Architectural education at Cornell is highly focused and intensive. It emphasizes theory, history, technology, and structures, as well as design. Although most courses will be directly concerned with architecture, students will take about one-quarter of the total program in other colleges at Cornell and in other departments within the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. Cornell’s program thus balances the intensity of a professional education with opportunities to use the resources of a world-renowned university.
Design studios at each level help students develop the skills and intellectual tools to solve problems. Students will be immersed in design; ten terms of design are required, and it’s the focal point of every semester. Studio exercises vary significantly during the five years. Basic conceptual skills are emphasized early on, along with introducing the elements of architecture. Students will learn to communicate ideas through models and graphics. Additional courses in history and drawing will help lay the foundation for the rest of your education.
Note on Professional Accreditation
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 six-year, three-year, or two-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 preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented.
Cornell University, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Department of Architecture offers a NAAB-accredited bachelor of architecture degree program.
- B.Arch. (176 undergraduate credits)
- Next accreditation visit for the B.Arch. program: 2010
