Curriculum and Application: Bachelor of Architecture Program
General Education Requirements
Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)
Required Writing Courses
Eight units of writing requirements.Physics and Math
Eight units, including PHYS 125L (or equivalent) (4) and MATH 108 (or equivalent) (4).General Education Requirements
Six courses, one course from each of the six categories identified by Roman numerals: I Cultures and Civilizations I, II Cultures and Civilizations II, III Scientific Principles (Physics 125 satisfies Category III), IV Investigations in Science and Technology, V Studies in Literary Thought and the Arts, VI Social Issues.For students beginning college prior to 1997 at USC or elsewhere, contact your academic advisor for information regarding the new General Education program.
Architecture Electives
A minimum of 10 units in architecture is required.Free Electives
An additional 12 units in any category of professional courses, humanities, social sciences, communication and natural sciences.Diversity Requirement
All students must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation "m" for multiculturalism.Core Requirements
In order to take advantage of elective opportunities in the advanced program, students must complete the following courses prior to the end of second year: ARCH 102abL, ARCH 105L, ARCH 202abL, MATH 108 (or equivalent), PHYS 125L (or equivalent), ARCH 211, ARCH 213ab, ARCH 114, and 214ab .Design Studio Scholarship Standards
Less than average work in design is not considered sufficient for a professional degree. Students must receive a grade of C or above in each semester of design (ARCH 102abL, 202abL, 302abL, 402abcL, 502L) in order to continue in the design sequence and to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course until such a grade is achieved.Applying to the Program
The School of Architecture admits students only in the fall of each year. Applications should be initiated as early as possible. The freshman application deadline is January 10, and the transfer application deadline is February 2. No part-time or evening programs in architecture are available. Factors considered for admission to undergraduate programs include previous academic success, quality of total record, evidence of aptitude and initiative, outstanding talents and abilities, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation and a review of a portfolio of work.
- Submit a completed Application to the University of Southern California to the USC Office of Admission. Or apply on-line at www.usc.edu/admission.
- Submit official copies of high school and/or college transcripts to the USC Office of Admission. All freshman applicants must also submit official SAT or ACT scores. No exceptions are made to this requirement.
- Submit a portfolio to the USC School of Architecture. All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of work. Please see the Portfolio Form at the back of the bulletin for instructions on submitting your portfolio.
- The USC Office of Admission processes and reviews the application for admission to the university.
- The School of Architecture after a review of the student's portfolio and application file makes recommendations on which students will be admitted to the School of Architecture and notifies the USC Office of Admission of its decisions.
Credit by Examination
Students may establish a total of 32 semester units of credit toward their Bachelor of Architecture Degree. AP Examination credit is explained below. For information on credit for International Special Examination please contact the Office of International Admission.Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)
USC grants college credit for high school honors courses which have been validated by the Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) of the Educational Testing Service. A student may be granted four semester units of credit for each AP score of four or five.Transfer Admission
Transfer students with fewer than 30 units of college- level work and no prior architectural courses are considered for placement in the first year of the five-year design sequence. Previous academic work may be applied toward the requirements for the degree.Admission of Transfer Students to Second Year or Above
In some instances, a transfer student from an accredited junior college, community college or other university may be eligible for advanced placement at the second year level of design or above if previous work includes a minimum of 30 semester units of acceptable academic credit in a pre-architecture program. The academic credit must include eight semester units in architectural design or environmental design and four semester units of freehand drawing or equivalent skills. Students accepted for advanced placement must still comply with all requirements for the degree. Placement level is determined through a review of a portfolio of designwork.Summer Transfer Studio
The School offers a eight-week summer design studio that allows highly qualified students transferring from community college programs to be evaluated for advanced placement in the fall semester. During the summer studio transfer students must demonstrate significant design and drawing skill to justify advanced placement. Successfully completing this summer transfer studio with a grade of B or better allows students to reduce the required ten semester design sequence by two semesters, reducing USC residency to four years. To find out if you qualify for this program please contact the School at (800) 281-8616.Visiting the School
Students interested in visiting the campus may call (213) 740-6616 to make an appointment for the "Meet USC" Program. This includes an interview with an admissions counselor, a campus tour, a visit to class, and an appointment with a School of Architecture representative. Individual appointments with a School of Architecture representative may be made by calling (213) 740-2420.Financial Aid
The university is committed to providing a need-based financial aid package to all undergraduates admitted to the University. Applications are processed through the USC Financial Aid Office. There are many important deadlines for filing required documents, so it is important to read the information about financial aid and to observe all the deadlines.NAAB Catalog Statement
"In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The national Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: The Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A Program may be granted a five-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree."
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