College of Architecture and Environmental Design
304 Taylor Hall
Tel: 330-672-2789
Fax: 330-672-3809
Web: http://www.caed.kent.edu

Architectural Studies Major—2009-2010 Roadmap [Degree Requirements]

The Architectural Studies program is directed at three populations:

• Students interested in environmental design seeking a basis for further study and eventual employment in cultural theory and criticism, urban planning and design, studio art and other fields where an architectural sensibility may provide a strategic advantage.
• Students who plan to complete a terminal professional design program in a second-entry master's degree-level program and seek the broadly based education valued by such programs.
• Students who combine architectural education with studies in other disciplines (e.g., journalism, geography, information technology, graphic design, library sciences, marketing and management) instead of a full studio and technically based professional program.

The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies curriculum is influenced by current trends linking contemporary architecture practice to knowledge of urbanism, environmentalism, literature, media, cultural theory, art, science and technology, as well as philosophy, economics and political science. Upon completion of the four-year bachelor's degree, students who are qualified may seek employment in the construction and development industries, develop careers in cultural theory or pursue a variety of professional graduate programs including law, architecture and business.

The curriculum begins with a foundation year of basic design theory, leading into a sequence of courses in architectural design, history, theory and technology, as well as a writing-intensive course tailored to students in the program.

During the second and third years, lecture/studio courses provide opportunities to explore a range of form-making possibilities, interrogate institutional assumptions through readings in cultural theory and understand the relationship between cultural values and the physical world. Other courses provide a grounding in the technical aspects of architecture. These are supplemented by a writing-intensive course on cities and urban design. In the first semester of the third year, students have the option of studying at Kent State's facility in Florence, Italy.

In the fourth year, students receive personalized advising to select electives both from within and outside the College to create a course of study suited to their career and educational goals.

The B.A. in Architectural Studies requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 and a 2.25 GPA in all architecture courses for graduation.

Upon completion of the four-year bachelor’s degree, graduates may seek employment in the construction and development industries, develop careers in cultural theory or pursue a variety of professional graduate programs including law, architecture and business.

Admission of High School Students
Application deadline is January 31. All applications must include the $30 application fee, official American College Test (ACT)/Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and an official high school transcript which shows class rank and coursework in  9th, 10th and 11th grades, as well as the courses that are being taken or will be taken in the senior year. Transcripts that do not show class rank and senior courses cannot be considered. All completed applications received by the deadline will be reviewed.

Applicants will be considered based on the following criteria:
• High school GPA.
• High school class rank.
• ACT/SAT scores.

Applicants will be notified of their admission status by March 1. Those offered admission must notify the college of their acceptance by April 1.

High school students who have applied to the architecture professional program (B.S. in Arch.) or the interior design program and have not been accepted may qualify for admission into the Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies nonprofessional program.

Transfer Students from Within the College and AED-General
Additionally, students who did not gain acceptance into the professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture after the summer program may be offered admission to the nonprofessional Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies degree program. Transfer into the nonprofessional program will also be an option for students who opt out of the professional program in mid-course.

Requirements for graduation in the Bachelor of Arts program:

• Complete minimum 125 credit hours, including all required coursework.
• Earn minimum 2.25 GPA in architecture courses.
• Earn minimum 2.00 GPA overall cumulative average.