The Catholic University of America

Basics

Basics

The Catholic University of America's School of Architecture and Planning (CUArch), located in the nation's capital, has a mission focused on stewardship. It offers pre-professional (B.S.Arch) and professional (M.Arch) degrees in architecture as well as graduate programs and certificates in architectural studies, planning, and sustainable design. The M.Arch program provides concentrations in cultural/sacred design, real estate development, urban design, digital media, and design technology, and all programs benefit from vigorous foreign studies offerings.

How do the programs work...

For architecture majors?

Our architecture program operates at two levels: professional and non-professional.

For the professional program, it doesn't make much difference whether a student comes to CUArch after high school or has completed part or all of an Associates or part of a Bachelors degree (and so is in the B.S.Arch/M.Arch2 program) or has completed all of a Bachelors degree (and so is in the M.Arch3 program). They all take a curriculum designed to fulfill the educational objectives established by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB). That's because these are the degrees that qualify someone to become a licensed architect.

The non-professional programs in architecture are not part of the process of qualifying for architectural licensure. They are for students who have already completed a professional program, feel no need to, or intend to do so later. Our current programs include an MS in Sustainable Design and a post-professional MS in Architectural Studies.

For architecture minors?

Students in schools other than Architecture and Planning (such as Arts and Sciences) can minor in architecture if doing so is permitted by their own school and department. A minor requires completion of the following:

  • Arch 101, Architectural Foundations I
  • Arch 135, History of Architecture I
  • Arch 136, History of Architecture II

...plus three more from the following list:

  • Arch 102, Architectural Foundations II
  • Arch 209, Introduction to Sustainability
  • Arch 216, Design Thinking
  • Arch 235, History of Architecture III
  • Arch 443, Introduction to Theory
  • Arch 522, Beauty and Brains
  • Arch 529, Intro to Contemporary Urban Planning
  • Arch 547, History of American City Planning
  • Arch 587, Fundamentals of Real Estate Development
  • Arch 633, History of DC Architecture

This list is subject to change, and is established by the School of Arts and Sciences. For definitive information, see A&S.

For planning majors?

Like the non-professional programs in architecture, the planning program does not follow NAAB guidelines. It does, however, follow those of the Planning Accreditation Board. The school intends to apply for full PAB accreditation as soon as it has met the obligation of graduating its first 24 students, and maintaining it thereafter.

For exploratory students or other non-majors?

Our school receives more applicants than it can accept. The Office of Enrollment Management will generally offer some of these students a place in the School of Arts and Sciences. If openings appear in our programs some may later be allowed to transfer into CUArch. But until they do, their ability to take classes reserved for majors will be limited, if available at all

A limited number of courses are open to non-majors in areas such as history of architecture, media studies, and planning. Some space is always held for students pursuing the university's western civilization minor.

For undergrads?

For those who already know their career direction, starting right after high school may make a lot of sense. The B.S.Arch/M.Arch2 program and its variants allow for that. After six years of study, a three-year internship, and 38 hours of examination, a student can complete architectural licensure. Clearly, entry into the profession of architecture requires a major commitment and investment of time, energy, and money.

Students must be willing to focus on their school work. Students who are going to be seriously distracted by the realities of living on their own for the first time may want to pursue a less rigorous program. Yes, the rumors are true. It involves lots of long nights. But with good time management skills (plan ahead, use your mornings effectively, work hard in the daytime and sleep at night), students can avoid the worst effects of that reality.

For grads?

Our graduate students mostly are those who have decided to pursue a career in architecture at some point during or after their undergraduate studies. Others have an undergraduate or even a professional degree and have decided to further their educations. They tend to be more focused, may have already had successful careers, and may be juggling school and family, sometimes adding part-time work to their obligations.

The M.Arch3 program is particularly intense as listed, but can be spread out over a greater number of semesters to reduce the load.

For transfer students?

Those coming to CUA from a community college or with some college credit from another university will find plenty of company among their classmates. Most and maybe all of the college courses already taken can be counted toward a CUA Bachelor's degree. Some students will be able to complete the program in as little as two years, although many will require more. Studio placement is based on the quality of an incoming student's portfolio. Transferring students can use one of our transfer evaluation spreadsheets (one for students from any of the three local community colleges: the other for students from elsewhere) to get a tentative sense of what can be credited.

Students who have obtained an AA degree from a community college with whom CUA has a current articulation agreement will be placed in our curriculum in accordance with that agreement. Currently there are no articulation agreements, although CUA is currently working to develop them with the local community colleges.

Students with associate degrees from other schools, and those who have only part of a degree can also qualify for significant advanced standing. They should bring course descriptions, syllabi of completed courses, and their portfolios with them to CUA to facilitate the evaluation process.

For students with special needs?

As a smaller university, CUA can and does provide personal attention for students. Its proximity to Gallaudet University, the national university for the deaf, provides additional opportunities for their students and ours.

For international students?

CUA's location in the nation's capital, its Catholic identity, and the significant presence of study abroad programs in architecture and planning, combine to attract a large number of international students.

Courses of Study

What is included in CUA's professional architectural program?

The professional architecture program includes several years intended to educate an architect as a generalist (the core studies program) followed by a couple more intended to prepare an architect in an area of specialization (the concentration programs).

What is the core architectural studies program?

Core studies courses are those that fulfill learning objectives required by NAAB (the National Architectural Accreditation Board). They include most of those we teach as part of our B.S.Arch degree program as well as the first two years of the M.Arch3 program. Core studies concludes with a comprehensive building design studio (CBDS) that calls on a student to apply all of the knowledge expected of a graduate of an accredited architectural program.

As of this writing, CUArch offers neither a professional Bachelors degree program (B. Arch) nor one that is not affiliated with a professional degree, although other schools at CUA offer the latter. The current core architectural studies curricula are posted to the school website.

What are the architectural concentration programs?

The last two years of the NAAB-accredited architecture program include a required course in practice management and studies in one or more areas of concentration beyond what is required by NAAB.

Concentration programs each focus on a particular architectural specialization. Graduate students in both M.Arch2 and M.Arch3 programs can choose to take all of their courses in a single concentration or to take a few courses each in a range of specializations.

Minimum requirements: Graduate students who complete at least two studios, two co-requisite seminars, and a thesis in a specific specialization will have that concentration identified on their transcripts. But such a single concentration will not be required of any student.

Concentration Program Descriptions
Cultural Studies/Sacred Space
This concentration focuses on those aspects of architectural design that relate specifically to the way buildings embody, reflect, and enable cultural traditions and expectations, including aspects of ethnic and national culture, corporate culture, community culture, with a particular focus on religious and otherwise spiritual space.
Urban Design
This concentration focuses on urban form -- architecture writ large -- the design of cities and public spaces. Our location in Washington, DC, provides a special environment for exploring such issues.
Real Estate Development
This concentration focuses on financial and entrepreneurial aspects of the built environment within the context of an accredited architectural masters degree program.
Design Technologies
This concentration focuses on use of computers and computer-driven machinery to design and fabricate architectural environments and their components.
Digital Media
This concentration focuses on use of computers to create realistic renderings of architectural space.

What is there beyond or supplemental to the professional architectural program?

The Undergraduate Joint Degree Program (BSArch/BCE)

Undergraduate students may opt to pursue degrees in both architecture and civil engineering, graduating after five years with both. The pair qualifies them to sit for the engineering licensing exam and for entering an M.Arch2 program, the additional education required for architectural licensure. For more on this, click here.

The Undergraduate Honors Program

This program provides an even more rigorous and rewarding option for our more gifted students. More information can be found at the Honors Program website.

The Graduate Post-Professional (MSAS) Degree Program

This program, the Masters of Science in Architectural Studies, is geared toward those who already hold a B.Arch or M.Arch degree who would like to pursue further studies.

What is there other than the professional architectural program?

The Graduate Planning (MCRP) Degree Program

This program in city and regional planning focuses on land use, transportation, demographics, and policy as they relate to contemporary solutions to the problems posed by a growing population with increasingly limited resources. No prior academic background in architecture or planning is required.

The Graduate Sustainable Design (MSSD) Degree Program

This interdisciplinary program looks at the role of architectural and urban design in sustainable development. No prior academic background in architecture or planning is required.

Graduate Joint Degree Programs

M.Arch/MCRP

This program combines the professional degree in architecture with the planning degree.

M.Arch/MSSD

This program combines the professional degree in architecture with the degree in sustainable design.

Certificate Programs

In the near future, CUArch will be offering 12-credit certificate programs in both real estate development and in sustainable design' taking four evening courses at their own pace. These provide busy professionals an opportunity to expand their credentials with only a modest investment of time..