Architecture Curriculum Overview (graduate)
Charles A. Dana Professor David Woolf; Professors Arthur Schaller and Aron Temkin; Associate Professors Wendy Cox, Eleanor D'Aponte, Matthew Lutz, Timothy Parker, Danny Sagan, Tolya Stonorov; Lecturer Cara Armstrong; Instruction Specialist Angelo Arnold.
The School of Architecture + Art explores in many dimensions the meaning of making and the making of meaning. The School reinforces the student’s ability to think creatively and independently, reflecting the University’s ideals to develop citizens with integrity, conviction, and self-respect who are educated and motivated to be leaders in service to the community. The School of Architecture + Art offers a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture (NAAB-accredited).
Norwich University’s School of Architecture + Art encourages creativity, critical thinking, independent learning, and the exploration of ideas through hands-on making. Our innovative approach to education integrates ongoing, experiential learning with traditional classroom learning. Students develop an understanding of community scale and have the skill set to engage in the development, design and construction of projects that enhance that way of life through their actions as professional architects.
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) Degree Program
The graduate program challenges students to carve out their own path of study. We are committed to preparing our graduates to be critical thinkers, global citizens, and design build leaders. Students progress through the program from 1-3 years depending on their educational backgrounds.
The Master of Architecture degree is a first professional degree and is required for licensure.
Open only to students who have a B.S. in Architectural Studies (BS/AS) from Norwich, the M.Arch. degree program builds on a student’s undergraduate experience to provide the foundation for a career as a professional architect. This is a one-and-a-half-year program consisting of a summer internship, one academic year of graduate-level seminars and an individual, custom-designed thesis experience designed around a topic of the student’s choosing.
Between the fourth and fifth years, students work as an intern in an architecture office (or in a design-related firm). Coursework is completed using distance-learning techniques, which permits students to work where they wish and encourages them to master digital communications technology, important to architectural practice.
Admission Requirements:
Application to the M.Arch. I program is normally made between the 7th and 8th semesters of the BS/AS degree program. Students who are enrolled in the BS/AS at Norwich, may apply to the M.Arch. I program at any time after their 7th semester. If they choose to graduate with the BS/AS and leave the university, they may apply to the program at a future date.
Graduates from other colleges are not accepted into the fifth year of this program, nor is admission for students who graduate with a Norwich BS/AS automatic.
Admission to the M.Arch. I program is based on:
- minimum Norwich cumulative GPA of 2.50
- minimum GPA of 2.75 in all design studio courses: AP 111, AP 118, AP 211, AP 212, AP 311, AP 312, AP 411, AP 412
- Submission of a portfolio, conforming to the criteria in effect at the time of application, for review and approval by the architecture graduate admissions committee.
Students are provisionally accepted until they meet the graduation requirements for the BS/AS degree. Accepted students may defer their start of coursework for one year. Beyond the one-year deferral, they must reapply. Reapplications will be evaluated under the admission criteria in effect at the time of reapplication.
Mission
The School of Architecture + Art honors its position within a teaching institution in its emphasis on service amidst ever-developing strengths in research. We nurture the study and practice of architecture as a great and noble pursuit, inherently interdisciplinary and requiring a balance of art and science, pragmatics and poetics, ecology and economy, social responsibility and personal artistic expression. Our curriculum promotes the notion of the "citizen-architect" in the spirit of Alden Partridge's ideal of the "citizen soldier."
The Master's degree in Architecture prepares students for the profession of architecture. The School emphasizes practical experience (through a practicum) as well as autonomy and rigor (through an architectural thesis and graduate seminars).
Goals:
Graduates of the Architecture Program will:
- Be respected and recognized for technical competence in the creation of solutions that balance sustainability, resiliency, societal and economic issues.
- Become successful architects with a range of capabilities including residential design, small and large institutional project design, civic projects and urban planning projects.
- Help their communities by advocating and implementing good design principles at a broad range of scales
- Communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Actively engage in continuing education throughout life.
- Be recognized for their leadership skills and their abilities to work with all people.
Outcomes:
Master's of Architecture students will:
- Gain a way of thinking, rooted in the iterative, test-and-learn approach to creativity and innovation.
- Learn to utilize techniques, skills, conventions, and modern digital and hand tools and techniques necessary for professional practice.
- Understand structural systems, heating and cooling systems, circulation systems, building systems, etc.
- Practice resilient and sustainable design.
- Learn materials and methods for construction.
- Prepare and deliver construction documents.
- Be trained in the ethics of the profession and learn to make ethical decisions.
- Function as a member of a multidisciplinary team and be able to assume leadership roles on the team.
- Understand and begin the process of architectural internship, training and registration necessary for the profession as well as the expectation for lifelong learning.
Careers for this Major:
- Private architectural firms
- Commercial, industrial, and retail design
- Facilities management
- Real estate and development
- Engineering
- Sales and manufacturing
- Government
- Industrial corporations
- Public and private institutions
- Academia
Accreditation:
M. Arch is a combined bachelor and master five-year professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), www.naab.org, 1101 Connecticut Ave NW #410, Washington, DC 20036, phone, 202-783-2007.
Master of Architecture - Curriculum Map 2019-2020 Catalog
| Summer | 6 | |
| Architectural Internship | 6 | |
| Fall | 14 | |
| Architectural Thesis Research | 5 | |
AP 5XX Architecture Elective | 3 | |
AP 5XX Architecture Elective | 3 | |
| Global Issues in Architecture | 3 | |
| Spring | 14 | |
| Architectural Thesis | 5 | |
| Professional Practice | 3 | |
AP 5XX Architecture Elective | 3 | |
AP 5XX Architecture Elective | 3 | |
| Total Cr. | 34 | |
Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative average GPA in the Masters program.
Courses
AP 501 Architectural Theory 3 Cr.
A course that introduces implicit and hidden motivations that influence architecture. Basic human values and beliefs leading to classic philosophies and aesthetics are explored. Major historic and contemporary propositions on architecture are surveyed. Requires a graduate-level paper or project. 3 lecture hours. Pre-req: FA 202, Master in Architecture major.
AP 504 Architectural Seminar in History and Theory 3 Cr.
Focuses on one or more specific issues and topics regarding the historic and philosophical contexts that influence architecture today. Topics range from the study of specific historic periods or schools of thought regarding design to the diverse trends in current architectural thinking. Requires a graduate-level paper or project. This course may be repeated for credit. 3 lecture hours. Pre-reqs: FA 202, FA 308 Master in Architecture major. Cross listed with AP403. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 511 Architectural Studio VII 5 Cr.
Introspective problems intended to broaden and deepen individual understanding of the processes, theories, and systems that influence the design of the built environment are discussed. Emphasis is on thorough examination of all aspects of building. Includes the identification, program preparation, and approval of the capstone project(s) to be undertaken in AP 512. 1 lecture hour, 12 studio hours. Pre-req: Master in Architecture major. Offered: Fall.
AP 512 Architectural Studio VIII 5 Cr.
Introspective problems are intended to broaden and deepen individual understanding of the processes, theories, and systems that influence the design of the built environment are discussed. Emphasis is on thorough examination of all aspects of building. A single comprehensive design project that represents a capstone experience for the 5-year design sequence is required. 1 lecture hour, 12 studio hours. Pre-req: AP 511. Master in Architecture major. Offered: Spring.
AP 514 Architectural Seminar in Design 3 Cr.
Investigates one or more specific concepts, issues, or topics related to architectural design and its associated disciplines, such as urban, landscape, interior, and visual design. Requires a graduate level paper or project. This course may be repeated for credit. 3 lecture hours. Pre-req: Instructor approval. Cross listed with AP 414. Master in Architecture major. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 520 Architectural Seminar in Technology 3 Cr.
Focuses on one or more of the specific issues, topics, or skills related to technologies in architecture today. Topics range from advanced materials and construction systems to energy-conserving design; from environmental issues to hands-on building experiences. Requires a graduate level paper or project. This course may be repeated for credit. 3 lecture hours. Pre-reqs: AP 114, AP 325, Master in Architecture major. Cross listed with AP 424. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 525 Architectural Thesis Research 5 Cr.
The course is independent research to display a mastery of defining an architectural problem, including the investigation and discussion of the procedural, physical, and intellectual limits of this problem. The course culminates with the publication of an architectural program and a theoretical statement as well as the generation of all contextual information and design strategies as the basis for AP 526,. 3 lecture hours 6 studio hours. Pre-reqs: Instructor approval and Master in Architecture major. Offered: Fall.
AP 526 Architectural Thesis 5 Cr.
Execution of a singular design or design-related project based on independent research and preliminary design work produced in AP 525 and of sufficient depth and breadth to display a mastery of design skills and comprehensive understanding of the architectural issues related to form, process, judgment, representation, and communication. The work is done under the guidance of a thesis advisor chosen by the student. 2 lecture hours 12 studio hours. Pre-req: AP 525 with a grade of C or higher, Master in Architecture major. Offered: Spring.
AP 531 Architectural Internship 6 Cr.
This course is a bridge between academic experience and professional practice. The learning experience moves in both directions. Students apply knowledge learned in the classroom to bring practical experience. Students secure a position with an architectural, or an architecturally-related/construction-related, firm for a period of at least eight weeks. This position must be approved by the course instructor. The firm must be willing to submit periodic and final evaluations of the student's performance. Students must maintain a journal and write a paper related to professional practice. XX lecture hours. Pre-req: Master in Architecture major. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 533 Professional Practice 3 Cr.
Investigation into the issues related to the professional practice of architecture in contemporary American society. Topics include project management, finance and economics; business and practice management; and laws and regulations governing the profession. Three hours of lecture per week. Pre-req: Master in Architecture major. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 534 Architectural Seminar in Process 3 Cr.
Focuses on one or more specific topics regarding the current and future practice of architecture: what architects do, and how they do it. Topics range from design techniques to office management and from specialties within the practice, to the legal environmental and social forces that influence it. This course may be repeated for credit. 3 lecture hours. Pre-req: Instructor's approval, Master in Architecture major. Cross listed with AP 434. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 555 Special Projects in Architecture 1-3 Cr.
An execution of a singular project related to architectural design, history/theory, process or technology selected by the individual student. Students, independently research, development, and a provide a written and/or graphic presentation of an architecturally-related topic not otherwise covered in course offerings. Students must secure a faculty member who agrees to serve as advisor/evaluator for the project. Number lecture hours depends on the credits sought. Pre-req: Master in Architecture major. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 558 Global Issues in Architecture 3 Cr.
This course provides an in-depth analysis, discussion, and research into contemporary issues that impact the profession of architecture and architectural design. The nature of the material is relevant to the complex, changing nature of the profession. Topics include global concerns such as sustainability, cultural changes, conservation and preservation, information technology, and the emerging role of the architect. The course reflects the values embodied in the profession, the architecture program, and the university. Course material is synthesized and applied to demonstrates critical thinking, teamwork, creativity and community service. 3 hours of seminar. Pre-req: Master in Architecture major. Offered: Occasionally.
AP 604 History & Theory of 20th-Century Architecture 3 Cr.
Surveys global architectural history and theory from the 1920s through the 1980s, including modernism and its variants, receptions, reactions, and critiques. Introduces architectural criticism and research methods for the built environment. Includes case studies, substantial research and writing, and discussion of texts in seminar format. 3 lecture hours. Pre-req: AP 605 Analysis of Architectural Icons. Restriction: MArch III majors. Offered: Spring.
AP 605 Analysis of Architectural Icons 3 Cr.
Students study and analyze select examples from architectural history and theory (pre-history through the early decades of the 20th century). Students achieve a global and comparative familiarity with a representative range of buildings, urban forms, and major aspects of architectural culture. Emphasis is on understanding and applying the core concepts and analytical tools relevant for architectural discourse and interpretation. 3 lecture hours. Restricted: M.Arch. III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 611 Architectural Design I 5 Cr.
Students learn and practice the basic principles and skills that constitute the discipline of architecture. Students investigate the design process and urban analysis, explore interactive computer graphics (CAD) as a design tool, and apply these principles, processes, and skills to an architectural design problem. 1 lecture hour and 12 hours of studio per week. Restriction: M.Arch. III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 612 Architectural Design II 5 Cr.
The second Masters level design studio course introduces the processes, judgment, and communications involved in the synthesis of architectural form. Through a focused series of individual and group projects, students explore and understand the influences of human and physical contexts as well as functional requirements on architectural form. One hour of lecture and three 4-hour studios per week. 1 lecture hour and 12 hours of studio per week. Restriction: M.Arch. III majors. Offered: Spring.
AP 613 Architectural Design III 5 Cr.
The development of the comprehensive building process at the graduate level as a synthesis of spatial, functional, and contextual concerns with emphases on building systems and materials. Individual and group problems are of a limited and defined scope. 1 lecture hour and 12 hours studio per week. Pre-req: AP 612 Architectural Design II MArch. Restriction: MArch III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 614 Architectural Design IV 5 Cr.
Elective problem-oriented studios offered to fourth year students by various faculty members. The extension of the comprehensive design process to include problems of expanded scope and large scale, including building complexes and urban design. Individual and group problems emphasize the complex interrelationships of environmental factors, human concerns, and architectural form. 1 lecture hour and 12 studio hours. Pre-req: AP 613 Architectural Design III MArch. Restriction: MArch III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 625 Introduction to Passive Environmental Design 3 Cr.
Through coordinated lectures, demonstrations, and projects, the impacts of environmental energies on architectural form and the greater environment are introduced and explored. Emphasis is given to the processes by which the architect orders light, climate, gravity, and sound responses to achieve building geometry. The course also addresses concepts and strategies for responding to environmental hazards, and designing healthy buildings and green architecture. 3 lecture hours. Restriction: M.Arch. III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 626 Materials, Design, and Construction 3 Cr.
An introduction to the processes by which construction materials and systems are evaluated, selected, incorporated, and detailed in building design. Both measurable and immeasurable design responses to environmental energies are explored in soils, concrete, masonry, wood, and metals. 3 lecture hours. Restriction: MArch III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 627 Active Building Systems I 3 Cr.
A survey of contemporary mechanical building equipment and systems, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Emphasis is placed on comparisons of design parameters, interfaces, and impacts on overall building form. Energy efficiency is addressed. Students pursue independent research in support of coursework. 3 lecture hours. Pre-req: AP 625 Introduction to Passive Environmental Systems MArch. Restriction: M.Arch. III majors. Offered: Fall.
AP 636 Project Delivery and Documentation 4 Cr.
This course introduces the basic history and theory of architectural programming, production and trends in the architectural office, including technology and sustainability. The project delivery process, and the methods of communication and documentation it involves, provides an opportunity for students to study typical office procedures. Students examine architect’s professional conduct as related to various ethical conundrums which present themselves during everyday practice. 4 Lecture hours and 2 hours of lab per week. Restriction: MArch III majors. Offered: Fall, Spring.