7: School of Architecture

General Information | Academic Information | Degrees Offered | Course Descriptions | Faculty

Architecture | Urban and Environmental Planning | Architectural History

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 preprofessional 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 101Architecture as a Covenant 3
AR H 101History of Architecture: Ancient to Renaissance3
ENWR 101Composition 3
  Humanities/Science elective [1] 3
  Open elective 3
 Total 15
Second Semester
ARCH 101Fundamentals of Design 3
AR H 102History of Architecture: Renaissance to Modern 3
MATH 121Applied Calculus or
MATH 131Calculus I[2] 4
  English elective 3
  Humanities/Science elective [1] 3
 Total16
Second Year
First Semester
ARCH 201Introduction to Architectural Design4
PHYS 203A Architectural Physics4
Humanities/Science elective[1]3
Social Science elective3
Open elective3
Total17
Second Semester
ARCH 202Introduction to Architectural Design4
AR H ___AR H elective3
Humanities/Science elective[1]3
Natural Science elective3
Social Science elective3
Total16
Third Year
First Semester
ARCH 301Architectural Design6
Open elective3
ARCH 303Building I4
ARCH 308Architectural Theory and Ethics 3
Total16
Second Semester
ARCH 302Architectural Design6
ARCH 304Environmental Control Systems and Lighting 4
ARCH 324Introduction to Structural Design4
L AR 512History of Landscape Architecture3
Total17
Fourth Year: Architectural Design Concentration
First Semester
ARCH 401Architectural Design6
Architecture elective[3]3
Architecture elective[3]3
Open elective3
Total15
Second Semester
ARCH 402Architectural Design6
ARCH 406Building III4
Architecture elective[3]3
Open elective3
Total16

[1]Science in this case includes the following: natural science, engineering, computer science and mathematics. ARCH 589 (Environmental Choices) qualifies as a humanities/science elective and is strongly recommended.
[2]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.
[3]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, historic 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 his or her 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 Subject3
 Minor Subject3
 Architectural elective (minor related)[1] 3
 Architectural elective[2]3
 Open elective3
 Total15
 Minor Subject3
 Minor Subject3
 Architectural elective (minor related)[1]3
 Open elective3
 Open elective3
 Total15

Architectural Studies/Independent Concentration
Fourth Year
ARCH 407Thesis Preparation 3
 Project Support elective3
 Architectural elective (concen. related)[1]3
 Architectural elective[2]3
 Open elective3
 Total15[3]
ARCH 490Advanced A.S. Project 3
 Project Support elective3
 Architectural elective (concen. related)[1]3
 Open elective3
 Open elective3
 Total15

[1]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, ARCH 589 (Environmental Choices ) is appropriate for those selecting environmental sciences, most architectural history courses for history or religion, and many planning courses for government and foreign affairs.
[2]Architecture electives include courses in the departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Environmental Planning, and Architectural History.
[3]Director to approve continuance in second semester.

Note   Students must have 128 credits (as well as a minimum of 36 courses) with a 2.0 average to graduate with Bachelor of Science (Architecture) degree. In the architectural design concentration, 127 credits, 38 courses minimum in the architectural studies concentration are required. 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.

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