Architecture

M. Katherine Wingert-Playdon, Chair
Engineering & Architecture Building, Room 915
1947 North 12th Street
215-204-7903
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 National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Master's degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree."

Temple Rome and Temple Japan offers architecture courses to students in their junior or senior years of study in the fall semester (Japan), or fall and spring semesters (Rome).  Admission to these programs is competitive.  Applications are made through the Temple International Program's Office.

As of Fall 2010, the Architecture Department will be offering three new four-year undergraduate degrees and a new two-year graduate degree - Bachelor of Science in Architecture (pre-professional), Bachelor of Science in Facility Management, Bachelor of Science in Architectural Preservation and Master of Architecture (professional). The Bachelor of Science in Architecture (pre-professional) and the Master of Architecture (professional) will replace the Bachelor of Architecture as a National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB, www.naab.org) accredited professional education. The last intake into the freshman year of the Bachelor of Architecture and the existing Bachelor of Science in Architecture will be in Fall 2009. Thereafter, they will be phased out year by year until Spring 2013 (B.S. Arch) and 2014 (B. Arch). Students will have until Spring 2016 (B.S. Arch) and Spring 2018 (B.Arch.) to complete the requirements for these degrees. For further information, consult the department's web site at www.temple.edu/architecture.

University Requirements

All students are required to complete a set of university requirements: General Education (GenEd) or Core.

• New freshmen starting in the 2009-2010 academic year are required to complete the GenEd curriculum in addition to major requirements.
• New transfer students starting in the 2009-2010 academic year are required to complete the Core curriculum in addition to major requirements.

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific writing-intensive courses required for the major are identified below by "WI" in the RCI column.

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.

Architecture Basic Studies Courses (Year 1 & 2)

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) 

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.

Students who elect to study abroad will be required to register for Architecture 3146 on Main Campus during their study abroad semester.