Bachelors of Architecture

The Department of Architecture is committed to the study of architecture as a cultural discipline in which issues of practice, of the multiplicity of social formations in which buildings exist, and of environmental effects are integrated with building design through construction, space, material, form and use. Architecture arises from the aspirations that diverse individuals and groups have for their physical environment, and from the social enterprise of designing and fabricating the landscape we inhabit. It involves individual and multiple buildings, the spaces within them, and the exterior landscape.

The undergraduate program in architecture is an accredited 165-credit five-year undergraduate professional program, including the 31-credit Core Design Program, leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree (B. Arch). The program provides opportunities for general education as well as preparation for professional practice and/or graduate study. An optional one-semester foreign study program is offered to fourth-year students. Other study abroad opportunities are also available for short-term and semester-long duration.

The undergraduate curriculum includes one year of the college's Core Design Program followed by a four-year professional program. Admission to the professional degree program is based on the applicant's performance in the completed pre-professional curriculum, previous high school record (or transfer record where applicable), portfolio and essay evaluations, and on available departmental resources. Information on admission criteria is posted each year on the College of Design website.

Students completing their bachelor's degree may opt to include a wide range of minor option as part of their course of study. A number of minors related to design, including digital media, critical studies, urban studies, and sustainability, can be integrated within their regular course of study, for details, please refer to the College of Design website.

For students entering the professional program after completion of the Core Design Program, the department requires purchase on their own or through the college of a laptop/notebook computer and appropriate software. Information is provided to students about computer requirements at the time of acceptance to the program.

The department offers two graduate degrees in architecture: a 90-credit graduate professional program leading to the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) and a 30-credit interdisciplinary graduate program leading to the Master of Science in Architecture (M.S. Arch.). Both degrees offer options for interdisciplinary study within the College of Design and across related fields within the university. Double-degree programs are offered with a number of other graduate programs of study within the college. Financial support in the form of teaching and research assistantships is available competitively.

Students who complete their Bachelor of Architecture Degree at Iowa State University may have 6 approved credit hours of their undergraduate study applied towards their Graduate Standing, permitting them to complete the M.S.Arch with 24 additional credit hours of study. In addition to graduate studies in Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture students may opt to pursue a one-year program of master's studies from other departments or programs in the College and the University. For complete current graduate program descriptions (many of which can apply 6 transfer credits from undergrad study), please see the College website undergraduate programs.

Freshman applicants should upload copies of their official high school academic records. Transfer applicants should upload copies of official academic records from all colleges or universities attended. Transfers who have been at a college/university for less than one year of full-time study should also upload their official high school records.
If you are currently attending or have attended a post-secondary institution, you must list it on the application, regardless of whether you want it to be used in our admission or transfer credit decisions.

IELTS - Overall score of 6.0 with a minimum band score of 5.5
Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) -Score of 71 with a minimum score of 17 in both the Writing and Speaking sections
Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) - Score of 530