Undergraduate Program

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A.A.)

The Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A.A.) is a pre-professional degree that prepares students for admittance to a two-year graduate program in architecture. The overall intent of the B.A.A. degree program is to provide a firm grounding in the essential ideas, principles, theories and technologies that underlie the built environment. The design studio sequence, the core of the program, is where all the elements of the design process come together in exercises that build increasing skill and sophistication in the student designer.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the undergraduate pre-professional portion of the program in architecture is competitive and limited.

There are two paths to undergraduate admission. The standard path requires that upon completion of a minimum set of required college-level credit acceptable to the School, students apply for transfer and acceptance into the School of Architecture and Planning. Applications to the B.A.A. degree program are accepted from University of New Mexico students, as well as students from any other accredited universities approved by the Office of Admissions.

The second path is the “Early Admissions” program available to New Mexico residents who are deemed high achieving entering freshman. Eligibility is limited to students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school classes, or have a GPA of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale, or have test scores of at least 27 on the ACT or 1230 (Math and English only) on the SAT, or have received the National Scholars, Regent's, or Gates Millennium Scholarships, or have earned the distinction of National Merit Finalist, or National Hispanic Scholar or National Achievement Scholar or National American Indian Scholar. For further information contact the Undergraduate Advisor in the School of Architecture and Planning.

In addition to UNM core curriculum courses taken in the first year, UNM student applicants will have successfully completed Architectural Graphics, Design Fundamentals. and, Introduction to Architecture. In order to be considered for application, UNM students must earn a B or better in ARCH 111.

Application Requirements:

1) Letter of intent: Explain why you are interested in architecture and discuss related experience, background or course work as well as particular educational and professional goals. The letter should not exceed two pages; include two copies: one in portfolio.

2) Portfolio of Drawing and Design Work: Submit work from drawing and art studio courses and personal art work in an 8½” x 11” bound portfolio. Do not send slides, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, or other digital materials, as they will not be accepted. Portfolio guidelines are available from the Academic Advisor in the School of Architecture and Planning.

3) Application Sheet: This form is available from the Academic Advisor.

4) Transcripts: UNM students should provide unofficial transcripts obtained from LoboWeb. Transfer students must send official transcripts to the Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 4895, Albuquerque, NM 87196-4895, and must submit a copy of their transfer evaluation from LoboWeb.

5) Required Entry Courses: The following courses, or their equivalents, must be successfully completed prior to application and must be taken for a grade:

		Credit Hours
ARCH 109	Design Fundamentals	3
ARCH 111	Introduction to Architectural Graphics	3
ARCH 121	Introduction to Architecture	3
MATH 123 -or-	Trigonometry Passing Trigonometry Compass Exam and 3 credit hour elective	3
MATH 162 -or- MATH 180	Calculus I Elements of Calculus I	3 4
ENGL 110 (or ENGL 112; or ENGL 113)	Accelerated Composition (or Composition II; or Enhanced Composition)	3
ENGL 120	Composition III	3
PHYC 102/102L -or- PHYC 151/151L	Introduction to Physics/Lab General Physics/Lab	4
	Subtotal	25/26
	Other UNM core curriculum courses	6
	Total credit hours required	32

6) Application Deadline: All of the above information and forms must be received by May 15th by 4 p.m. (should this date fall on a weekend, submit on the next Monday). Any material missing may disqualify your application for consideration. Late applications may be accepted on a space available basis. Address all inquiries and submit all materials, by mail or by person, to: Undergraduate Admissions, c/o Academic Advisor, School of Architecture and Planning, MSC04 2530, 2401 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.

Note: Students at UNM branch campuses must apply to the UNM Albuquerque campus at the same time.

Graduation Requirements

Students may be admitted to the B.A.A. degree program in their sophomore year after completing at least 26 credit hours of selected courses. In addition to UNM core course work in the first year, applicants will have taken two studio courses–one in graphics, one in design, and a lecture course, Introduction to Architecture.

Portfolio Reviews: Students may be required to submit portfolios for review by a faculty committee at the end of the 200- or 300- level sequence and/or immediately prior to graduation.

Minimum Grade Point Average: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 is required for graduation.

Advising: Advising for undergraduate students is available from the Undergraduate Advisor. Individual faculty members are also available for counseling on matters relating to professional education, architectural internship, and the architectural registration examination process.

Design Studio Academic Standard: Students must earn a minimum grade of C+ in a studio in order to continue in the design studio sequence. (A grade of C or lower requires permission of the Director to re-enroll or enroll in a subsequent studio.)

Required Courses and Electives–Typical Sequence

			Credit Hours
First Year	All first year classes must be taken for a letter grade.
ARCH 111	Introduction to Architectural Graphics	Fa	3
ARCH 121*	Introduction to Architecture	Fa	3
ARCH 109	Design Fundamentals	Sp	3
MATH 123 -or-	Trigonometry Passing Trigonometry Compass Exam and 3 credit hour elective		3
MATH 162 -or- MATH 180*	Calculus I Elements of Calculus I		3 4
ENGL 110 (or ENGL 112; or ENGL 113	Accelerated Composition (or Composition II; or Enhanced Composition)		3
ENGL 120*	Composition III		3
PHYC 102/102L -or- PHYC 151/151L	Introduction to Physics/Lab* General Physics/Lab		4
	Other UNM Core Curriculum courses		6
	Minimum Total		31-32
Second Year
ARCH 201 **	Architectural Design I	Fa	4
ARCH 211 **	Architectural Communications I	Fa	2
ARCH 241 **	Sustainability I	Fa	3
ARCH 202 **	Architectural Design II	Sp	4
ARCH 211 **	Architectural Communications I	Sp	2
ARCH 221 **	Architecture and Context	Sp	3
	UNM Core Curriculum courses		12
	Total		30
Third Year
ARCH 301	Design Studio III	Fa	4
ARCH 311	Architectural Communication II	Fa	2
ARCH 321	World Architecture I: History of the Built Environment From Prehistory to 1400 CE	Fa	3
ARCH 331	Construction I	Fa	3
ARCH 302	Design Studio IV	Sp	4
ARCH 322	World Architecture II: History of the Built Environment from 1400 CE to the Present	Sp	3
ARCH 311	Architectural Communication II	Sp	2
ARCH 332	Structures I	Sp	3
ARCH 342	Architectural Programming and Human Factors	Sp	3
	Elective		3
	UNM Core Curriculum courses		3
	Total		33
Fourth Year
ARCH 401	Design Studio V	Fa	6
ARCH 431	Structures II	Fa	3
ARCH 441	Sustainability II	Fa	3
ARCH 451	Research and Design	Fa	3
ARCH 402	Design Studio VI	Sp	6
ARCH 432	Building Systems	Sp	3
ARCH 442	Politics, Culture, and Architecture	Sp	3
ARCH 452	Practice and Theory	Sp	3
	Elective		3
	Total		33
	GRAND TOTAL		127-128*

*The University of New Mexico requires 120 credit hours for graduation.

**Must earn at least C+ in in all 200-level ARCH courses.

University of New Mexico Core Curriculum Requirements

These are in addition to specific entry and other requirements. Several areas are more restrictive than University of New Mexico Core.

Must earn a “C” or better in University of New Mexico Core Curriculum requirements. Must earn a "B" or better in ARCH 111.

	Credit Hours
Writing and Speaking:	3
One course from either ENGL 219, 220; CJ 130; PHIL 156
Physical and Natural Science:	3-4
(More restrictive than University of New Mexico Core Curriculum.)
One course from ANTH 120 and 122L, 150, 160; ASTR 101; BIOL 110, 123; CHEM 111, 121 and 123L, 122 and 124L, 131L, 132L; EPS 101; GEOG 101
Social and Behavioral Sciences:	6
(More restrictive than University of New Mexico Core Curriculum.)
Either ECON 105 or 106
-and-
Either PSY 105 or SOC 101
Humanities:	6
Two courses from AMST 186; CLST 107, 204, 205; COMP 222, 224; ENGL 150, 292, 293; HIST 101, 102, 161, 162; MLNG 101; PHIL 101, 201, 202; RELG 107, 263, 264, Honors Legacy Seminar at 100-200 level
Foreign Languages:	3
One lower-division non-English course
Total	21

NOTES:
Electives
At least 3 credit hours of electives must be School of Architecture and Planning courses OTHER than architecture, i.e. from Community and Regional Planning.

Service Learning
Students must complete 3 credit hours in a service learning course, approved by the faculty, in which students work directly with a not-for-profit, community group, or public agency on architectural research, design, and/or application of design skills. This may be fulfilled by ARCH 402: Community studio section, or other course, including independent study, APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PRIOR TO ENROLLING.

Credit Hour Summary for Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
Entry courses (1st year)	31-32
Additional University of New Mexico Core Courses	15
Additional required Architecture courses	81
Total B.A. Architecture	127-128*