Architectural History   This four year program is the only one of its kind in the country. Students are offered a liberal education with emphasis on the study of architectural history. Available within the degree program is an introduction to the problems of historic restoration and preservation. Further, there is ample opportunity for interaction with the three other departments in the School.

Student Performance, Probation, and Suspension

Student Performance   Student performance in each professional subject in the Department of Architecture is reviewed by the faculty at the end of each term. A student is expected to achieve at least a C- in each of the following professional courses: ARCH 201, 202, 301, 302, 303, 304, 324, and 401. A grade of C in a studio course should be considered as grounds for reconsideration of continuing in the studio sequence. Grades of D or F in any of the courses listed above will result in repeating the course. A grade of F in any required course will result in repeating the course. If in the judgement of the faculty, a student has not achieved an appropriate standard of performance in a professional subject, he or she may be required to repeat one or both terms of this course before proceeding with the next level of work in this subject. There is an approved student grievance procedure relative to grades.

Probation   A student will be placed on probation if, (a) he/she does not pass at least 12 credits of work in any semester following the first semester, or if, (b) their cumulative grade-point average falls below 2.0 after the completion of the first semester. Enrollment in advanced professional course work is allowed only for students with GPAs of 2.0 or better. A third probation, or probation following suspension, will result in suspension.

Suspension   A student will be suspended if they do not pass at least ten credits of work in any semester following their first semester. A student who has been suspended only once may appeal to the faculty in the School of Architecture for readmission, but only after passing, in the Summer Session of this University with grades of at least C  in each course, a minimum of six credits of courses approved by the Dean of the School of Architecture. Courses taken in the Division of Continuing Education or any other institution will not be accepted for degree credit or as a basis for application for readmission. No student suspended a second time may be readmitted.

Requirements

Residence Requirements and Transfer Credits   A prospective student must apply to one of the three undergraduate programs. However, transfer from one program to another is possible during the first two years. All three programs place substantial emphasis on the liberal arts and include a significant number of courses offered in the College of Arts and Sciences, most of which are taken in the first two years. All three programs require four years for completion and a minimum of two years as a full-time student in Architecture.

The School of Architecture welcomes the application of qualified transfer students from within the University of Virginia and from accredited four-year institutions and community colleges. Students applying for transfer must apply to one of the three undergraduate programs and should have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better on a 4.0 scale. Transfer applicants to the Architecture program should seek to enter at the beginning of the second or third year. Transfers to the programs in Planning and Architectural History may be made as late as the beginning of the third year. In no case will transfer credits in excess of 66 be granted toward an undergraduate degree in the School of Architecture.

The Dean of the School of Architecture may, in exceptional circumstances, waive an admissions or performance requirement when, in the Dean's judgment, such action best serves the intent of the program.

Study Abroad   The School of Architecture encourages study abroad. Programs in Bath, and Copenhagen are available. The School also offers a summer program in Vicenza, Italy and Beijing, China. All students in the School of Architecture are eligible. For information concerning departmental regulations governing participation in the programs abroad, please contact the Director of Programs Abroad in Campbell Hall.

All academic regulations pertinent to the School of Architecture apply to the Programs Abroad.

Required Courses   A student who enters the School of Architecture without transfer credits must complete at this University in Charlottesville   all prescribed courses in the curriculum for which he or she is a candidate for a degree. A student transferring from another college or university must complete at thisUniversity in Charlottesville   all required courses in those subjects not completed at the time of first admission to the School of Architecture. Exceptions may be made to these requirements provided permission is granted in advance  by the Dean of the School of Architecture.

Candidates for a degree in the School of Architecture must complete the courses in the curriculum for which they are registered as outlined on the following pages. In addition, the candidate must have maintained a grade-point average of at least 2.0 in all courses taken in the School of Architecture or elsewhere in this University and offered for a degree.

The Dean of the School of Architecture may waive a specific course requirement for a degree when, in the dean's judgment such action best serves the intent of the program.

Minors   The Minor in Architecture provides students with an opportunity to develop a basic understanding and appreciation for Architecture as an important component of culture and the built environment. Requirements for a minor include 16 credits of course work. Included are: (1) ARCH 101, 102 and ARCH 201 (ARCH 201 may need to be taken in the summer session); (2) one Architecture department elective, a course with an ARCH prefix; and (3) one Architecture school elective from among all the courses offered in the school's four departments.

A minor in Architectural History requires 18 credits in Architectural History. Included in these 18 credits must be AR H 101, 102, 203, leaving 9 credits of AR H electives. No thesis is required.

A minor in City Planning requires 15 credits of Planning courses. Students must choose PLAN 103 or 204; two or more lecture courses from PLAN 303, 305, 306, 404, 540, 550; and two applications courses including either PLAN 201 or 202 (Urban Design).

A minor in Preservation requires 15 credits of coursework, including either AR H 351 or AR H 352; either PLAN 530 or PLAN 567P; one of the following: ARCH 512, ARCH 513, ARCH 517 or AR H 515; and one of the following: ARCH 515 or ARCH 518.

Applications for these four minors may be picked up from the Student Records Office in Campbell Hall, Room 216, and upon completion of the requirements the signature of the respective Department Chair must be obtained.

Intra University Courses   The following courses in the School of Architecture are considered to be College equivalent: ARCH101, ARCH 102, ARCH 232, L AR 312, L AR 313 and all AR H courses. Some courses in Architectural History (AR H 100, AR H 101, AR H 102, AR H 150, AR H 203) count fully as College courses and meet the newly defined area requirement in the Humanities/Fine Arts.

Evaluation   The performance of each student is carefully evaluated at the end of each year in the School of Architecture, and continuance in the School depends upon demonstrated ability and promise of professional and academic achievement.

Program Flexibility   Curricular requirements for the first two years of the Bachelor of Science (Architecture), Bachelor of Architectural History, and Bachelor of City Planning degree programs are similar, so that a student may transfer from one program to another.

Ownership of Student Work   The School of Architecture reserves the right to retain student course work for purposes of exhibition and/or publication with appropriate credits.

Facilities

Campbell Hall, the School of Architecture building, was completed in 1970 and is part of a complex of buildings forming a Fine Arts Center which also includes the Department of Art, the Department of Drama, and the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library. Campbell Hall provides well-equipped studio work areas, exhibition areas, lecture halls, and seminar rooms. Since 1984 the School of Architecture has been equipped with computer graphics laboratories. In addition, the School also provides a range of other support facilities including mechanical and structural laboratories, woodworking shop, a photography darkroom, and a student operated supply shop.

The Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library is part of the School of Architecture. The collection in this library numbers approximately 115,000 volumes. In addition, there are over 162,000 slides housed in the collection. Reference assistance and services are available also to the University at large, other educational institutions of the State, and individuals with special requests. An operational relationship is maintained with the other University libraries, the resources of which number more than two and one half million volumes, all of which are available to School of Architecture students and faculty members.

Graduate Programs

The School of Architecture also offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Architectural History, and Master of Planning. A separate catalog describing each of these programs is available from the Dean of the School of Architecture.

A Ph.D. in Architectural History is administered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Degrees Offered

Architecture

The undergraduate degree in Architecture has as its primary goal the development of a strong cultural and intellectual background in architecture within a four year educational experience. The role of architecture is emphasized as a reflection of specific cultural value systems expressed as idea, as process and finally as built form. It is in this context that the architecture studio is seen as the distinctive and fundamental basis of an education in architecture. Emphasis in the studio sequence is placed on developing ideas about architecture and their formal resolution in problems of ever increasing complexity. The degree program couples the development of a humanities background with the specific activity of making built form. The program is therefore pre-professional in content with the expectation that a majority of students will continue to pursue their studies at the graduate level in order to obtain the first professional degree in architecture or related disciplines.

Bachelor of Science (Architecture)

First Year
First Semester
ARCH 101 Architecture as a Covenant 3
AR H 101 History of Architecture 3
ENWR 101 Expository Writing 3
Humanities/Science* Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
ARCH 102 Fundamentals of Design 3
AR H 102 History of Architecture 3
MATH 121 or 131 Calculus** 4
English Elective 3
Humanities/Science* Elective 3
Total Credits 16
Second Year
First Semester
ARCH 201 Intro to Architectural Design 4
PHYS 203a Architectural Physics 4
Humanities/Science* Elective 3
Social Science Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 17
Second Semester
ARCH 202 Intro to Architectural Design 4
AR H 203 Modern Architecture 3
Humanities/Science* Elective 3
Natural Science Elective 3
Social Science Elective 3
Total Credits 16
Third Year
First Semester
ARCH 301 Architectural Design 6
L AR 312 History of Landscape 3
ARCH 303 Building I 4
ARCH 308 Architectural Theory and Ethics 3
Total Credits 16
Second Semester
ARCH302 Architectural Design 6
ARCH 324 Structures 4
ARCH 304 Building II 4
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 17
Fourth Year: Architectural Design Concentration
First Semester
ARCH 401 Architectural Design 6
Architecture Elective*** 3
Architecture Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
ARCH 402 Architectural Design 6
ARCH 406 Building III 4
Architecture Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 16

* Science   in this case includes the following: natural science, engineering, computer science and mathematics. Environmental Choices (ARCH 589) qualifies as a Humanities/Science Elective and is strongly recommended.

** Students scoring above 600 on the math SAT are encouraged to take MATH 131. Students who have not completed a trigonometry course prior to matriculation or scored below 550 on the math SAT are required to take MATH 103 (Pre-calculus) in lieu of an open elective in the first semester.

*** Architecture electives include courses in the departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Environmental Planning, and Architectural History.

Architectural Studies Concentration  The Architectural Studies Concentration recognizes the diversity of student interests and the opportunities that exist between architecture and other areas of inquiry. By electing the Architectural Studies Concentration for fourth year courses, students may pursue a discipline within the School of Architecture or other University departments.

To participate in this concentration, students should select a listed minor for study and notify the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Architecture. Within the School of Architecture, these minors are Architectural Technologies, Planning, Preservation, and Architectural History. Outside the School, these minors include Anthropology, History of Art, Studio Art, Comparative Literature, Drama, Economics, English, Environmental Sciences, Foreign Languages, Government and Foreign Affairs, History, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology. These minors require between 15 and 20 credits of course work. Students should consult with the advisors in the minor departments to clarify questions of course content.

Within the Architectural Studies Concentration, a limited number of qualified students may request Independent Studies status. These students must prepare well in advance. They should define their topics and explain reasons for and perceived benefits of their intended work. Each student should also identify a faculty advisor who has agreed to oversee the project. Based on the clarity of the proposals and past achievements, the Department will grant permission to qualified students. These students will develop their curricula in consultation with the Architectural Studies Coordinator and their project advisors. After the first semester of Independent Studies, the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Architecture will review each student's work.

Architectural Studies/Minor Concentration
Fourth Year:
Minor Subject 3
Minor Subject 3
ARCH (minor related)* 3
ARCH Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15
Minor Subject 3
Minor Subject 3
ARCH (minor related)* 3
Open Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15
Architectural Studies/Independent Concentration
Fourth Year
ARCH 407 Project Preparation 3
Project Support Elective 3
ARCH (concen. related)* 3
ARCH Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15**
ARCH 490 Advanced A.S. Project 3
Project Support Elective 3
ARCH (concen. related)* 3
Open Elective 3
Open Elective 3
Total Credits 15

* This is a course given in the School of Architecture that serves as a link between this School's curriculum and the student's minor or concentration. For example, Environmental Choices (ARCH 589) is appropriate for those selecting environmental sciences, most architectural history courses for history or religion, and many planning courses for government and foreign affairs.

** Director to approve continuance in second semester.

Notes   Students must have 128 credits (as well as a minimum of 34 courses) with a 2.0 average to graduate with Bachelor of Science (Architecture) degree. Students who wish to continue for the professional degree of Master of Architecture apply to a graduate program. Students expecting to enter graduate studies should have maintained a 2.5 cumulative average with a 3.0 average in the architectural design sequence. Admission into the graduate program in architecture at the University of Virginia is extremely competitive.

Urban and Environmental Planning

The program in Urban and Environmental Planning provides a balance between liberal education with an emphasis on interdisciplinary study and professional planning skills. Students typically take courses in the social and natural sciences, the humanities and in design fields which complement professional courses in planning practice and theory. Graduates go to work in the public or private sectors or go on to graduate professional studies.

The scope of the planner's work encompasses present and future urban and rural concerns, including such diverse issues as environmental impact, quality of life, and the public and private costs of development. Planners work in the public and private sectors, in urban and rural areas. Public sector planners work for all levels of government formulating plans to redevelop or rehabilitate downtowns and neighborhoods, develop land aesthetically and profitably, and regulate private development to protect public interests. Planners frame long-range plans anticipating futures 5 to 15 years away, but they are also deeply involved in choosing how to spend money on current projects. Private sector planners employed with land developers, utilities, banks, property management firms, industries, and other major corporations do these same kinds of work focused on the particular concerns of each business.

Students may enter the program directly from high school or they may transfer from other schools in the University or other accredited universities or colleges. Normally, students transfer in their first or second year and complete the requirements for the degree without additional sessions. However, it is advisable that students, who wish to transfer to the program, consult with the Chair of Urban and Environmental Planning. Students may apply for transfer for the spring or fall semester. If other prerequisites have been met, it is possible for transfer students to complete the required Planning courses in two years.

Bachelor of City Planning (I)

First Year
First Semester
English (2) 3
History electives (3) 3
Math (4) 3
Social Science electives (5) 3
PLAN 103 or 204 Intro. to Planning 3
or Open electives 3
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
English (2) 3
History electives (3) 3
Math (4) 3
Social Science electives (5) 3
PLAN 103 or 204 Intro. to Planning 3
or Open electives 3
Total Credits 15
Second Year
First Semester
PLAN 201 Intro. to Urban Design 4
Natural sciences 3
Social Science electives (5) 3
Humanities electives 3
Open electives 3
Total Credits 16
Second Semester
PLAN 202 Introduction to Urban Design 4
Natural sciences3
Social Science electives (5) 3
Humanities electives 3
Open electives 3
Total Credits 16
Third Year
First Semester
PLAN 303 Urban and Regional Theory 3
PLAN 306 Legal Aspects of Planning 3
Social Science electives (5) 3
Electives 6
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
PLAN 305 Planning Analysis 3
Professional elective 3
Social Science electives (5) 3
Electives (5) 6
Total Credits 15
Fourth Year
First Semester
PLAN 404 Planning Processes 3
Professional electives 3
Planning Application courses (6)3
Open electives 6
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
Professional electives 3
Planning Application courses (6)3
Open electives 3
Fourth Year Project 3
Total Credits 15

Notes

(1) Students must have a minimum of 122 credits with at least a 2.0 average in order to graduate with a Bachelor of City Planning degree.

(2) English requirement is proficiency at ENWR 101 level plus one other course. If ENWR is waived, two English electives are required.

(3) One of these history courses must be taken in the School of Architecture.

(4) The suggested math sequence is MATH 121, Calculus, and MATH 111, Probability. Substitutions may be approved by the faculty advisor.

(5) By the end of the third year, students should have completed the following from among their elective courses: Economics 201, 202; Statistics; two courses concerning governmental processes and management, and one speech performance course.

(6) Planning Applications courses are designated as PLAC. These courses emphasize fieldwork, analysis, plan development, document preparation and formal presentation.

Architectural History

The undergraduate curriculum provides a broad based liberal arts program and an introduction to the discipline of architectural history. A minimum of 33 credits of architectural history is required. Among them will be an independent study course taken during the fourth year which will require that the student produce a paper devoted to some subject of a synthetic, integrative character and which, with faculty comments will become part of the student's permanent record. Introduction to Historic Preservation and other appropriate preservation courses may be used to help fulfill this requirement. In addition, students complete the first year of the architectural design program required of students in the Architecture Department. The student should emerge with a knowledge of the history of architecture and a grounding in the methodology of research and critical evaluation. A semester abroad in London is available to students in their third year.

Bachelor of Architectural History
First Year
First Semester
AR H 101 History of Architecture: Introduction 3
ENWR 101 Expository Writing 3
MATH 121 or Approved MATH Substitute 3-4
Foreign Language 3-4
Electives (ARCH 101 and ARCH 102 are recommended) 3
Total Credits 15-17
Second Semester
AR H 101 History of Architecture: Introduction 3
Foreign Language 3-4
English elective (ENWR 202 suggested) 3
Electives (ARCH 101 and ARCH 102 are recommended) 3
Open electives 3
Total Credits 15-16
Second Year
First Semester
ARCH 201 Intro. to Architectural Design 4
ARCH 203 Modern Architecture 3
Foreign Language 3-4
Natural science electives 3-4
Social science electives 3
Total Credits 16-18
Second Semester
ARCH 202 Intro. to Architectural Design 4
Foreign Language 3-4
Natural science electives 3-4
Social science electives 3
Open electives 3
Total Credits 16-18
Third Year
First Semester
History of Architecture electives6
English electives 3
History electives 3
Open electives 3
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
History of Architecture electives 6
English electives 3
History electives 3
Elective (ARCH 589 recommended) 3-4
Total Credits 15-16
Fourth Year
First Semester
History of Architecture electives 6
Open electives 9
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
AR H 490 Major Special Study 3
History of Architecture electives 3
Open electives 9
Total Credits 15

Notes

  1. Students must have a minimum of 122 credits with at least 2.0 average in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Architectural History degree.
  2. If ENWR 101 or MATH are waived, any open electives may be substituted.
  3. Students must attain at least the intermediate level (normally by completing a language course labeled 202) in at least one foreign language. This is usually done by completing 12 credits of foreign language study through the 202 level. Those with previous language study may contact the appropriate department for placement in advanced level courses ( e.g. to begin study at UVA with a 200 rather than 100 level language course). Students scoring at least 620 on a CEEB language achievement examination have satisfied this requirement. Those intending to continue in the field of architectural history are advised to study a second language.
  4. Related art history courses offered by the McIntire Department of Art may be taken for architectural history credit with the per-mission of the student's adviser, as may courses in History of Landscape Architecture.
  5. Students should take advantage of courses in Preservation and Building Technology when they are available.