Frequently Asked Questions

Major Declaration Instructions

Students at Barnard College are eligible to declare a major in Architecture or a major in The History & Theory of Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://barnard.edu/degreerequirements —> Majors and Minors —> Major Declaration Form.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Office of the Registrar.

Students at Columbia College are eligible to declare a major in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/csa/cc_majordec.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Berick Center for Student Advising.

Students at The School of General Studies are eligible to declare a major in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/degree-fulfillment/ —> Declaring a Major or Concentration.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Dean of Students Office.

Minor Declaration Instructions

Students at Barnard College are eligible to declare a minor in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://barnard.edu/degreerequirements —> Majors and Minors —> Minors.

Students at Columbia College are eligible to declare a minor in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/csa/cc_majordec.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Berick Center for Student Advising.

Students at The School of General Studies are eligible to declare a minor in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/degree-fulfillment/ —> Declaring a Major or Concentration.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Dean of Students Office.

Students at The School of Engineering & Applied Sciences are eligible to declare a minor in Architecture.
For information on how to declare, go to https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/csa/seas/minors.
If you have any questions, consult your academic advisor or The Berick Center for Student Advising.

After your major declaration paperwork has been processed, The Barnard + Columbia Architecture Department will send you an email introduction to your architecture major advisor. You can sign up for an appointment with your major advisor on this page of our website.

Although minors are not formally assigned to advisors in our department, we welcome and encourage our minors to book appointments with our faculty advisors. You can sign up for an appointment on this page of our website.

Prior to the start of each semester, our department reviews all of the university's undergraduate course offerings for the upcoming term and creates a list of classes that can fulfill the architecture major and minor requirements. This list is called our "Program Planning List" and a copy of it is always available here on our website.

Some Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, & Preservation (GSAPP) courses are open to undergraduate students. Typically, these courses are only recommended for students at an advanced level within the architecture major. For more information and instructions, please see this page of our website.

Independent study provides an opportunity for students to work one-on-one with an architecture faculty member on directed research or projects. Typically, independent study is reserved for students at an advanced level within their major who have demonstrated initiative and serious engagement with the material in their previous course work. For more information on the application process, please see this page of our website.

We strongly encourage you to book an appointment with your academic or major advisor to discuss the various rules around "double counting" courses. Policies vary depending on the college and context.

Here are the webpages that address double-counting at each school:

Columbia College: https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/requirements-degree-bachelor-arts/ —> The Departmental Concentration or Major —> Double Concentrations/Majors

Barnard College: https://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/curriculum/requirements-liberal-arts-degree/ —> Majors and Electives

The School of General Studies: https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/degree-fulfillment/ —> The Major —> Policies Governing Majors and Concentrations

We strongly encourage you to book an appointment with your academic or major advisor to discuss the applicable rules around "double counting" courses towards the architecture major and your General Education Requirements (Barnard) or The Core Curriculum (Columbia).

Here are the webpages that address double-counting at each school:

Columbia College: https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/requirements-degree-bachelor-arts/ —> The Departmental Concentration or Major —> Double Concentration/Majors —> "3. In addition to those courses that can be double-counted as noted above..."

Barnard College: https://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/curriculum/requirements-liberal-arts-degree/foundations/

The School of General Studies: https://bulletin.columbia.edu/general-studies/the-core/ —> General Guidelines

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I declare a major or minor in architecture?

Major Declaration Instructions

Minor Declaration Instructions

After I have declared the major in architecture, who will I be assigned to for advising?

If I am minoring in architecture, can I meet with a faculty advisor in architecture?

Where can I find a list of courses that fulfill the major or minor requirements?

Can I take classes at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation?

How do I apply for Independent Study in architecture?

Can I count the same class for more than two programs of study (a “program of study” is defined as a major, a concentration, or a minor)?

Can a single class be used to fulfill a requirement for the architecture major as well as my General Education Requirements (Barnard) or The Core Curriculum requirements (Columbia and General Studies)?