Undergraduate Program in Architecture

The mission of the undergraduate program in architecture is to develop basic skills, knowledge, and methods of inquiry in the discipline of architecture within the context of a liberal education in the arts and sciences. The program provides for the study of architecture on three levels of engagement: a Minor, a Major, and an Intensive Major. Most of required courses offered in the undergraduate program are design studios. Student work in the design studios ranges from hand drawing and three-dimensional physical models to computer-aided drafting (CAD) and three-dimensional parametric modeling. Click here for a gallery of student work.

To enroll in ARCH 201, the first studio in the sequence of required courses for the Minor and the Major, students must be sophomore or junior standing and obtain a permit. To obtain a permit, email Staci Kaplan, Administrative Assistant, stacilk@design.upenn.edu or visit the Department of Architecture in 207 Meyerson Hall.

Students in the Minor or Major who intend to apply for enrollment in the M.Arch Professional Degree Program in the Department of Architecture in the School of Design must fulfill the following prerequisites: MATH 103 or MATH 104; and PHYS 008 and PHYS 009.

For more information, contact Richard Wesley, Undergraduate Chair, rwesley@design.upenn.edu

MINOR
The Minor in Architecture is an 8 course-unit program of study. The Minor consists of a two-year sequence of design studios (ARCH 201, ARCH 202, ARCH 301, ARCH 302), and two course units in the History of Art (ARTH 001, ARTH 002).

MAJOR
Students declare the Major in Architecture upon completion of ARCH 201, the first studio in the sequence of required courses for the Minor and the Major. Admission into the Major is dependent on a student earning a minimum 3.0 grade point average in ARCH 201.

The Major in Architecture offers two concentrations in the study of architecture. The Design Concentration includes a three-year sequence of design studios combined with courses in art history and architectural theory. The History, Theory, and Criticism Concentration includes a two-year sequence of design studios and courses in art history combined with additional coursework in art history, architectural theory, and related subjects.

In addition to ARTH 001 and 002, Majors in Architecture are required to take two courses selected from the ARTH 200, 400, or 500-level courses currently being offered by the Department of the History of Art. The courses offered will vary each year. Please visit the website of the Department of the History of Art for a list of courses offered in the current academic year: http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/

B.A. ARCH: DESIGN CONCENTRATION
(Total Course Units: 16)

SOPHOMORE
Fall	ARCH 201	Visualization I	1
	ARTH 001		1
Spring	ARCH 202	Visualization II	1
	ARTH 002		1
JUNIOR
Fall	ARCH 301	Design Fundamentals I	2
	ARTH **		1
Spring	ARCH 302	Design Fundamentals II	2
	ARTH **		1
SENIOR
Fall	ARCH 401	Arch & Landscape Design I	2
	ARCH 411	Poetics of Landscape Arch	1
Spring	ARCH 402	Arch & Landscape Design II	2
	ARCH 412	Poetics of Architecture	1
		Total Course Units:	16

B.A. ARCH: HISTORY, THEORY, AND CRITICISM CONCENTRATION
(Total Course Units: 16)

SOPHOMORE
Fall	ARCH 201	Visualization I	1
	ARTH 001		1
Spring	ARCH 202	Visualization II	1
	ARTH 002		1
JUNIOR
Fall	ARCH 301	Design Fundamentals I	2
	ARTH **		1
Spring	ARCH 302	Design Fundamentals II	2
	ARTH **		1
SENIOR
Fall	ARCH 411	Poetics of Landscape Arch	1
	ARTH 301	Undergraduate Seminar	1
	***		1
Spring	ARCH 412	Poetics of Architecture	1
	ARCH 398	Senior Thesis	1
	***		1
		Total Course Units:	16

INTENSIVE MAJOR
A selected number of students in the Design Concentration may be admitted to the Intensive Major in Architecture. To be admitted to the Intensive Major a student must be in good academic standing, have a minimum of a 3.5 grade point average in ARCH 201, ARCH 202, and ARCH 301, and have successfully completed the prerequisites for graduate study (ARTH 001 and ARTH 002; MATH 103 or MATH 104; and PHYS 008 and PHYS 009.

Application for admission to the Intensive Major is made to the Undergraduate Chair in the spring semester of the junior year. The application consists of a one-page statement of intent and a portfolio of work from ARCH 201, ARCH 202, and ARCH 301. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the Intensive Major will be admitted into the second year of the 3-year Master of Architecture Professional Degree Program in the Department of Architecture in the School of Design with one year of Advanced Standing.

A student admitted to the Intensive Major will take the following three additional course units during the senior year: ARCH 431 and 432: Construction I and II; ARCH 433 and 434: Environmental Systems I and II; and ARCH 435 and 436: Structures I and II. Since the Intensive Major requires a total of 19 course units in the major, students are advised to meet with their College Adviser during their freshman year in order to develop a strategy for meeting the degree requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences.