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Department of

Architecture

Bachelor of Architecture (BArch)

BArch Degree Program

BArch Degree Overview

Our accredited five-year Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) provides an outstanding foundation for your future career: one that can lead to the design of buildings for private, public and institutional use, or can help you carve alternative career-paths that focus on innovative ways of spatial and creative production. The breadth of options in your course of study will help you determine the goals that work for you, all while stressing the impact that architecture has on the human condition, culture and the landscape.

Why ISU?

  • Beginning in your first “Core” year, enjoy the advantages of studying within a Design College, not simply a “school of architecture.” The College of Design houses seven different departments, letting you access learning opportunities from teachers and students interested in the broader built environment – including landscapes, interiors, cities and regional scales.
  • Earn your professional degree (leading to NCARB licensure) in five years: the least time possible
  • Take advantage of our STEM designation – which allows international BArch students to extend student visas for up to three years after graduation and thereby work in the US. We are one of the few bachelor’s degree programs in the nation that provide this opportunity
  • Enrich your degree with an additional one-year research master’s degree – earning a professional degree and graduate degree in six years.
  • Gain internship hours to put toward licensure requirements by securing a student internship domestically or abroad. We support students with job fairs hosting hundreds of prospective employers
  • Choose from a host of specialized minors – including ones in heritage preservation, sustainability, urban studies, digital media and critical studies — that enhance your degree and allow you to focus on areas of interest
  • Participate in an interdisciplinary studio prior to graduation — giving you a chance to collaborate with students and faculty from across the College of Design, learning about landscape architecture, industrial design, community and regional planning, interior design, graphic design and more
  • Prepare for global practice through internships and study abroad options, including our annual Rome Program that features a semester abroad in a student’s fourth year, and numerous other travel opportunities – ranging from Berlin, Peru, Morocco, Portugal, Mexico, and more!

Course of Study

Our five-year program of study begins with a preparatory year in design core studies (prior to entering into focused architectural studies) and culminates in a final year that features a semester of disciplinary focused research inquiry, working with a faculty member of your choice. This is followed by a semester of interdisciplinary studies in a college-wide collaborative studio setting. Along the way, you will have an opportunity to study abroad as part of our dedicated Rome studio, or choose other travel or domestic options.

For more about the course of study and opportunities to pursue minors during your degree, go to the Undergraduate Curriculum page.

Resources

  • Take advantage of our more than 30 scholarships and awards (totaling more than $90,000) offered to students
  • Get hands-on experience with our cutting-edge Computation and Construction Lab or pursue design build
  • Learn from leading global theorists and practitioners through our annual OPN Workshop series
  • Make an impact through socially responsible + environmentally sensitive design taking advantage of opportunities with the Center for Building Energy Research (CBER)
  • Participate in the Venice Biennale Sessions
  • Connect with our outstanding student body, whose work consistently receives national and intentional awards and recognition
  • Learn from our diverse and international faculty who hold award-winning expertise in design, research, fabrication, history, technology and structures.
  • Publish your ideas and work through our DATUM and STRATAA journals
  • Gain exposure to a broad range of local and international work through our annual Public Programs Series

Student Experience

  • We invite you to take a look at samples of the outstanding student work produced in our program.

Accolades

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