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School of Architecture and Design
Associate Dean
Kevin Mitchell
The School of Architecture and Design is committed to providing a comprehensive education that will enable its graduates to make significantcontributions to the Gulf region and the broader global community through conscientious participation in practice.
All its undergraduate programs have received accreditation from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The School of Architecture and Design (SA&D) grounds its curriculum in the conviction that good design results from a combination of a deep understanding of culture, ethical engagement in society and a respect for the creative skills needed to build a sustainable material culture.
Against this background, the school is committed to the primary objective of providing its students with relevant, professional instruction in the fieldsof architecture, design management, interior design, multimedia design and visual communication.
The school is dedicated to inquiry and to the development of hands-on technical skills and competence in digital and other advanced media. It also fosters in its students a regional and cultural awareness and the responsibility for creating humane environments. The school seeks to contribute to the development of professional standards and innovation in architecture and design.
The School of Architecture and Design meets its objectives through degree programs that feature the following:
- An environment that encourages achievement and personal growth
- A faculty of professionals who balance continuing scholarship and creative work with their desire for excellence in teaching
- A comprehensive advisement and student counseling system that tracks student development and progress
- A general education curriculum that offers a solid foundation
- A clear and consistent approach that is evident throughout the curriculum
- A variety of courses that are continually updated to reflect rapidly changing design practices and the growing role of digital communication
- A respect for culture, traditions and needs of society
Career Opportunities
The SA&D prepares students for careers in a wide variety of fields:
- architecture, environmental design, interior design, urban design
- graphic design, advertising, packaging design, illustration, digital media, animation, computer simulations, video, photography, printmaking
- communications and public relations, fine arts and cultur alarts administration, gallery management, advertising campaign planning
Special Notes
Space Availability (Studio Majors)
Admission to the School of Architecture and Design is competitive and limited to 140 students in first-year studio courses. The number of available seats in second-year studio majors in architecture, interior design, multimedia design and visual communication is limited to the following:
- architecture/interior design 48
- multimedia design/visual communication 48
The number of available seats in second-year design management is not limited. The School of Architecture and Design accepts new and transfer students only in the fall semester.
Selection for Promotion
Selection for enrollment in second-year studios is competitive. Criteria for promotion include an assessment of:
• GPA in the foundations studio sequence
• GPA in non-studio first-yearcoursesincluding mathematics, English, writing, history and digital design
In addition, selection for promotion may also include portfolio review.
Year status in the School of Architecture and Design is determined by enrollment in the major studio, regardless of the total number of credits earned.
Computer Requirements
At the beginning of the third year, all students of architecture, interior design, multimedia design and visual communication are required to have a personal laptop computer. SA&D will provide software for student-owned laptops to students enrolled in upper-level studio courses in these four majors. The laptop must meet specifications published by SA&D in order to be used within the program. Laptops that do not meet specificationspublished by the school may not adequately run software required to complete course work.
Course Selection
Students are cautioned that the specificselection of courses available for a chosen major at the time of initial registration is subject to change. The School of Architecture and Design will make every effort to monitor student progress through the advisement process. Students are encouraged to make course selections based on the stated degree requirements, subject to the listed prerequisites.
Studio Supplies
Supply expenses for studio courses are in addition to tuition cost, and lab fees may apply for some courses. However, students are given a limited account for printing.
Ownership of Student Work
The School of Architecture and Design reserves the right to retain, indefinitely,selected examples of student work for archiving, publicity and exhibition.
Responsibility for Equipment
The School of Architecture and Design provides an extensive range of digital and electronic equipment for student use. For some courses, school equipment is checked out to a student or a group of students for use on or off campus. Students are expected to treat school equipment with care and will be held financially responsible for breakage, damage, late return or loss.
Programs Offered
The School of Architecture and Design offers the following undergraduate degrees:
Links to SA&D departments |
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Foundations Year
Faculty
- Brian Dougan
- Martin Giesen
- Eirik Heintz
- David Hewitt
The foundations year is an autonomous one-year program that supports the common educational requirements for all fields of study within the School of Architecture and Design. As such, the program provides the basic design education that will enable students to function on appropriate practical, theoretical and critical levels in their sophomore (second) year. All students in the School of Architecture and Design are required to successfully complete the major-required courses in this first year to be considered for advancement to the second year of their chosen major.
The foundations year aims to achieve three instructional objectives:
- Competence in the fundamental skills and concepts of design analysis, representation and presentation through studio-based exercises and projects
- Familiarity with the historical implications and chronology of design conventions through in-class lectures and written assignments
- A basic proficiencyincomputer-aideddesign technology through exercises and project work in a lab setting
The foundations year utilizes three distinct teaching formats in order to provide a broad and inclusive introduction to design methods and practice. Studio courses, which form the core of the foundations year, encourage one-on-one student/professor interaction and allow the student to develop an independent design process. History courses are taught in a lecture context where information and ideas are disseminated in a classroom setting using visual images to support learning. Digital courses are taught using a combination of class lectures and instructional technology. Professors interact with students on various levels through the use of traditional lectures, digital media, network software and digital storage systems.
Within the foundations year, students are encouraged to develop a basic practical and critical understanding of design principles. Experimentation and exploration with materials, tools and techniques are fostered in the realization of two- and three-dimensional concepts and ideas.
The foundations year consists of the following courses, which are major requirements in all studio programs. Successful completion of these courses is required to be considered for advancement to the second year of the chosen studio major:
- DES 100 Digital Media in Design
- DES 111 Descriptive Drawing I
- DES 112 Descriptive Drawing II
- DES 121 History of Material Culture I
- DES 122 History of Material Culture II
- DES 131 Design Foundations I
- DES 132 Design Foundations II
Design management students must complete DES 100, DES 111, DES 131 and either DES 121 or DES 122. If students choose to complete DES 112, DES 121 and DES 132, these will be considered major electives.
Although some faculty members specialize as foundations professors, the teaching load in foundations is shared by professors from various majors including architecture, interior design, multimedia design and visual communication. This professional collaboration between disciplines at the foundations level initiates early student dialogue with senior-level faculty and provides the program with a healthy influx of cross-disciplinary expertise and discourse. It is this important aspect of the foundations program that ensures a balanced response to the needs of the various degree programs it supports.
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