Architecture, B.Arch
The five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program is structured with required courses and electives that provide thorough professional preparation and opportunities for study in the liberal arts and advanced study in architecture. This degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
First Year
First-year courses include required study in design, visual and digital media, architectural history and theory, technological systems, writing, and other electives in cultural knowledge and scientific inquiry. The emphasis in first-year design focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of formal, spatial and material principles in architecture, while obtaining a strong skill base in freehand drawing, descriptive geometry, material techniques, and visual and digital media. First-year electives allow students to supplement their background in physics or calculus, begin or advance foreign language study, broaden their skills in the arts, or choose any other subject area from among dozens offered by the university’s undergraduate divisions. In their first semester, students may also participate in one of the many TIDES (Tulane InterDisciplinary Experience) courses offered by the university to engage other students and faculty in an intimate, interactive environment.
Second and Third Years
Second and third-year courses cover the majority of the program requirements. Intensive studio work in architectural design is complemented by study in architectural history and theory, structures, technological systems, digital media and urban studies. In second-year, students are fully immersed in digital design techniques while learning to incorporate knowledge from historic, environmental, social, programmatic and technological studies into the design studio. This is followed by third-year, where, in the second semester, coordinated coursework allows students a truly synthetic experience in the integrated design of a complex architectural project.
Fourth Year
The fourth-year curriculum involves advanced architectural design in research studio courses as well as upper-level seminars in architectural theory, technology, professional concerns, urban studies, and digital media. In the fourth year of study, emphasis is placed on the relationship of architecture to the urban environment, both locally and globally. Students may spend one semester studying in one of the school's many programs ranging from urban design, to housing, to design/build. In the fourth-year, students will also have the opportunity for international study through various programs and research studios. Upper level study is intended to be diverse and includes many electives intended to provide significant opportunities for study within architecture as well as in the liberal arts and sciences.
Fifth Year
In the fifth year of study, students will develop an advanced thesis through research, analysis and design in one of four curricular streams.