Program Description
The Bachelor of Arts in Architecture program advances a rigorous architectural design and liberal arts education that fosters social justice, cultural diversity and innovative thinking to prepare students for a career in architecture as well as a broad range of affiliated paths. Our graduates are equipped to respond to environmental and social challenges as engaged citizens of their local communities and the larger global society. The program offers opportunities for service learning and community-based design in Clemson and all the Fluid Campus locations through critical thinking, experimental studies, opportunities to participate in faculty research, and hands-on knowledge.
The curriculum includes eight semesters of studio in addition to complementary courses in architectural history and theory and building technology. Three of the foundation studios are collaborative, taught by faculty in Architecture and Communication, in order to prepare students for professional communication. The Bachelor of Arts also includes requirements for a minor and modern language.
In the first two years of the program, students learn to apply the thinking and communication skills needed to pursue higher-level work in the discipline. The curriculum in the first two years also allows students to complete most of the University’s general education requirements. In the junior and/or senior year, students participate in the Fluid Campus where they complete a location-specific studio and co-required coursework in order to fulfill the off-campus study requirement. The final studio focuses on reflection and synthesis.
Change of Major applications for acceptance into the program are reviewed once a student completes ARCH 1010 in the first summer session after the freshman year and has a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students are accepted into the academic program based on GPA, space availability, and their performance in ARCH 1010 .
Accreditation and Registration
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 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
Clemson University, College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
M.Arch. (pre-professional degree + 60 graduate credits)
M.Arch. (pre-professional degree + 61 credits) Architecture + Health
M.Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + 90 credits)
M.Arch (non-pre-professional degree + 91 credits) Architecture + Health
The next accreditation visit for all programs will be in 2026.
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