Requirements for the Majors & Minor
There are a few distinctions between the opportunities for students at Barnard College, Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), and the School of General Studies to study architecture at an undergraduate level.
Barnard College students can major in Architecture (also referred to as the studio major), major in the History and Theory of Architecture, or minor in Architecture through our department.
Columbia College students can major or minor in Architecture through our department. Columbia students who wish to pursue the History and Theory of Architecture major can do so through The Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia.
The School of General Studies students can major or minor in Architecture through our department. General Studies students who wish to pursue the History and Theory of Architecture major can do so through The Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia.
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) students may complete a minor in Architecture.
14 classes required
The required classes are broken down into four categories: studio, lectures seminars and workshops, senior courses, and the specialization. To track your progress for the Architecture major please refer to the Architecture Major Worksheet and The Sample Sequence of Courses for the Architecture Major.
Studio Requirement – 4 Courses
• Architectural Design: Systems and Materials
• Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations
• Advanced Architectural Design I
• Advanced Architectural Design II
Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops Requirement – 5 Courses
• Modern Architecture in the World
• Architectural Elective: History
• Architectural Elective: Society, Environment, and the Global
• Architectural Elective: Design, Media, and Technology
• Architectural Elective
Senior Courses Requirement – 2 Courses
• Senior Seminar
• Senior Architecture Elective (another Senior Seminar in the Department, Advanced Architectural Research and Design, or Independent Research)
Specialization – 3 Courses
All majors are asked to complement their work with a thematic unit (three courses) called the "specialization." Each student develops a specific specialization that broadens their architectural studies in one of the following areas or combination of areas: History, Society, Environment, Global, Design, Media, and Technology. Courses may be taken from across various departments. All majors, in consultation with their advisers, will develop a short (100 word) description of their specialization and advisers will approve their course selections. Students can request and develop other areas of specialization with adviser approval.
Graduation Requirements
The major also requires that students submit a portfolio and a writing sample before graduation. The design portfolio includes representative work from all design studios and the writing sample is a paper or essay from a senior level architecture or architecture-related course. Final submissions are archived in the department, the portfolios are displayed at the end of the year show, and both are used to award graduation honors.
About the Courses for the Architecture Major
The studio major in architecture provides students with the opportunity to explore the discipline of architecture within the context of the College’s commitment to liberal arts. The major is introduced through a series of studio and academic courses that explore the multiple relationships between architectural design, history, theory, and criticism. Students are expected to develop technical skills, design excellence, and a critical understanding of architecture as part of our visual, social, and political history and culture. The major is designed to prepare students to work in architecture and related disciplines or pursue graduate study. Most students take advantage of the resources of New York City and the teaching faculty by working in internships in the city while majoring in the field.
The required sequence of courses begins with two introductory design studios, Architectural Design: Systems and Materials and Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations, and the introductory lecture courses, Modern Architecture in the World. The introductory studios investigate space, form, scale, and traditional and experimental systems of representation, and Modern Architecture in the World develops fluency with architectural concepts. Together, these courses provide a foundation of material upon which the major builds.
Advanced Architectural Design, I and II are taken in the junior or senior year. The two-semester design studio introduces students to more rigorous conceptual, social, and theoretical study through comprehensive design projects. The distribution of the elective lecture courses is designed to provide students with an exposure to a broad range of architectural history traditions. Senior course work includes a two-course sequence with options for those courses to be senior seminars, advanced elective design studios, or independent research. The curriculum requires that students complement their work in the major with related course work that serves to provide a link between architecture and other social and cultural issues.
Courses in the major, as well as field trips and events for students, take full advantage of our location in New York City. The major is designed to accommodate students who wish to study abroad in their junior year.
14 classes (including thesis) required
The History and Theory of Architecture major stresses research and writing in Architectural History. This program of study is only open to Barnard College students; Columbia College and General Studies students that are interested in majoring in architectural history should contact the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. To track your progress for the History and Theory of Architecture Major please refer to the History + Theory of Architecture Worksheet.
Studio Requirement – 1 to 2 Courses
• Introduction to Architectural Design and Visual Culture
• Architectural Design: Systems and Materials
• Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations
Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops – 7 to 8 Courses
• Modern Architecture in the World
• Architectural Elective: History
• Architectural Elective: Society, Environment, and the Global
• Architectural Elective: Design, Media, and Technology
• 3 to 4 Architectural Electives - any lecture, seminar, or workshop offered by the Architecture Department or an approved course from a related department
*Note: Studios, Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops must total to 9 courses
Specialization – 3 Courses
Each student develops a specialization that broadens the reach of their architectural studies and supports their thesis. All majors, in consultation with their advisers, will develop a short (100 word) description of their specialization and advisers will approve their course selections.
Senior Courses – 2 Courses
• Senior Seminar
• Independent Research (thesis writing)
All senior History and Theory of Architecture majors are required to enroll in one semester of Senior Seminar and to write a thesis which can be done through enrolling in Independent Study (ARCH UN3997 or ARCH UN3998). Please consult with your major adviser for planning your thesis.
5 classes required
This program of study is open to students at Barnard College, Columbia College, The School of General Studies, and SEAS at Columbia University. To track your progress for the Architecture Minor please refer to the Architecture Minor Worksheet.
Studio Requirement – minimum of 1 or maximum of 3 courses selected from:
• Introduction to Architectural Design and Visual Culture
• Architectural Design: Systems and Materials
• Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations
Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops Requirement – minimum 2 or maximum of 4 courses selected from:
• Modern Architecture in the World (required)
• 1 to 3 Architectural Electives - any lecture, seminar, or workshop offered by the Architecture Department or an approved course from a related department
Major and minor worksheets are intended to help students plan their coursework and the completion of their program of study. Students who are undeclared are encouraged to make an appointment with a faculty advisor to go over their progress in the major or minor. Please do not rely on the online degree audit used by your college, as this may be inaccurate.
The Architecture Major Worksheet and the Sample Sequence of Courses for the Architecture Major
The History and Theory of Architecture Major Worksheet
The Architecture Minor Worksheet