School of Architecture: Programs of Study
2008-2009 Academic Year
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admissions. Students interested in obtaining their first degree should contact the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
The Master of Architecture program is structured with required courses and
electives to give students a thorough professional preparation, and opportunities
for study in the liberal arts and for advanced study in architecture. First-year
courses include required study in design, visual and digital media, architectural
history and theory, and technological systems, in addition to writing, and other
electives in cultural knowledge and scientific inquiry. The emphasis in first year
design is on developing a fundamental understanding of formal, spatial and
material principles in architecture, while obtaining a strong skill base in freehand
drawing, descriptive geometry, material techniques, and visual and digital media.
First year electives allow students to supplement their background in physics or
calculus, to begin or advance foreign language study, to broaden their skill in the
arts, or to choose any other subject area from among over forty offered throughout
the University's undergraduate divisions. In their first semester, students will also
participate in one of the many TIDES (Tulane Interdisciplinary Experience)
offered throughout the university to engage other students and faculty in an
intimate interactive environment. Second and third-year courses include the
majority of program requirements. Intensive studio work in architectural design is
complemented by study in architectural history and theory, structures,
technological systems, digital media and urban studies. In the second year,
students are fully immersed in digital design techniques while learning to
incorporate knowledge from historic, environmental, social, programmatic and
technological studies into the design studio. This is followed by a third year,
where a fully integrated program of coursework allows students a truly synthetic
experience in the comprehensive design of a complex architectural project. The
fourth year curriculum involves advanced architectural design in elective studio
courses as well as graduate level seminars in architectural theory, technology,
professional concerns, urban studies and digital media. In the fourth year of study,
emphasis is placed on the relationship of architecture to the urban environment,
both locally and globally. Students will spend one semester at the new Tulane
City Center, studying in one of the many programs ranging from urban design, to
housing, to design-build. After completing third year, students will also have the
opportunity for international study, through various programs ranging from one
week to full semester abroad programs in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Upper
level study is intended to be diverse and includes many electives intended to
provide significant opportunities for study within architecture as well as in the
liberal arts and sciences. In the fifth year of study, students will develop an
advanced thesis through research, analysis and design in one of four curricular
streams. In addition to academic year studies, students are also required to spend
two summers working in architecture firms in order to gain an understanding of
architecture as a profession.