School of Architecture and Design

Department of Architecture

Samia Rab, Head

Faculty

• Rick Carraway
  
• Mona El-Mousfy
  
• Michelle Grant
  
• Eirik Heintz
  
• George Katodrytis
  
• Thomas Kennedy
  
• Ginger Krieg
  
• Bruce Lonnman
  
• Kevin Mitchell
  
• Ahmed Mokhtar
  
• Nadia Mounajjed
  
• Amer Moustafa
  
• Jay Randle
  
• Fatih Rifki
  
• Mehdi Sabet
  
• William Sarnecky
  
• Kevin Sweet
  
• Alcibiades Tsolakis
  
• Gregor Weiss

Bachelor of Architecture (BArch)

Architecture arises from the same wellspring of civilization as other universal manifestations of material culture: arts, histories, letters, religion and commerce. Still, the artifacts we designate as architecture possess a scale, permanence and a pervasive influence unique among human endeavors. These qualities endow the discipline with a cultural prominence few other professions enjoy.

In its contemporary university setting, the study of architecture is naturally concerned with complex, interdisciplinary issues. Some matters are primarily individual and practical:  the basic human need for shelter and the desire to contrive efficient, adequate forms for the patterns of daily life. Architecture, in this sense, may concern aspirations and meanings, but its primary intent is to attain a practical advantage for us, here and now.

Architecture also has a transcendent motive, arising from an imperative to articulate, physically and spatially, the social, ceremonial and environmental choices a given culture makes within a given setting. Architecture expresses our living values. It gives abiding form, order and proportion to our activities. Architecture is a message to the world about our certainties and doubts, our values and beliefs, our preoccupations and our neglects. It both expresses and reveals.
The practice of architecture today, as in the past, requires coordinated contributions from multiple of fields. The craft of the architect runs a gamut of expertise and awareness:  technical, environmental, aesthetic, cultural, historical and commercial. Consequently, the study of architecture investigates principles and applications of technology, art, humanities, engineering, physical and social sciences, business and management. Architectural design, finally, is the synthetic practice that links and gives significant form to these interdisciplinary contributions. 

The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree (five-year professional program) is intended for the student seeking a professional career in architecture. The program entails a minimum of five years of university studies plus professional training. A minimum of 172 credits comprise the degree program, including a minimum of 109 credits of required course work in architecture and closely associated fields. These courses represent the irreducible core of the discipline of architecture. 

Each student is required to extend the core curriculum with 18 credits of approved architecture electives. The intent is to balance the concern for in-depth professional competence with another for the individual’s interest and aptitude. These courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.

The specialized professional curriculum is supported by a minimum of 42 credits of general education requirements. Designed to ensure a broad educational foundation, this base is held in common among all graduates of American University of Sharjah.

University studies present a unique opportunity to explore other fields of interest. Based solely on individual interests, each architecture student must select nine credits of free electives from general university offerings.
Some major required courses count toward general education requirements. In such cases, both requirements are considered as being met but the credits only count once toward total degree hours.

The curriculum is designed to meet the requirements for licensure that prevail in the United Arab Emirates and to prepare the graduate for professional practice throughout the region. Some students may aspire either to advanced study in the field or to practice in a broader global setting. Accordingly, the curriculum follows established international norms for a first professional degree in architecture. 

Advancement in the Professional Degree Program

The number of seats in architecture is limited. Formal advancement is competitive. Only the most highly qualified foundations students will be promoted. To be considered for advancement to the second year of the Bachelor of Architecture program a student must successfully complete the following requirements:

• all four foundations studio courses (DES 111, DES 112, DES 131, DES 132) with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 out of 4.0 in each sequence (design and drawing)
• both courses in history of material culture (DES 121 and DES 122)
• DES 100 Digital Media in Design
• MTH 111 Mathematics for Architects or its prerequisite (MTH 003), or MTH 103 Calculus I
• at least one course in writing (WRI) at the 100 level or above
• a minimum of 27 undergraduate credit hours (including the above courses)
• a cumulative GPA of 2.3                            

Formal notification of advancement in the program will be announced by the School of Architecture and Design in mid-June after release of final grades by the Office of the Registrar at the end of the spring semester. In the event that there are more students who qualify for advancement than available spaces, candidates will be promoted in the major based on academic achievement, and a waiting list will be established. In the event of a tie, students with the highest GPA in all four foundations studio courses will advance to second year. In the event of a second tie, students with the highest GPA in both courses in history of material culture (DES 121 and DES 122) and mathematics (MTH 111, MTH 003 or MTH 103) will advance to the second year. If there are available seats at the time of fall registration, consideration will be given to those students who fulfilled requirements during summer session or who wish to change majors, based on the same advancement criteria as noted above. Students who need to repeat a second-year studio course will also be competing for the limited number of seats in the major.

Promotion Reviews in Architecture

As an extension of the regular advisement process, the performance of each architecture student is reviewed following the completion of each of the second, third and fourth years in the program. A student must pass each review to continue in the major and must have attained:
• a minimum cumulative GPA of C+ (2.3) in all university courses
• a minimum major studio average of 2.3 in each year of the architectural design studio sequence (ARC 201 and ARC 202, ARC 301 and ARC 302, ARC 401 and ARC 402)

Notes:

- A grade of C- (1.70) is the minimum passing grade in a studio course. The minimum major studio average must be achieved to continue in the program.
- A student with a semester grade of D (1.00) in the fall studio may not continue into the spring semester of the studio sequence.
- A student who does not attain the required studio average may repeat either studio with the higher grade for that studio averaged with the other studio grade.
- Any studio may be repeated only once.
- A student who fails to achieve the minimum studio average necessary for promotion after repeating the studio is dismissed from the program.

If the review has a negative outcome, the department will assist a candidate in transferring to a field that holds better promise for the student.

Degree Requirements     

A minimum of 172 credits, including the following, is required:

• a minimum of 42 credits of general education requirements (of which six credits double count as major requirements)
• 109 credits of major requirements
• a minimum of 18 credits of approved architecture electives
•  a minimum of nine credits of free electives
• 14 weeks of approved professional training (internship)

In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, a student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 and must have attained a  studio average of 2.3 in the final studio sequence (ARC 505 and either ARC 506 or ARC 592).

General Education Requirements (minimum of 42 credits) 

• English language competency requirement (minimum of 12 credits): 100 level or above of English (ENG)/writing (WRI) courses
• Arabic heritage requirement (3 credits)
• mathematics and/or statistics requirement (minimum of 6 credits): MTH 103 or MTH 111 and one other math or statistics course
• science requirement (minimum of 6 credits): PHY 104 and one other science course
• humanities and social sciences requirement (minimum of 15 credits): DES 121, DES 122 and at least six of the remaining nine credits taken in the social sciences area (DES 121 and DES 122 double count as major requirements)
• computer literacy requirement: satisfied through extensive use of computer resources throughout the architecture curriculum
• information literacy requirement: satisfied through WRI 102
For complete information on general education requirements, please refer to the Graduation Requirements section within the Academic Policies and Regulations section of this catalog.

Major Requirements (109 credits)

In addition to the foundations courses, the following courses constitute the major requirements for the Bachelor of Architecture degree:

• ARC 201 Architectural and Interior Design Studio I
• ARC 202 Architectural and Interior Design Studio II
• ARC 213 Analysis and Methods in Architecture
• ARC 224 Modern Foundations of Art and Architecture
• ARC 232 Survey of Materials and Practices in Construction
• ARC 242 Statics and Mechanics of Materials for Architecture
•  ARC 301 Architectural Design Studio III
•  ARC 302 Architectural Design Studio IV
• ARC 325 Ideas in Architecture
• ARC 333 Rough Construction Process
• ARC 344 Structural Design for Architects
• ARC 354 Environmental Energies and Building Form
• ARC 364 Introduction to Computer-Aided Drawing
• ARC 397 Internship in Architecture I                (6 weeks)
• ARC 401 Architectural Design Studio V
•  ARC 402 Architectural Design Studio VI
• ARC 434 Finish Construction Process
• ARC 455 Environmental Control Systems
• ARC 462 Design Management
• ARC 471 Site Planning
• ARC 497 Internship in Architecture II               (8 weeks)
•  ARC 505 Architectural Design Studio VII
• ARC 506 Architectural Design Studio VIII or ARC 592 Final Project Design
• ARC 561 Construction Management

Internship 

To qualify for the Bachelor of Architecture degree, students must fulfill the internship requirements prior to graduation. The purpose of the internship is to expose students to the profession and give them an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in a practical setting. The internship consists of a minimum of 240 work hours for third-year students and 320 work hours for fourth-year students with an approved employer. Students’ internships are ultimately evaluated by the internship coordinator with a Pass/Fail grade. Completing the internship requirement is a prerequisite for registering in some studio courses. Architecture students are highly encouraged to complete the internship program during the summers following their third and fourth years, respectively.

Please see the proposed sequence of study for a strategy for completing these graduation requirements in five years.

Major Electives (minimum of 18 credits)

All ARC and IDE courses not listed above as major requirements count as major electives.

Free Electives (minimum of 9 credits)

Any courses offered at or above the 100 level.

Enrolling in Graduate Courses

Fifth-year architecture students can register for 500-level graduate courses in urban planning (UPL) and receive credit toward their undergraduate degree. Students pay the regular undergraduate fee per credit. Graduate UPL courses taken at the undergraduate level cannot be used to fulfill graduate program requirements, regardless of whether or not these courses were used to meet an undergraduate program requirement.

Minor in Architectural Studies

Students enrolling in the architectural studies minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and have a CGPA of 2.5 or higher.

The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level in architecture.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.
Students seeking a minor in architectural studies must complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

Minor Requirements (9 credits)

A student must complete nine credits from the following courses:
• ARC 201 Architectural and Interior Design Studio I
• ARC 202 Architectural and Interior Design Studio II
• ARC 213 Analysis and Methods in Architecture
• ARC 224 Modern Foundations of Art and Architecture
• ARC 232 Survey of Materials and Practices in Construction

Minor Electives (minimum of 9 credits)
Nine credits in architecture courses at the 300 level or above.

Minor in Urban Design

The minor in urban design is offered within the Department of Architecture. Students enrolling in the urban design minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing. 
The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level in architecture.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.
Students seeking a minor in urban design must complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

Minor Requirements (12 credits)

• ARC 424 Evolution of Cities
• ARC 505 Architectural Design Studio VII
• ARC 573 Principles of Urban Design

Minor Electives (minimum of 6 credits)

• ARC 322 Global Issues in Architecture
• ARC 374 Environmentally Sustainable Design
• ARC 471 Site Planning
• ENV 100 Principles of Environmental Science
• PBA 101 Introduction to Public Administration
• PSY 102 Social Psychology
• SOC 380 Urban Sociology
• STA 202 Introduction to Statistics for Social Sciences
• any 500-level urban planning (UPL) course

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