Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies

The Architectural Studies (B.A./ARCS) program offers a liberal arts education as a foundation for directed graduate study and careers in a variety of design-related disciplines. The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies curriculum emphasizes the design of the built environment as a tool to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills valuable in many fields of specialization that interface with design practice. Adding architecture to liberal education, the B.A./ARCS degree gives students the flexibility and incentive to explore important relationships between architecture and related disciplines and prepares them to recognize and pursue creative and innovative work within the field of architecture and beyond.

The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies degree is directed at three populations:

Students with an interest in environmental design who want to be active members of the larger university community and seek to establish a broad base of knowledge (through a cross-disciplinary, design-based liberal education) before committing to a particular career path

Students who plan to pursue further study in a related environmental design field such as urban planning, urban design, public/business administration, real estate development, real estate law, journalism, construction management, graphic or industrial design, historic preservation or architectural history/theory

Students who plan to pursue a three-year accredited graduate degree in architecture and seek the broadly based undergraduate education valued by such professional degree programs

Studying outside of a formal classroom environment, students often work closely with faculty and other students - exploring the cultural and societal forces that shape the built environment through a core set of courses in design, technology, history, criticism, and context. Studios for B.A./ARCS students are designed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships with art, technology, journalism, fashion, graphics, and digital sciences, offering opportunities for directed media and technique-based explorations.

By the beginning of the junior year, students are given the flexibility to pursue an emphasis in one of five areas of  focus. These areas of focus are intended as suggested territories for further investigation, allowing students to identify potential for specialization and/or future graduate study. Individual advising provides students with a framework to aid in defining goals and establishing tracks for a possible double-major or minor within the degree plan.

Architectural Studies Program Mission Statement

The Architectural Studies (ARCS) program is dedicated to offer a liberal arts based education on the current trends of design-related studies by linking contemporary architecture practice and theory to knowledge of urbanism, environmentalism, literature, media, cultural theory, art, science and technology, as well as philosophy, economics and political science.  The program, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, is committed to prepare graduates to seek employment in the construction and development industries, develop careers in cultural theory or pursue a three year graduate professional program in architecture, as well as a variety of other professional programs in areas such as landscape architecture, urban planning, law, and business.