Architecture

Kate Wingert-Playdon, Chair
Engineering & Architecture Building, Room 915
1947 North 12th Street

Philadelphia, PA  19122
215-204-7903

architecture@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 following degrees:

• Bachelor of Science in Architecture pre-professional degree
• Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management
• Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation
• National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree, five-year, for students who entered through fall of 2009
• National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Master of Architecture, two-year, for students who receive a 4-year pre-professional degree program, for students who enter beginning in fall 2010

The undergraduate architecture curricula share a common two-year Basic Studies Program. Upon successful completion of this preparatory program, students may continue in the Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation or the Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management, or can apply for acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree program. Admission to the Bachelor of Science 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 four-year Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree is a pre-professional program. 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.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management degree prepares students for a career in the profession of Facilities Management. It is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology. Students who choose this degree program can pursue facilities management certification after entering into the profession.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation degree prepares students for a career in cultural and historic preservation focused on the built environment. Careers in the field of Historic Preservation are those where leadership includes advocacy for places important to the underlying cultural and historical infrastructure of communities and environments.

The two-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) professional degree program in conjunction with a four-year pre-professional B.S. in Architecture degree 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.

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 pre-professional 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."

Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture majors have the opportunity of a semester in Temple Rome where architecture courses are offered in the fall and spring semesters.  Admission to these programs is competitive.  Applications are made through the Temple International Program's Office.

For students entering our programs in Fall 2010, the Bachelor of Science in Architecture (pre-professional) and the Master of Architecture (professional) replace the Bachelor of Architecture as a National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB, www.naab.org) accredited professional degree.

(Note: The Bachelor of Architecture degree program is not available for students entering in Fall 2010. It will be phased out by Spring 2014. Students who entered in 2009 and who have completed a substantial amount of the requirements of the Bachelor of Architecture degree program by Spring 2014 will have until Spring 2016 to finish all requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture or the Bachelor of Architecture degrees offered on entry in 2009. For further information, consult the department's web site at www.temple.edu/architecture.)

University Requirements

All students are required to complete the General Education requirements. Go to the General Education section for more information.

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 123 s.h. is required for completion of the Bachelor of Science in Architecture; 122 s.h. is required for completion of the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Preservation; 122 s.h. is required for completion of the Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management.

Architecture Foundation Studies Courses (Year 1 & 2)

Note: This is common to all three new undergraduate degrees.  In the spring of the sophomore year, students declare a major in one of the degrees offered.  A place in the B.S. in Facilities Management or the B.S. in Architectural Preservation is guaranteed for all students in good standing with the University.  Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture is competitive and requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 and an excellent portfolio. Completion of minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture (Year 3 & 4)

* Pending Approval

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Preservation (Year 3 & 4) 

* Pending Approval

Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management (Year 3 & 4) 

* Pending Approval

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.