Bachelor of Architecture (B.ARCH)
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Architecture program is a professional program accredited by the UNESCO‐International Union of Architects (UIA) validation; and is currently under review for the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accreditation as well. The program requires a minimum of five years of study to complete the 162 credits required for the Bachelor of Architecture degree. The structure of the program is built on three main pillars: 33 credits of Liberal Arts Core Courses, 40 credits of Engineering and related topics, and 89 credits of Architecture courses.
To encourage students to develop their own unique learning path, students are given the choice to select a specific conceptual stream to guide their last 3 semesters in the program. They can choose to focus on Tectonic & Computational Design, Context and Heritage in design, and Behavioural and/or Sustainable Design. This is significant in driving the final graduation thesis project and dissertation thesis.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Critical Thinking: The ability to think critically and creatively within a divergent context including that of history, theory and architectural precedent and design accordingly, both as individually and collaboratively.
- Communication Skills: The ability to communicate ideas verbally (oral and written), graphically, 3-dimensionally and numerically while utilizing manual and digital tools to develop, present, and assess design.
- Socio-Cultural Understanding: The ability to design informed by socio-cultural/urban contexts, creative arts, history, ethics and heritage.
- Sustainability and Technology Integration: The ability to design informed by sustainability, technology, materiality and, building systems as generative and integrated principles in the design process and communicate such integration through appropriate technical documentation.
- Professionalism: The ability to act with knowledge of leadership and professionalism within the context of management, business and financial contexts with the knowledge of ethical and legal constraints
Program Structure
- The duration of the program is 10 semesters
- A total of 162 Credits required
- Full-time Program with Fall & Spring intake
- Streams of Concentrations:
- Tectonic & Computational Design
- Context and Heritage in design
- Behavioural and/or Sustainable Design
Career Paths
Students who have graduated from the AUC Architecture program have proven themselves effective and have accomplished well in a number of professional fields.
As conceptual designers and thinkers, they have forged pathways in design firms locally and abroad. Because of their well-rounded education and strong presentation skills, many of the graduates now play leading roles in the real estate development sector. Stung artistic skills coupled with critical thinking skills allow many students to cross disciplinary boundaries and find themselves in other creative fields like product, theater or set design.
AUC Architecture graduates have also proven themselves in the academic field after completing their graduate degrees in the leading Universities in the United States and Europe (Harvard, MIT, UCL, AA …)
Accreditations
- Supreme Council of Universities (2011)
- International Union of Architects (UNESCO‐UIA validation) (2013)
- Candidate for NAAB
Applying to the program
For admission to the Architectural Engineering major, applicants must satisfy the general university and engineering admission requirements, and also pass an Aptitude Assessment for Architecture (AAA). The AAA test does not require any preparation and is comprised of two parts:
- Multiple choice questions (MCQ) that test the applicant’s analytical and general knowledge on architecture-related skills
- A free-hand drawing exercise that tests the applicant’s artistic ability.
Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page for details of the AAA test.
Admission to the Architectural Engineering major is highly competitive. A limited number of students is selected to fill the available slots. Selection is based on high school grades and performance in the AAA test. The result of the Aptitude Assessment for Architecture is added to the high school score to arrive at a combined score where the high school score represents 80 percent and the Aptitude Assessment for Architecture represents 20 percent. Applicants are ranked according to this combined score.
Students who join AUC, but not in the Architectural Engineering major, can still apply to the major through the declaration process designed for students already enrolled at AUC. A large percentage of Architectural Engineering students are admitted from those already enrolled at AUC.
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Minor in Architectural Design Minor in Design of Interior Spaces
Professor of practice, Amr Abdel Kawi, gives a short brief about AUC’s architecture undergraduate program