Architecture
The architect must combine an understanding of society, artistic skill, and technological knowledge to shape places and spaces that enrich human life. Not only do the physical requirements need to be satisfied, but also there must be beauty to engage the human spirit. All of this requires a creative thought process that can balance and organize needs that are quite varied in nature. Clear, responsible, sensitive, and comprehensive thinking is demanded of the architect who is to integrate a wide range of factors into a design that is meaningful. For this reason an architect’s education must range from the practical aspects of building construction to the study of environmental, social, and aesthetic issues.
Central to the study of architecture is the sequence of architectural studio courses. Students are assigned architectural problems, which may be hypothetical, realistic, or theoretical, and find their own solutions to them with frequent individual consultations with instructors. As the student progresses, the projects become larger and more complex or the solution becomes more detailed. In this way, knowledge and experience acquired in other classes are brought to bear on the principal responsibility of the architect and the architecture student, that of shaping separate considerations into a single design.
Selective Admission
Admission into the first-year pre-architecture program is open to any student enrolled at NDSU. Transfer students are evaluated on the basis of courses taken and grades received. Upon completion of the first year, a selected number of students are admitted to the second year of the program on the basis of institutional GPA attained and performance in first-year environmental design courses.
The Program
At the end of the third year of study, students may apply to the Master of Architecture degree program. The Bachelor of Science in Architecture is granted after the fourth year of study, and the professional Master of Architecture degree at the end of the fifth year of study. The program is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, and the M.Arch. degree is recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards as a professional degree.
The total number of credits required for the professional degree is 168, and the bachelor degree requirement is 136.
Special Notice
Students who are admitted into the second year of the program will be required to purchase a laptop computer before the beginning of the spring semester. Information on type of computer, software, purchase, and financing arrangements will be distributed to admitted students prior to purchase.
Major Requirements
Major: Architecture
Degree Type: B.S.Arch
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 136
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A list of approved general education courses is available here .
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, should they apply.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture Requirements | ||
| ANTH 111 | Introduction to Anthropology (May satisfy general education category B and D) | 3 |
| ARCH 231 | Architectural Drawing | 3 |
| ARCH 232 | Design Technology | 3 |
| ARCH 233 | Math for Designers | 1 |
| ARCH 271 | Architectural Design I | 6 |
| ARCH 272 | Architectural Design II | 6 |
| ARCH 321 | History and Theory of Architecture I (May satisfy general education category A and G) | 3 |
| ARCH 322 | History of Architecture II | 3 |
| ARCH 323 | History and Theory of Architecture III | 3 |
| ARCH 341 | Site Design for Architects | 3 |
| ARCH 344 | Architectural Structures I | 3 |
| ARCH 351 | Materials & Construction | 4 |
| ARCH 371 | Architectural Design III | 6 |
| ARCH 372 | Architectural Design IV | 6 |
| ARCH 443 | Architectural Structures II | 3 |
| ARCH 450 | Architectural Detailing | 3 |
| ARCH 453 | Environmental Control Systems: Passive Principles | 3 |
| ARCH 454 | Environmental Control System: Active System | 3 |
| ARCH 461 | Urban Design | 3 |
| ARCH 471 | Architectural Design V (Capstone) | 6 |
| ARCH 472 | Architectural Design VI | 6 |
| or ARCH 474 | International Design Studio | |
| ENVD 101 | Introduction to Environmental Design (May satisfy a general education category A) | 3 |
| ENVD 130 | Drawing Skills for Environmental Designers | 3 |
| ENVD 172 | Environmental Design Fundamentals Studio | 3 |
| PHYS 120 | Fundamentals of Physics (May satisfy general education category S) | 3 |
| or PHYS 220 | Physics for Designers | |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophy (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 101 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture - Graduate Level | ||
| ARCH 763 | Programming/Thesis Prep | 3 |
| ARCH 781 | Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARCH 771 | Advanced Architectural Design | 6 |
| ARCH 772 | Design Thesis | 8 |
| Select 12 credits from the following: (May be repeated, except for identical course offering) | 12 | |
| Non-Western Architectural Traditions | ||
| Urbanism | ||
| Historic Preservation | ||
| Architectural Technology | ||
| Architecture or the Recent Past | ||
| Current Architectural Theory | ||
| Vernacular Architectural Traditions | ||
| Sociocultural Issues | ||
| Professional Topics in Architecture | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- NO GRADES OF 'D' ALLOWED FOR ANY MAJOR OR MAJOR ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS.
- Courses listed on this curriculum guide will lead to both a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree and to an Masters of Architecture degree.
- If a student receives a grade of “D” or “F” in studio, he/she will be required to repeat the studio class the following year, before advancing to the next studio course.
- A student must complete at least 60 semester credits of professional level course work in his/her program while in residence and enrolled in the college. Students transferring into the college from programs with professional accreditation are exempt from this residency requirement but are subject to the residency requirement of NDSU.
Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENVD 101 | 3 | ENVD 104 | 1 |
| ENVD 102 | 1 | ENVD 172 | 3 |
| ENVD 130 | 3 | ENGL 120 | 3 |
| ENGL 110 | 4 | COMM 110 | 3 |
| ARCH 321 | 3 | ARCH 322 | 3 |
| PHYS 120 | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning Requirement | 3 |
| Wellness Requirement | 2 | ||
| 17 | 18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 271 | 6 | ARCH 272 | 6 |
| ARCH 231 | 3 | ARCH 232 | 3 |
| ARCH 233 | 1 | ARCH 344 | 3 |
| Science/Tech General Education Requirement | 3 | PSYC 111 | 3 |
| ARCH 323 | 3 | PHIL Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 18 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 371 | 6 | ARCH 372 | 6 |
| ARCH 341 | 3 | ARCH 450 | 3 |
| ARCH 351 | 4 | ARCH 454 | 3 |
| ARCH 453 | 3 | ARCH 461 | 3 |
| Science/Tech General Education Lab Requirement | 1 | ENGL 326 or 357 | 3 |
| 17 | 18 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARCH 471 | 6 | ARCH 472, 474, or 475 | 6 |
| ARCH 443 | 3 | SOC 110 | 3 |
| ANTH 111 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Science/Tech General Education Requirement | 3 | Elective | 2 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 18 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits: 136 | |||
