Architecture

The practice of architecture requires a unique skillset–creative thinking and aesthetic sensitivity balanced with technical knowledge, cultural understanding, and social responsibility. Critical thinking and communication skills are needed. Drexel's Bachelor of Architecture program encompasses foundation courses in the applied and social sciences, the humanities, and a wide range of professional architecture courses to prepare students for careers in architecture and related fields. At the heart of the curriculum are the design studios where students are challenged to apply their knowledge acquired from the above disciplines to consequential design problems.

Drexel's work/study program is an experiential-based learning model that complements and provides an alternative to traditional full-time academic architecture programs. The Drexel model provides a practical, high-quality education to those students who seek early exposure to daily architectural practice as well as an affordable alternative to students who could not otherwise be able to enter the profession.

At Drexel there are two paths to an accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree, serving two distinct populations: the 2+4 option and the part-time evening option.

Accreditation

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission; however, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Department of Architecture + Interiors offers the following NAAB-accredited degree program(s):

About the 2+4 Option

The 2+4 option is an accelerated route designed for well-prepared students entering the major directly after graduating from high school. In this program, two years of full-time coursework address the basic principles of architectural design and satisfy fundamental Drexel University core requirements in the arts and sciences as well as those job-related skills that are needed for entry-level professional positions in architecture or related fields. A comprehensive review of performance will take place after each year to ensure that students are making sufficient progress in all areas. At the end of the sophomore year, a more thorough review of performance and advancement will be conducted to decide if the student is ready to move into the next phase of the accredited degree program in architecture. After successfully completing the minimum requirements of the full-time phase, students find full-time employment in the building industry, including architecture firms, while continuing their academic program part-time in the evening for four additional years. 

About the Part-time Evening Option

The part-time evening option is one of only two part-time evening architectural programs in the United States leading to the NAAB accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree. Designed for non-traditional and transfer students, this program offers all courses part-time in the evening, enabling students to work full-time. The evening program sequence is seven years, but transfer students with university-level design credits can reduce its length by meeting specific program requirements through transcript and portfolio review. After completion of Studio 2 and the co-requisite curriculum for that level, a more thorough review of performance and advancement will be conducted to decide if the student is ready to advance further within the accredited degree program in architecture. 

The degree modality of the B. Arch. degree is face-to-face for both tracks; however, a small number of classes may be offered partially or fully in a virtual format, which allows us to attract talented experts from outside the greater Philadelphia area and provides more flexibility for students out working in the profession or commuting to Drexel. By combining work and study, all Drexel Architecture students may be able to simultaneously satisfy their required internship for licensure–now called the Architectural Experience Program (AXP)–while completing their professional degree, thus qualifying for the registration exam on graduation in most jurisdictions.

The Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) Program

In August of 2015, Drexel was approved by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) for participation in the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) Program. IPAL provides students the opportunity to achieve licensure upon graduation–an important innovation affording students the chance to jump-start their careers through a curriculum of education, work experience, and licensure examinations. Students follow either of the two options leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree while preparing for and sitting for licensing exams during the summers following the third, fourth, and fifth year of study. Drexel is part of a selective group of schools in the country to offer this opportunity, an initiative spearheaded by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and one of the very few architecture programs offering the IPAL path to students enrolled in an undergraduate BArch degree program. Students seeking access to this track need permission from the program director and the IPAL faculty advisor.

Note: Bachelor of Architecture vs Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Architecture vs Architectural Engineering  

Because Drexel University offers three programs with "architecture" in their titles, it is useful to point out the significant differences between them:

• Architects design buildings to meet people's spatial, organizational, and aesthetic needs; they also coordinate the building design process. All states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) require individuals to be licensed (registered) before they may call themselves architects or contract to provide architectural services. Many architecture school graduates work in the field even though they are not licensed or while they are in the process of becoming licensed. But they may not call themselves an architect.
  
  A licensed architect is required to take legal responsibility for all work. Licensure requirements usually include:
  • A professional degree in architecture (B.Arch. or M.Arch. degrees)
  • A period of practical training or internship (AXP)
  • Passage of all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE)

  The difference between the NAAB accredited Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree and the non-accredited Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BS in Arch. Studies) degree:

  Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degrees are designed to help you develop a comprehensive knowledge of the discipline of architecture, as well as foundational professional knowledge and a basic understanding of related fields. The NAAB accredited B.Arch. degree at Drexel University is suitable for students who seek to earn a professional undergraduate degree that leads to professional licensure and affords you early exposure to architectural practice. While our B.Arch. degree does NOT participate in Drexel's signature coop program, our students' opportunity to gain professional work experience and complete most or all of their AXP requirements prior to graduation, thus far exceeding the practice exposure of coop. A conventional B.Arch. degree is typically five years long. The 2+4 Option and the PT Evening Option take longer to complete due to the part-time model but allows an accelerated path to professional licensure due to parallel AXP completion and the option to participate in IPAL.  

  The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BS in Arch. Studies) degree is a four-year, pre-professional degree that is NOT accredited by NAAB. You will develop a comprehensive knowledge of the discipline of architecture, hone your design skills and expand your architectural understanding. If you're unsure about becoming a licensed architect, this degree will still encompass everything you enjoy about design and construction and gives you a broad introduction to architecture. Further, it provides flexible avenues to combine your studies with related fields. The BS in Arch. Studies degree is offered as a coop and a non-coop option. Our BS. in Architectural Studies degree can be a precursor to a dual BS/MS degree at Drexel University or a professional NAAB-accredited M.Arch. degree.​

• Architectural Engineers specialize in the design of engineering systems within buildings. Architectural engineers earn Bachelor of Science degrees and become professional engineers with the required experience and state examinations. Students whose interests are focused on the technological and engineering aspects of buildings should review Drexel's major in Architectural Engineering offered by the College of Engineering.

Opportunities

Drexel's work/study program is an experiential-based learning model that complements and provides an alternative to traditional full-time academic architecture programs. The Drexel model provides a practical, high-quality education to those students who seek early exposure to daily architectural practice as well as an affordable alternative to students who could not otherwise be able to enter the profession. The degree modality for the B.Arch degree is face-to-face; however, a small number of classes may be offered partially or fully in a virtual format, which allows us to attract talented experts from outside the greater Philadelphia area and provides more flexibility for students on coop or out working in the profession.  

Ordinarily, Drexel's architecture graduates continue working for the firms that employed them during the work-study phase of their studies. In time, some architects reach positions of associate or partner in these offices while others choose to launch their own firms. Urban design, historic preservation, interior design, and facilities management are some of the related careers that architectural graduates also pursue with similar patterns of success.

The Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure Initiative (IPAL) provides students the opportunity to achieve licensure upon graduation–an important innovation affording students the chance to jump-start their careers through a curriculum of education, work experience, and licensure examinations. Students follow either of Drexel's two options leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree while preparing for and sitting for licensing exams during the summers following the third, fourth, and fifth year of study. Our Architecture Program is part of a selective group of schools in the country to offer this opportunity, an initiative spearheaded by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

Drexel is located in University City, a Philadelphia neighborhood that includes several centers of education and research. Philadelphia itself offers an unparalleled collection of landmark architecture and urban planning that spans 300 years of development. The region has always been home to architectural firms of national and international prominence. A rich and varied environment combined with an accomplished and supportive professional community make Philadelphia an ideal laboratory for the study of architecture. All of the faculty in the program are active in the Philadelphia architecture community, many in leadership positions at firms.

Students seeking support for resume and portfolio development may schedule an appointment with the Associate Director for Student Placement by contacting the Architecture program. Password-protected job listings exclusively for Drexel Architecture students can be found on the Opportunities for Students site. Firms seeking Drexel interns may contact students directly by finding student links to resumes, work samples, and web portfolios at this site.