Architecture Degrees Online

Since 1904, the Department of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University has challenged students to be responsible, creative designers and to develop innovative, site-appropriate solutions that enhance aesthetics and value.

Cornell University offers accredited, license-qualifying Landscape Architecture degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The undergraduate Landscape Architecture degree is the only one of its kind in the Ivy League. Both academic programs provide a sound grounding in theory and technology, which is put into practice through the design studio and related courses.

Landscape architects play a variety of roles, ranging from designer to land-use mediator to conservationist. The Department of Landscape Architecture at Cornell views the art of landscape design as an expression of cultural values reinforced by many related disciplines.

Due to its unique place within the university, the Department of Landscape Architecture promotes interaction with other academic fields, including horticulture, architecture, city and regional planning, and fine arts.

The graduate landscape architecture program includes 1) a three-year degree designed for students from diverse educational backgrounds who want to enter the profession fully qualified at the master’s level; and 2) a two-year program for students that already have a degree in landscape architecture or architecture.

Master of Arts
The two-year program consists of courses and seminars in the field and related areas. Students must select one major subject and one minor subject. Two historiography/methodology seminars, a master’s essay, reading proficiency in one language other than English, and a master’s degree examination are required.

Doctor of Philosophy
A major, in either the history of architecture or the history of urbanism, and two minors are required. Ph.D. candidates must complete two historiography/methodology seminars and be proficient in two languages other than English. A written and oral Admission to Doctoral Candidacy Examination (the A-Examination) is taken usually in the third year. Candidates must prepare and defend (the B-Examination) a dissertation. The dissertation should demonstrate the student’s ability to pursue independent and independently motivated work. As a contribution to scholarship and human knowledge, the dissertation represents a substantial creative endeavor.

The College of Architecture, Art and Planning offers degrees in architectural design (B.Arch, professional and post-professional M.Archs) and in fine arts, as well as professional degrees in Urban and Regional Studies, Regional Planning, International Development, Regional Science and Real Estate. This context offers a distinct setting for the History of Architecture and Urban Development (HAUD) program. More precisely, HAUD is situated within an environment of creative practice. Within this context, the processes by which the object or site is produced, executed, tested, interpreted and reformulated over time are the subject of concern.

The history program provides opportunities for the dialogue between various programs and constituencies within the college as well as the greater university. It provides the site for intellectual exchange between artists, critics, designers, historians, planners, preservationists and those studying visual culture. Courses and research projects are designed with this in mind. The HAUD program understands that history is a contemporary and creative practice – in which the subjects of study and modes of inquiry reflect as much about the present day as they do about the past.

The program is committed to the study of the built environment and cultural landscape from the point of view of cultural history. As is evidenced in lectures and seminars, faculty research and student projects, there is a sustained interest in analyzing the cultural context of the built domain – whether at the scale of the building, cities or landscapes, both monumental and mundane.

Within this humanities laboratory, faculty and students study human values, attributes and capabilities as reflected in our constructed environments. Experimentation and examination are set in balance with reflection and repose. Architectural theory is subsumed within the disciplinary demands of historical fieldwork and archival research.

The Cornell Graduate School strongly supports interdisciplinary study. This is echoed within the structure of the HAUD program. Graduate students are required to form graduate committees that are best suited to their respective projects. Guided by one of the core architectural history professors, students have formed committees that include faculty from American Studies, Anthropology, the History of Art and Archaeology, Asian Studies, German Cultural Studies, Government, Historic Preservation, History, Italian Studies and Landscape Architecture, among others. In recognition of this intense pluralism and the contribution that the discussion of the built environment and cultural landscape makes to other disciplines, the history faculty are active in other graduate fields, including American Studies, German Studies, Historic Preservation Planning, History of Art and Archaeology, Institute for European Studies, Landscape Architecture, Romance Studies and South Asia Studies.

Pluralism characterizes the current state of the discipline as reflected in the HAUD faculty’s areas of interest and expertise. Theoretical frameworks from anthropology, cultural geography, folklore and popular culture, intellectual history, urban and architectural history, and visual and media studies shape our program’s offerings and faculty areas of research. Bonnie MacDougall’s interests in South Asia are guided by a trans-nationals readings of architecture, culture and society. Chris Otto’s areas of expertise focus on urban and architectural histories of Central and Eastern Europe from the 17th through the 21st centuries. D. Medina Lasansky’s work focuses on the intersection of politics and popular culture in the built environment of the Mediterranean. Mary Woods examines erasures and inscriptions of identity (in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, locality and nationality) in her architectural and urban histories of North America, Western Europe and the Caribbean. Together the faculty focuses on the peripheries as well as traditional centers of scholarship. They work to articulate the connections among history, theory, design and practice within a unique climate devoted to the humanities and creative arts. These efforts are all a response paradigm shifts within history and related disciplines of the last 30 years.

The small and intense nature of the HAUD program emphasizes rigorous, independent thought created through a partnership of students working closely with their faculty advisors and committees. Students who are self-motivated and demonstrate the ability to grow and thrive intellectually within a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment are encouraged to apply. As such, there is no typical profile for incoming graduate students. They come from around the world from a variety of educational, cultural and life experiences.

Students are encouraged to develop their skills in writing and thinking as well as research methodologies. Those studying at the graduate level are encouraged to become active members within the profession by becoming members of the various disciplinary associations (Society of Architectural Historians, College Art Association, and the Vernacular Architectural Forum, among others) and presenting papers at conferences. In addition, students and faculty organize and participate in a wide range of symposia, conferences, exhibitions, and publications within and beyond Cornell. Here they contribute significantly to intellectual life on national and international levels.

Teaching also is an important part of the graduate program. Graduate students assist professors in intermediate levels courses, as well as developing and leading discussion sections for the introductory survey. The survey provides a global review of the built environment and the cultural landscape.

Three-Semester Post-Professional M.Arch.2 Program
Cornell’s new post-professional Master of Architecture is an intensive advanced design research (ADR) program. Open to individuals holding a B.Arch. or first-professional M.Arch. degree, the three-semester program offers a critical framework for investigating pertinent design concerns, practices, and technologies in 21st-century architecture and urbanism. A structure of core and elective studios and courses allows students to pursue trajectories of inquiry within one of five interrelated territories of investigation:

A/U: Architecture & Urbanism: Developmental Systems; Urban Geography; Regional Planning; Urban Theory; Suburbia

A/E: Architecture & Ecology: Environmental Ethics; Material Ecologies; Sustainable Practices; Landscape Urbanism; Soft Infrastructures

A/T: Architecture & Technology: Differential Engineering; Materials Research; Machinic Prototypes; Advanced Fabrication; Robotics

A/D: Architecture & Discourse: History and Contemporaneity; Theory and Criticism; Typological Research; Cultural Production; Design Research

A/M: Architecture & Media: Responsive Systems; Complex Geometries; Material Computation; Appliance Architecture; Net Art

Interdisciplinary in intent and content, the ADR program engages the wealth of academic resources in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, across Cornell University, and throughout an extensive global network. The third, summer semester of the program involves the College’s New York City Center.

The professional Master of Architecture program is a 3½ year course of study dedicated to preparing graduate students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds for careers in architecture. The program builds on the excellence and distinction of Cornell’s renowned B.Arch degree, but is specifically crafted to engage the unique strengths and needs of the graduate student. Committed to the view that the question of appropriate practice must be continually investigated and reassessed in today’s globally expansive and technologically dynamic context, the program places this question at the center of the learning process, seeking to empower the student’s sense of inquiry, responsibility and creativity. Teaching in the program complements basic skills and knowledge essential to the profession with engagement in emergent social, cultural, technical and environmental concerns that characterize architecture’s expanded field in the 21st century.

The curriculum comprises a rich offering of courses in visual representation, history and theory of architecture, technology, and professional practice, complemented by six semesters of design studios. The design studio is the core of the curriculum, with the design project serving as a negotiating platform between diverse practices, technologies and fields of knowledge. The intensive course of study encourages the development of individual research trajectories at the upper levels, and culminates in a one-semester design thesis. Making full use of Cornell University’s excellent resources across all disciplines, the professional Master of Architecture situates itself globally, drawing upon distinguished national and international visitors, Cornell Architecture’s New York City studio, and traveling studio locations worldwide. The professional Master of Architecture is open to applicants possessing a four-year bachelor’s degree in any area.

Fall Semester Credits
Spring Semester Credits

ARCH 1101 Design I 6
ARCH 1102 Design II 6

ARCH 1801 History of Architecture I 3
ARCH 1802; History of Architecture II 3

ARCH 1501 Drawing I: Freehand Drawing 2
ARCH 1502 Drawing II: Drawing Systems 2

MATH 1110 or 1106 or
Out-of-College Elective 3-4
MATH 1110 or 1106 or
Out-of-College Elective 3-4

Out-of-College Elective 3
Out-of-College Elective
Freshman Writing
Seminar Suggested 3
Total Credits 17-18
Total Credits 17

Second Year

Fall Semester Credits
Spring Semester Credits

ARCH 2101 Design III 6
ARCH 2102 Design IV 6

ARCH 2301 Architectural Analysis I 2
ARCH 2302 Architectural Analysis II 2

ARCH 2602 Building Technology,
Materials and Methods 3
ARCH 2601 Environmental Systems I: Site Planning 3

ARCH 2603 Structural Concepts 4
ARCH 2604 Structural Elements 3

ARCH 2503 Drawing III: Digital Media or Out-of-College Elective 2-3
ARCH 2503 Drawing III: Digital Media or Out-of-College Elective
2-3
Total Credits 17-18
Total Credits 16-17

Third Year

Fall Semester Credits
Spring Semester Credits

ARCH 3101 Design V 6
ARCH 3102 Design VI 6

ARCH 3402 Architecture as a Cultural System 3
ARCH 3603 Structural Systems 3

ARCH 3601 Environmental Systems II:
Thermal Environmental Systems 3
ARCH 3602 Environmental Systems III:
Building Systems Integration 3

Departmental Elective 3
Departmental Elective 3

Out-of-College Elective 3
College or Out-of-College Elective 3

Total Credits 18

Fourth Year
Fall Semester Credits
Spring Semester Credits

ARCH 4101 Design VII 6
ARCH 4102 Design VIII 6

Departmental Elective 3
ARCH 5201 Professional Practice 3

Departmental Elective 3
Departmental Elective 3

College Elective 3
College or Out-of-College Elective 3

Out-of-College Elective 3
Out-of-College Elective 3
Total Credits 18
Total Credits 18
Fifth Year

Fall Semester Credits
Spring Semester Credits

ARCH 5101 Design IX 6
ARCH 5902 Design X Thesis 8

ARCH 5110 Pre-thesis seminar 2
Departmental Elective 3

College or Out-of-College Elective 3
College or Out-of-College Elective 3

Out-of-College Elective 3
College or Out-of-College Elective 3

Out-of-College Elective 3
Total Credits 17
Total Credits 17

This degree will focus on history, theory or criticism, rather than the actual practice of architecture. The program is designed for transfer students, so you must first complete two years of college in order to be eligible. The curriculum introduces students to the built domain from earliest times to the present.

Students learn methods of scholarly research, analysis and interpretation; study historic monuments in their full cultural, social and urban contexts; and examine building traditions within specific periods and regions. Students will be learning architectural history within a professional school of architecture – a context that enriches the scholarly understanding of buildings by emphasizing the immediacy of architectural problems and their solutions in the present.

Architectural education at Cornell is highly focused and intensive. It emphasizes theory, history, technology, and structures, as well as design. Although most courses will be directly concerned with architecture, students will take about one-quarter of the total program in other colleges at Cornell and in other departments within the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. Cornell’s program thus balances the intensity of a professional education with opportunities to use the resources of a world-renowned university.
Design studios at each level help students develop the skills and intellectual tools to solve problems. Students will be immersed in design; ten terms of design are required, and it’s the focal point of every semester. Studio exercises vary significantly during the five years. Basic conceptual skills are emphasized early on, along with introducing the elements of architecture. Students will learn to communicate ideas through models and graphics. Additional courses in history and drawing will help lay the foundation for the rest of your education.
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 Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. 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 a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.
Master’s degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented.

The Field of Archaeology normally considers applications for admission only once a year, for admission in the fall term. Applicants who have some special reason for seeking spring term admission should contact the Director of Graduate Studies, explaining their request in some detail. The deadline for receipt of applications is January 15. Late applications will be considered as class space permits, but no late applications can be considered for nomination for one of the University Fellowships, nor are late applicants likely to receive appointment as a Teaching Assistant.

A complete application includes the completed application form (available online through Cornell Graduate School Admissions), transcripts from all institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, a sample of the applicant’s written work, GRE scores and, for non-native speakers of English, the TOEFL (see below). It is a good idea to take the GRE by October, so that your score can be considered with the rest of your application materials. If you are not sure that the official report from the Educational Testing Service will reach us on time, you may send an unofficial copy. Although prospective students living outside North America may be admitted without GRE scores, we prefer that all applicants take the examination if possible.

Before admission can be made final, all applicants whose native language is not English must provide proof of competency in the English language. All foreign degree applicants must submit an official TOEFL score. Scores must be submitted directly to the Graduate School by the Educational Testing Service (ETS to be considered official. The Internet-based Test (iBT) version of the TOEFL tests all four language skills important for effective communications: writing, listening, reading, and speaking. Each section has its own minimum score. This is not a cumulative scoring system. Applicant scores must meet the minimums set by the Graduate School below. NOTE: A cumulative score is not the correct measure and is not sufficient for an offer of admission.
Writing 20
Listening 15
Reading 20
Speaking 22

The Graduate School will continue to accept scores for computer Based (cBT) (213 minimum) and paper Based (550 minimum) versions of the TOEFL that were taken within two years of the date the student submitted the application for admission until those tests are phased out by Educational Testing Service. Any applicant for the 2007-08 admission season should take the iBT version. (Cornell’s institution code for all versions for the TOEFL is 2098).

Exemptions: An applicant may request a TOEFL exemption if he or she holds a two-year degree from a university in a country where the official primary language is English and the instruction was in English, or the applicant studied to two or more years in a country where the official primary language is English and the instruction was in English.

The Admissions Committee consists of the entire membership of the Field of Archaeology, who devote a faculty meeting early in the spring term to consideration of all applications. The members take into account all the information available to them, so that no single criterion is decisive.

Graduate students at Cornell work closely with a committee of faculty members of their own choosing. This allows for an individualized program of study with considerable flexibility in which students can follow their own particular interest.