Architecture, BArch

The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) is a five-year undergraduate professional program that prepares students for a professional architecture career and related design and construction fields. The primary goal of the BArch program is to introduce students to architecture as both a technical and cultural practice. Students accrue skills in architectural thinking, design, construction, technology, professional practice, visualization, fabrication, prototyping and simulation. The program lays a foundation of unique problem-solving skills empowering students to change the world.

The five-year BArch program is comprised of a four-year core, followed by one year of specialized and individualized study. Over the course of their studies, BArch students enroll in a variety of design studios, lectures, and seminars to accrue skills in architectural making, thinking, design, construction, technology, professional practice, visualization, digital fabrication, prototyping, and simulation. In addition to learning essential analytical and creative problem-solving skills through design, students are required to complete courses in architectural technology (structures, construction, and environmental/building technology), behavioral, social, and cultural factors in design, and the role of criticism in contemporary architecture and urbanism. In their fifth year, students select from a wide range of architectural electives and advanced studios, allowing them the opportunity to craft a curriculum based on their areas of interest.

Graduates of the BArch program can go on to complete AXP and ARE requirements to become licensed Architects or continue their studies at the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning by applying to the Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Master of Science in Architecture (M.S.), or Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program.

Requirements

Preparatory Coursework

Based on individual placement results, some students may be required to complete preparatory coursework before enrolling in the courses listed here. This may include English language or composition preparation, developmental math, introductory chemistry, and/or student support courses for students participating in the First Year Bridge program. 

General Education Requirements (GER)

UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s or associate degree. They include at minimum 30 credits (10 courses) in six categories that are designed to assure basic student competencies and provide a broad body of knowledge as a context for specialization.

Some degree requirements may fulfill GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.   

BArch Requirements

The minimum cumulative GPA required for all UWM credits and for all architecture credits attempted is 2.5. Continuing from Level 1 (first year) onto Level 2 (second year) is based on GPA.

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General Education Requirements (GERs): This course satisfies a UWM GER requirement. Students who have not completed the appropriate GER requirement prior to taking the course in the major will have an open elective available in order to reach 120 total credits. Students that meet the GER requirement through a different course must still take this course for the major and will not gain an elective.

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Or students may take URBPLAN 141 to satisfy this requirement.

Plan of Study

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Counts as Humanities and Arts GER

²

Counts as Social and Behavioral Science GER

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Counts as Natural Science and Wellness GER

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Counts as Civics and Perspectives GER

Admission Standards

New First-Year Students

New first-year student admission to the School of Architecture and Urban Planning is based on an overall assessment of both academic and non-academic qualifications. The primary review factors for admission are the strength and quality of the high school curriculum, high school class percentile, and grade point average. For preferential consideration, applications must be completed no later than March 1 (for summer/fall term) or December 1 (for spring term). Applications not complete by the priority date or not meeting these admission criteria will be considered on a space-available basis.

See the general first-year student admission requirements of the University for additional information.

Academically qualified international student applicants must have a TOEFL score of at least 79 (iBT) or IELTS score of 6.0, or may be admitted following successful completion of the Intensive English Program at UWM, as demonstrated by an appropriate TOEFL score.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are admitted on a selective basis. Preference is given to students whose applications are completed, including all required supporting documents, no later than April 1 (for the following summer/fall term) or November 1 (for the following spring term) and who have completed (or will have completed by the anticipated enrollment date) at least 24 degree credits with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale). In addition, transfer applicants must meet the same high school English and mathematics course requirements as new first-year student applicants. International transfer student applicants also must meet the minimum TOEFL requirement.

Students enrolled in other UWM schools or colleges who wish to enter the architecture program will also be considered for admission on the basis of the criteria listed above. Interested students should schedule an appointment with the SARUP Undergraduate Advisor, (414) 229-4015.

Second Degree Students

Second-degree candidates enrolled in architecture courses are classified as seniors in architecture. They are not subject to the University's General Education Requirements; however, they must complete (or have completed) the Mathematics and Physics Competency Requirements. Admission to the School as a second-degree candidate requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) on the previous undergraduate record. Applications must be completed no later than March 1 (for the summer/fall term) or October 1 (for the spring term). For information on second-degree requirements, students should schedule an appointment with the SARUP Undergraduate Advisor, (414) 229-4015.

Architecture BArch Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) program will be able to: 

• Navigate the paths to becoming licensed as an architect in the United States and the range of available career opportunities that utilize the discipline’s skills and knowledge. 
• Describe the role of the design process in shaping the built environment and the methods by which design processes integrate multiple factors, in different settings and scales of development, from buildings to cities.  
• Explore the dynamic between built and natural environments, and leverage ecological, advanced building performance, adaptation, and resilience principles, in their work and advocacy activities to mitigate climate change. 
• Explain the histories and theories of architecture and urbanism, framed by diverse social, cultural, economic, and political forces, nationally and globally.  
• Engage and participate in architectural research to test and evaluate innovations in the field.  
• Exhibit leadership in multidisciplinary teams, diverse stakeholder constituents, and dynamic physical and social contexts, and apply effective collaboration skills to solve complex problems.  
• Explore and understand diverse cultural and social contexts, and design built environments that equitably support and include people of different backgrounds, resources, and abilities.  
• Analyze the impact of the built environment on human health, safety, and welfare at multiple scales, from buildings to cities.  
• Apply and navigate the professional ethics, regulatory requirements, and fundamental business processes relevant to architecture practice in the United States, and the forces influencing change in these subjects.  
• Apply the fundamental principles of life safety, land use, and compliance with current laws and regulations that apply to buildings and sites in the United States, and engage in the evaluative process architects use to comply with those laws and regulations as part of a project.  
• Effectively use established and emerging systems, technologies, and assemblies of building construction, and apply methods and criteria to assess those technologies against the design, economics, and performance objectives of projects. 
• Make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating synthesis of user requirements, regulatory requirements, site conditions, and accessible design, and consideration of the measurable environmental impacts of their design decisions.  
• Make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating integration of building envelope systems and assemblies, structural systems, environmental control systems, life safety systems, and the measurable outcomes of building performance. 

Honors and High Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major are granted to students who have earned a GPA of 3.500 or above for courses in the major and 3.250 GPA on the last 60 credits taken in residence at UWM.

High Honors in the Major are granted to students who have earned a GPA of 3.750 or above for courses in the major and 3.500 GPA on the last 60 credits taken in residence at UWM.

Dean's Honors are granted to graduating seniors with the two highest cum GPAs.

College of the Arts and Architecture Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.