College of Architecture and Environmental Design
www.kent.edu/caed

About This Program

If you want to explore your creativity and study the many ways architecture intersects with art, history, culture, theory, society, environment and urbanism, Kent State's Architectural Studies B.A. program is right for you. The program will introduce you to a wide array of design fields and prepare you for professional master's degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning/design, historic preservation and other exciting fields. Because of its focus on the language, logic and rhetoric of design, it will teach you to read, write, discuss and debate issues related to architecture and express your voice as an architectural critic. Read more...

Contact Information

• Brett Tippey, Doctor Arquitecto | btippey@kent.edu | 330-672-3934
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers

• Architectural criticism
• Architectural history
• Architecture
• Archiving
• Environmental conservation
• Geography
• Graphic design
• Historic preservation
• Industrial design
• Interior architecture
• Interior design
• Landscape architecture
• Museum curation
• Product design
• Urban design
• Urban planning

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Students switching from the B.S. in Architecture to the B.A. in Architectural Studies may substitute ARCH 10101 for ARCS 10123 and ARCH 10102 for ARCS 20123. Students requesting either of these substitutions must submit a 1-2-page statement of purpose to the architectural studies program coordinator that explains a) what they understand about the ARCS program, and b) why it suits their interests and goals. Please contact the program coordinator for more information. Requests for these exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis according to a standardized rubric.

²

Students declaring a dual degree program with the B.S. in Construction Management may substitute CMGT 21071 for ARCS 30123.

³

Students declaring a dual degree program with the B.S. in Construction Management may substitute CMGT 33111 for ARCS 30321.

⁴

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

⁵

Students declaring a dual degree program with the B.S. in Construction Management may substitute CMGT 43099 for 3 credit hours of Architecture Upper-Division Electives. Students may not use ARCH 30031 to fulfill Architecture Upper-Division Electives.

⁶

Students declaring a dual degree program with the B.S. in Construction Management may substitute ACCT 23020, ECON 22060, ECON 22061 and MKTG 25010 for the foreign language requirement.

Graduation Requirements

• Students in the Architectural Studies major are required to declare and complete a minor. Students may select any minor available at Kent State University. The number of credit hours required to complete the minor depends on the minor selected.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the language, logic and rhetoric of design and ability to deploy this understanding in design projects, research, analysis and critique.
2. Demonstrate abilities in design thinking, visual thinking, critical thinking and design discourse.
3. Demonstrate skills in research and apply these skills to the design of the built environment.
4. Recognize the value of cultural diversity and a broad range of historical traditions.
5. Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of the allied design disciplines and the ability to articulate relationships between these professions and other areas of study.
6. Appreciate a wide range of contrasting perspectives on sustainability, recognize the relationship between these perspectives and the design of the built environment and advocate for specific positions.
7. Utilize and interpret literature and data related to environments and their design.
8. Demonstrate leadership skills in cross-disciplinary settings.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies builds a broad foundation for professional master’s degrees in architecture and other design disciplines. By focusing on historical and contemporary design thinking, the program links design to art, culture, society, environment and urbanism. The degree prepares students to be innovative, active, well-rounded, critical and informed designers and introduces students to architectural design culture while emphasizing the history and theory of architecture and art. The program includes design studios, lecture/studio hybrid courses and seminars that focus on architectural history, theory and criticism; urban issues; and sustainability.

Students are required to complete elective credits outside of the Architectural Studies major, which allows students to customize their undergraduate experience to suit their own career and educational goals, expand their understanding of design and explore the ways it is connected to other fields. Students may use these electives to pursue minors, double majors and dual degrees in other areas of interest, such as a streamlined dual degree with the B.S. degree in Construction Management.

Students may take advantage of the semester-long study abroad program in Florence, Italy, during any semester after successful completion of at least 6 credit hours of Architectural Studies (ARCS) coursework and 30 total credit hours at Kent State University. The Florence program is open to all Architectural Studies students who have made satisfactory progress toward completion of their undergraduate program.

Students may apply early to the M.L.A I degree in Landscape Architecture and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.