Architecture

Lindsay Bremner, Chair
Engineering & Architecture Building, Room 907
1947 North 12th Street
215-204-9414
archinfo@temple.edu
www.temple.edu/architecture

About the Architecture Department

Temple University is located in Philadelphia, one of America’s founding cities. It and architectural practice have been transformed by post-industrialization, global restructuring and the urgent imperative to reduce its carbon footprint. Our pedagogy and research are framed by this urban and professional condition. The city is used as a laboratory for critical engagement and architectural enquiry, and as a lens for global investigations.

The Department offers the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree (five-year) and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree (four-year). The Architecture curricula share a common two-year Basic Studies Program. Upon successful completion of this preparatory program, students may either continue in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture curriculum or apply for acceptance into the Professional Bachelor of Architecture degree program. Admission to the Bachelor of Architecture Program is competitive and requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 and an excellent portfolio. Completion of minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.

The five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) professional degree program prepares students for the practice of architecture in entry-level positions and is part of an intern development program that leads to professional registration. This curriculum is designed to enable students to learn theories and methodologies of architectural design as well as to understand the social, economic, political, and technological forces that shape the built environment. The principal educational component of the Program is a coordinated series of studio courses in which creative design talents and management skills are developed. Holders of this degree may, upon completion of postgraduate work experience, be admitted to the architectural licensing examinations offered in each state, through which they may become registered architects. Bachelor of Architecture majors have the opportunity of a semester in Temple Rome and/or Temple Japan in either their third or fourth year.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. in Architecture) degree is designed to develop a strong base in architectural technology and practice upon which students may develop additional areas of special competence. Graduates are qualified for a variety of positions in architecture and related fields for which a professional degree and registration are not requirements for advancement. Additionally, students may utilize this degree toward the goal of architectural education at the graduate level.

According to the NAAB, in the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The NAAB, which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Master's degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Temple Japan offers two architecture courses (a design studio and an urban seminar) to students in their junior or senior years of study in the fall semester.

University Requirements

New freshmen starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the GenEd curriculum in addition to major requirements.

New transfer students starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the Core curriculum in addition to major requirements.

Architecture Basic Studies Courses (Year 1 & 2)

Required Courses Also Satisfying General Education or University Core

After completion of Architecture Basic Studies, students will follow either the Bachelor of Science in Architecture Curriculum or the Bachelor of Architecture curriculum.  (Separate application is required for Bachelor of Architecture.) 

Bachelor of Science in Architecture (Year 3 & 4)

Bachelor of Architecture (Year 3, 4, 5) 

A total of 125 s.h. is required for completion of the Bachelor of Science in Architecture; 157 s.h. is required for completion of the Bachelor of Architecture degree.

Following a student’s matriculation into the Architecture Program, transfer credits for architecture courses are accepted only from accredited architectural programs in four-year institutions.  Students must receive permission in advance to take courses at other institutions. All University policies governing this process will be enforced.