Architecture, Practice Concentration, B.A.

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The undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A. in Architecture) is a 4-year degree that requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. This degree offers three concentrations, one of which must be completed to earn this degree. Students work with their advisor to declare a concentration during the spring semester of their second year in the program. Students who wish to become registered architects must also earn their professional degree, the Master of Architecture (M.Arch), from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). All three concentrations may lead to professional licensure, and pathways to that goal vary depending on performance and the specific concentration earned in this degree. More information on progressing into graduate programs is available below, see Graduate Opportunities at UNC Charlotte heading).

All program-level Admissions and Progression Requirements are in addition to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Admission Requirements and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Academic Standing Policy.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate admission to the School of Architecture (SoA) is to the four-year B.A. in Architecture . Students admitted into this program are not guaranteed admission into the SoA’s graduate programs upon completion of this degree. Admission into the program is highly competitive. Details about the process may be found on the SoA Undergraduate Admissions website.

Freshmen and Transfers

See University Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA: n/a (Freshmen); 2.0 (Transfers)
Declaration of Major: Applicants must first apply to UNC Charlotte indicating “Architecture” as their intended major. UNC Charlotte applications must be completed by February 15.
Applicants must also submit a secondary application to the SoA by February 15.

Currently Enrolled UNC Charlotte Students

Students already enrolled at UNC Charlotte may apply for a change-of-major into the Architecture program by following the instructions on the SoA admissions website.

Degree Requirements

College Prospect for Success Course (2 credit hours)

All new freshmen in the College of Arts + Architecture must take the following:

COAA 1101 - Student Success in Architecture, Art, Performance, and Design (2)

General Education Courses (31-32 credit hours)

For details on required courses, refer to the General Education Program . Total hours to satisfy General Education Requirements may vary as some general education requirements may be double-counted in the major with departmental approval. Please see your advisor for information. Courses to meet these requirements are incorporated in the curriculum structure. However, as part of their General Education Requirements, students in the B.A. in Architecture program must complete the following:

Core Program (45 credit hours)

All students pursuing the B.A. in Architecture degree at the SoA must complete a 45 credit-hour core sequence of courses designed to provide a solid understanding of fundamental issues, knowledge, and skills related to the practice, study, and understanding of architecture. The courses in the Core Program are:

Practice Concentration Courses (42 credit hours)

The Practice Concentration is a pathway designed for students intending to pursue the SoA’s twelve-month accredited professional degree (the M.Arch. Advanced Standing Curriculum). This concentration provides the fastest and most intensive pathway to an accredited degree.

This concentration requires the following additional advanced coursework:

ARCH 3101 - Architectural Design Studio V (6)
ARCH 3102 - Architectural Design Studio VI (6)
ARCH 4101 - Architectural Design Studio VII: Advanced Building Design (6)
ARCH 4102 - Architectural Design Studio VIII: Topical (6)
ARCH 4203 - Architectural History III: Survey of Contemporary Theory (1950-Present) (3)
ARCH 4303 - Structural Principles (3)
ARCH 4304 - Structural Systems (3)
ARCH 4604 - Computational Methods (3)
ARCH 4605 - Computational Practice (3)
One additional elective (either ARCH 4050 or ARCH 4204 ) is required for this concentration:
ARCH 4204 - History/Theory Topics (3)
ARCH 4050 - Architecture Topics (3)

Unrestricted Elective Courses

As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation.

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

Note:

Students intending to enroll in UNC Charlotte’s twelve-month M.Arch. AS Curriculum must earn, in addition to all requirements of this concentration, 128 credit-hours in total during their undergraduate studies in order to be eligible for that graduate program. Although the B.A. in Architecture degree requires only 120 credits, the School of Architecture’s M.Arch. Admissions Committee will review transcripts to ensure that all applicants admitted to the AS Curriculum have earned 128 credit-hours prior to the start of their enrollment in the program.

Advising

Undergraduate students are required to meet with the Academic Advisor at least once per semester. Students may elect to meet with the Associate Director also, in order to plan potential transitions into graduate programs.

Progression Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree, an overall GPA of 2.0 must be achieved.

Students are permitted one opportunity to repeat an ARCH course, as long as that opportunity abides by the guidelines of UNC Charlotte’s Grade Replacement Policy. An ARCH course cannot be repeated more than once under any circumstances.

Students who earn a grade of F in the same ARCH course twice are suspended from the Architecture program.

Students are permitted one grade of D in any studio. Students who earn a second grade of D in any subsequent studio must repeat that studio.

Students who earn a grade of F in any studio after having earned a grade of D in a previous studio are suspended from the Architecture program.

Students who are suspended from the University due to deficiencies in their academic performance are also suspended from the Architecture program.

Students who are suspended from the Architecture program but remain in good standing with the University may appeal to the School of Architecture for reinstatement. The Associate Director will review the case and stipulate the terms of the appeals process and conditions for approval, after consultations with the Director, Undergraduate Program Director, and Academic Advisor.

Students who are suspended from the Architecture program as a result of being suspended from the University, but who still adhere to the progression requirements of the Architecture program, may appeal to the University for reinstatement. The Associate Director will review the case and consider whether or not to support the appeal to the University. Regardless of that support and the outcome of the appeal to the University, the student remains suspended from the Architecture program and must submit a separate program-level appeal, per the description above.

Students who are readmitted to the University under the Forgiveness Policy remain suspended from the Architecture program and must submit a separate program-level appeal, per the description above.

Students who are suspended from the University due to deficiencies in their academic performance, and who simultaneously fail to meet the above progression requirements may not appeal their suspension from the Architecture program for at least one-year following their readmission to the University.

Special Policies or Requirements

Residency Requirement

All students pursuing the B.A. in Architecture degree must complete a minimum of 27 credit-hours in ARCH-designated courses while in residence at UNC Charlotte.

Graduate Opportunities at UNC Charlotte

All applicants to the David R. Ravin School of Architecture’s Master of Architecture program (M.Arch.) are required to complete UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School application and follow all procedures for applying to that program. Applicants who earn the B.A. in Architecture from UNC Charlotte with a GPA of 3.5 or higher (both overall and in their major-based courses) are exempt from submitting a portfolio and will be automatically recommended for admission into the SoA’s M.Arch. program. These applicants, however, must still be accepted by the Graduate School in order to be considered accepted into the program. Students with GPAs lower than 3.5 must complete all application requirements for the M.Arch. program and will be evaluated alongside all other applicants.

Applicants who are accepted into the SoA’s M.Arch. program after earning the B.A. in Architecture with an Architectural Studies Concentration will be placed into one of two curricula:

The three-year M.Arch. I Curriculum.
The two-year M.Arch. II Curriculum.

The SoA’s M.Arch. Admissions Committee is solely responsible for determining the track in which to place admitted applicants who earn the B.A in Architecture with an Architectural Studies Concentration. Applicants from this concentration who are placed into the M.Arch. II Curriculum will be admitted on the condition that they complete ARCH 3100: Design Studio in a summer session prior to enrolling in the M.Arch. program, in most cases delaying their graduation from the undergraduate program. Applicants who do not fulfill that condition may be eligible to enroll in the M.Arch. I Curriculum program (if space allows), but they will be ineligible for the M.Arch. II Curriculum.

Honors Program

For details about the Arts + Architecture Honors Program, visit the AAHP program page.