OVERVIEW
http://www.design.iastate.edu/architecture
The Department of Architecture is committed to the study of architecture as a cultural discipline in which issues of practice, of the multiplicity of social formations in which buildings exist, and of environmental effects are integrated with building design through construction, space, material, form and use. Architecture arises from the aspirations that diverse individuals and groups have for their physical environment, and from the social enterprise of designing and fabricating the landscape we inhabit. It involves individual and multiple buildings, the spaces within them, and the exterior landscape.
The undergraduate program in architecture is an accredited 165-credit five-year undergraduate professional program, including the 31-credit Core Design Program, leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree (B. Arch). The program provides opportunities for general education as well as preparation for professional practice and/or graduate study. An optional one-semester foreign study program is offered to fourth-year students. Other study abroad opportunities are also available for short-term and semester-long duration.
The undergraduate curriculum includes one year of the college's Core Design Program followed by a four-year professional program. Admission to the professional degree program is based on the applicant’s performance in the completed pre-professional curriculum; previous high school record (or transfer record where applicable); portfolio and essay evaluations; and on available departmental resources. Information on admission criteria is posted each year on the College of Design website.
Students completing their bachelor’s degree may opt to include a wide range of minor option as part of their course of study. A number of minors related to design, including digital media, critical studies, urban studies, and sustainability, can be integrated within their regular course of study; for details, please refer to the College of Design website.
For students entering the professional program after completion of the Core Design Program, the department requires purchase on their own or through the college of a laptop/notebook computer and appropriate software. Information is provided to students about computer requirements at the time of acceptance to the program.
The department offers two graduate degrees in architecture: a 90-credit graduate professional program leading to the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) and a 30-credit interdisciplinary graduate program leading to the Master of Science in Architecture (M.S. Arch.). Both degrees offer options for interdisciplinary study within the College of Design and across related fields within the university. Double-degree programs are offered with a number of other graduate programs of study within the college. Financial support in the form of teaching and research assistantships is available competitively.
Students who complete their Bachelor of Architecture Degree at Iowa State University may have 6 approved credit hours of their undergraduate study applied towards their Graduate Standing, permitting them to complete the M.S.Arch with 24 additional credit hours of study. In addition to graduate studies in Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture students may opt to pursue a one-year program of master’s studies from other departments or programs in the College and the University. For complete current graduate program descriptions (many of which can apply 6 transfer credits from undergrad study), please see the College website undergraduate programs.
Student Learning Outcomes
Our program prepares students for careers in architecture and related disciplines, emphasizing a diverse and holistic approach whereby graduates obtain:
- Rigorous, research-driven, and creative design skills.
- A broad, inclusive, and nuanced appreciation for the historic and theoretical frameworks that inform practice today.
- An array of graphic, computational and presentation skills needed to both design and convey design intent.
- An understanding of contemporary technical and performance criteria used to model, analyze, and construct projects, so as to responsibly evaluate the technical and environmental impact of design decisions; and
- A grounding in the critical, aesthetic, and ethical role of the profession and its relationship to public health, safety, well-being, and environmental stewardship.
Program Accreditation
Iowa State University Department of Architecture offers programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, which requires the inclusion of the following statement:
“In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a nonaccredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.”
Iowa State University Department of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- Bachelor of Architecture (165 cr.)
- Master of Architecture (90 cr.; prerequisite: undergraduate degree in a discipline other than architecture or a four-year pre-professional degree in architecture)
Degree Requirements
Total B. Arch. Requirement: 165 cr.
Only 65 cr. from a two-year institution may apply which may include up to 16 technical cr.; 9 P-NP cr. of free electives; 2.00 minimum GPA.
International Perspective: 3 cr.
U.S. Cultures and Communities (formerly U.S. Diversity): 3 cr.
Communications: 7 cr.
(C or better grade in ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500)
| ENGL 1500 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 2500 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | Introduction to College Level Research | 1 |
| Total Credits | 7 | |
Humanities: 6 cr.
6 cr. from approved list.
Social Sciences: 6 cr.
6 cr. from approved list.
Math and Physical Sciences: 8 cr.
| MATH 1450 | Applied Trigonometry | 3 |
| PHYS 1310 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 1310L | General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
Design Core 13 cr.
| DSNS 1020 | Design Studio I | 4 |
| DSNS 1150 | Design Collaborative Seminar | 1 |
| or DSNS 1100 | Design Exchange Seminar I | |
| DSNS 1310 | Drawing I | 4 |
| DSNS 1320 | Digital Design Literacy | 1 |
| DSNS 1830 | Design in Context | 3 |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
Design Communications: 6 cr.
| ARCH 2300 | Design Communications I | 3 |
| ARCH 2310 | Advanced Design Representation | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Design: 48 cr.
| ARCH 2010 | Architectural Design I | 6 |
| ARCH 2020 | Architectural Design II | 6 |
| ARCH 3010 | Architectural Design III | 6 |
| ARCH 3020 | Architectural Design IV | 6 |
| ARCH 4010 | Architectural Design V | 6 |
| ARCH 4020 | Architectural Design VI | 6 |
| ARCH 4030 | Architectural Design VII | 6 |
| DSNS 5460 | Interdisciplinary Design Studio | 6 |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Building Technologies: 21 cr.
| ARCH 3450 | Building Science and Technology I | 2 |
| ARCH 3450L | Building Science and Technology I Lab | 1 |
| ARCH 3460 | Building Science and Technology II | 3 |
| ARCH 3460L | Building Science and Technology II Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 3470 | Building Science and Technology III | 3 |
| ARCH 3470L | Building Science and Technology III Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 3480 | Building Science and Technology IV | 3 |
| ARCH 3480L | Building Science and Technology IV Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 4450 | Building Science and Technology V | 2 |
| ARCH 4450L | Building Science and Technology V Lab | 1 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Studies in History, Theory, and Culture: 18 cr.
| ARCH 2200 | Contemporary Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 2210 | Histories and Theories of Architecture to 1750 | 3 |
| ARCH 3220 | Histories and Theories of Architecture after 1750 | 3 |
| Nine credits from approved HTC Option list. | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Behavioral Studies/Practice: 6 cr.
| ARCH 3710 | Human Behavior and Environmental Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 4820 | Professional Practice | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Professional Options: 9 cr.
6 cr. 3000-5000 level Arch; 3 cr. from ARCH, ART, ARTH, ARTID, ARTGR, ARTIS, CRP, DES, DSNS, or LA, SUSE, or URBD.
Electives: 17 cr.
2 cr. KIN or ATH allowed; 4 cr. AFAS, MS, or NS allowed; 9 cr. ARCH allowed (no P/NP).
Architecture, B.Arch.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| DSNS 1020 or 1310 | 4 | DSNS 1020 or 1310 | 4 |
| DSNS 1100 or 1150 | 1 | DSNS 1830 or ENGL 1500 | 3 |
| DSNS 1830 (or General Elective) | 3 | PHYS 1310 | 4 |
| DSNS 1320 | 1 | PHYS 1310L | 1 |
| ENGL 1500 or LIB 1600 (or General Elective) | 1-3 | Social Science/Humanities Elective | 3 |
| MATH 1450 | 3 | LIB 1600 or ENGL 2500* | 1-3 |
| Social Science/Humanities Elective | 3 | *LIB 1600 is taken once. | |
| 16-18 | 16-18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 2010 | 6 | ARCH 2020 | 6 |
| ARCH 2200 | 3 | ARCH 3460 | 3 |
| ARCH 2300 | 3 | ARCH 3460L | 2 |
| ARCH 3450 | 2 | ARCH 3710 | 3 |
| ARCH 3450L | 1 | ARCH 2310 | 3 |
| ENGL 2500* | 3 | ||
| *If not taken the first year. | |||
| 18 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 2210 | 3 | ARCH 3020 | 6 |
| ARCH 3010 | 6 | ARCH 3220 | 3 |
| ARCH 3470 | 3 | ARCH 3480 | 3 |
| ARCH 3470L | 2 | ARCH 3480L | 2 |
| Social Sciences/Humanities Elective | 3 | HTC Elective | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 4010 | 6 | ARCH 4020 | 6 |
| ARCH 4450 | 2 | HTC Elective | 3 |
| ARCH 4450L | 1 | General Elective | 3 |
| ARCH 4820 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| HTC Elective | 3 | ||
| Social Science/Humanities Elective | 3 | ||
| 18 | 15 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 4030 | 6 | DSNS 5460 | 6 |
| Professional Elective | 3 | Professional Elective | 3 |
| Professional Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
Total Credits: 165
Admission into the Bachelor of Architecture Program requires the completion of the Core Design Program. Admission depends upon available resources; admission criteria are posted on the College of Design website. Transfer students are considered on a case-by-case-basis.
Graduate Programs
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Our 90-credit M.Arch. is an accredited professional degree in architecture designed for students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than architecture as well as for students who hold a four-year pre-professional degree in architecture. Applicants holding B.S. or B.A. degrees in Architecture or other affiliated design fields may be given advanced standing in the M.Arch. program.
The M.Arch. program engages with architecture as a form of knowledge, practice and production situated in relation to contemporary concerns and issues. Students gain the knowledge, skills and experience with which to professionally practice architecture, while also developing a critical awareness of the discipline’s wider social, political, economic, environmental and cultural implications.
M.Arch. is accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) and leads to a professional Master of Architecture degree over three years. The curriculum commences with an intensive sequence of classes that establish the foundations for the study and practice of architecture. Equal emphasis is placed on each of the three study areas: studios in architectural design and media, laboratories and lectures on science and technology, and lectures and seminars on history and theory. Building on these foundations, students are supported in developing their own particular interests and agendas as they progress through the subsequent two years of study. This is facilitated through options in studying abroad, undertaking specialized studio options both within and outside of the department, and opportunities for independent study.
In addition to architecture, students previously admitted to the full three-year program have held undergraduate degrees in a broad range of fields, including art history, history, literature, interior design, economics, mathematics, computer science, anthropology, medicine and philosophy. This diverse range of previous study and experience is brought to bear on the study of architecture, collectively enriching the range and depth of our program.
While students with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines, must complete the full three years of the curriculum, students with undergraduate degrees in architecture or other related design fields may, on consideration, be given advanced standing in the program. Advanced standing students may waive up to the whole first year.
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Studio Courses: 36 cr.
| ARCH 5050 | Architectural Design and Media I: Mapping, Programming, Building | 6 |
| ARCH 5060 | Architectural Design and Media II: Materiality and Representation | 6 |
| ARCH 6010 | Sustainable Building Design | 6 |
| ARCH 6020 | Communities, Architecture and the Environment | 6 |
| ARCH 6030 | Integrative Design | 6 |
| ARCH 6040 | Design Studio Options | 6 |
Technology and Practice: 18 cr.
| ARCH 5430 | Building Science and Technology I | 6 |
| ARCH 5440 | Building Science and Technology II | 3 |
| ARCH 5820 | Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARCH 6410 | Building Science and Technology III | 3 |
| ARCH 6420 | Building Science and Technology IV | 3 |
History and Theory: 12 cr.
| ARCH 5950 | Seminar on the Built Environment I: History | 3 |
| ARCH 5960 | Seminar on the Built Environment II: Landscape and Society | 3 |
| ARCH 5970 | Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 5980 | Seminar on the Built Environment IV: Topical Study | 3 |
Electives: 24 cr.
Total Credits: 90
Master of Science in Architecture (M.S.)
M.S. in Arch. is a 30-credit research degree with a required graduate thesis. As a research degree, this program is not subject to NAAB accreditation.
M.S. in Arch. is open for applicants who hold a professional degree in architecture or other related design fields. Applicants are required to submit a research proposal that lies within one of the study areas listed on the program's webpage. The degree is also open for applicants with non-professional degrees in various fields depending on the research proposed by the applicant.
Master of Science In Architecture (M.S.)
History and Theory: 6 cr. (Choose two seminars from this list)
| ARCH 5950 | Seminar on the Built Environment I: History | 3 |
| ARCH 5960 | Seminar on the Built Environment II: Landscape and Society | 3 |
| ARCH 5970 | Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 5980 | Seminar on the Built Environment IV: Topical Study | 3 |
Thesis: 9 cr.
| ARCH 6990 | Research | 9 |
Area of Study: 9 cr.
Electives: 6 cr.
Total Credits: 30
Dual degree
Double degree programs are offered with a number of graduate programs in other college departments. Information about our programs and how to apply can be obtained from the department’s web page at: https://www.design.iastate.edu/architecture/.
Financial support in the form of teaching and research assistantships is available.