The Bachelor of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) as a professional degree, allowing the recipient to qualify for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). NAAB-accredited B. Arch. programs must include at least 150 semester credit hours, or the quarter-hour equivalent, of which at least 45 semester hours, or the quarter-hour equivalent are in general studies.
There are also universities that offer a four-year degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies or a Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S.Arch) or a Bachelor of Art in Architectural Studies (B.A.Arch). These are non-accredited, pre-professional degrees, and so these students must enroll in a Masters degree (M.Arch) program to be professionally-licensed. However, enrolling in a pre-professional program often gets a student into a shorter M.Arch program. Any architecturally related curriculum may eventually make licensure possible, depending upon the laws or regulations of the jurisdiction in which you wish to be licensed.
The course of study of the Bachelor of Architecture includes studio courses on design and aesthetic theory, as well as practical courses on structures, building mechanical systems, electrical systems, *plumbing and construction. Student work is often in the form of drawings and renderings, either through computer-aided design or drafting by hand. Students also build physical models and create presentation boards for drawings and graphics.
In nearly all architecture schools in the United States, student life and work revolves around a studio class. Other classes in the architecture curriculum are designed to support the concepts emphasized in studio. One particularly rigorous aspect of studio classes is the "critique" or "review." Students "pin-up" their models and presentation drawings for instructors (and students) who offer constructive criticism.
As of August 2011, there are fifty-one accredited Bachelor of Architecture programs in the United States. This number has remained relatively stable since 2006. Colleges and universities in the United States where a Bachelor of Architecture degree can be obtained are listed below:
Note: Universities denoted by a * also have accredited Master of Architecture programs at their schools
Auburn University
Boston Architectural College*
California College of the Arts*
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona* (program)
Carnegie Mellon University
City College of the City University of New York*
Cooper Union*
Cornell University*
Drexel University
Drury University
Florida A&M University*
Florida Atlantic University
Howard University
Illinois Institute of Technology*
Iowa State University*
Louisiana State University*
Louisiana Tech University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology*
Mississippi State University
New Jersey Institute of Technology*
New School of Architecture and Design*
New York Institute of Technology
North Carolina State University*
Northeastern University*
Norwich University*
Oklahoma State University
Pennsylvania State University
Philadelphia University
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Pratt Institute*
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*
Rhode Island School of Design*
Rice University*
Roger Williams University*
Savannah College of Art and Design*
Southern California Institute of Architecture*
Southern Polytechnic State University
Southern University and A&M College
Syracuse University*
Tulane University
Tuskegee University
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of Houston, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture*
University of Louisiana at Lafayette*
University of Miami*
University of North Carolina at Charlotte*
University of Notre Dame*
University of Oklahoma*
University of Oregon*
University of Southern California*
University of Tennessee*
University of Texas at Austin*
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University*
Washington State University*
Woodbury University