Becoming an Architect

A professional degree is required by most jurisdictions for licensure, the basic requirement being eight years of combined education and work experience.  Since you can only receive a maximum of five years of education credit, the Bachelor of Architecture degree offered by Cal Poly is the most efficient path to licensure.  Students completing this degree are immediately eligible to take the Architectural Registration Exams (ARE), although must work an additional three year internship before being eligible to take the oral California Supplemental Exam (CSE).  The National Council of Architectural Accrediting Boards (NCARB) has established the Intern Development Program (IDP) to ensure that interns are exposed to the broad sweep of professional experience during this time.  California has established its own Comprehensive Intern Development Program (CIDP), which overlays a requirement for evidence of experience onto the time-based IDP requirement.

Polytechnic Education

The education offered in the Architecture Department at Cal Poly is based on the polytechnic tradition. Graduates receive an education that finds its identity at the intersection of art and science. This curricular approach has been central to the Department’s tradition for 45 years and provides our graduates with a balanced education enabling them to be responsible design professionals in an ever-changing world.

College of Architecture & Environmental Design (CAED)

Architecture is one of five departments in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, along with Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture.  This unique combination of disciplines, all responsible in some way for the conception and production of the built environment, makes possible an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the learning of architecture.

One of the strengths of the department is its relationship with the other four departments of the CAED. I invite you to visit each of their web sites and learn more about their programs:

For additional information, go to the CAED's web page.

The following Colleges are partners with the CAED and students might want to develop synergies with them during their tenure in the Architecture Department

Learn by Doing

Cal Poly’s historical commitment to the pedagogy of learn by doing means an emphasis on hand-on, project-based learning that amplifies the interdisciplinary opportunities offered by the College’s five departments.  Students learn to think creatively and critically, while directly applying their knowledge through a design-based education.

Facilities

The CAED’s facilities are prominently located on campus. Most border Dexter lawn, the center of south campus and a popular place for outdoor teaching, sunbathing and Frisbee. As of Fall 2009, each design studio has new furnishings including upgraded technology. In addition to the studios and classrooms, the college has dedicated review and exhibition space, a generous wood shop, facilities for high tech laser equipment, and the Material Resource Center.
For additional information, go to Facilities web page.

Off-Campus Programs

A staple of fourth year, the department offers a number of permanent CSU sponsored off-campus programs in Copenhagen and Florence; faculty-led programs in Rome and San Francisco; exchange programs with Paris; professional studios; coop and internship opportunities; and an opportunity to study in Washington D.C. In addition, quarter long extended faculty-led programs have brought students to Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, and Thailand among other places.
For additional information, go to Off-Campus Programs web page

Alumni

student group

With over 850 full-time students, Cal Poly has one of the largest architectural programs in the United States.  1 out of 5 architects in California are graduates from our program and that 1 out of 20 architects in the United States are graduates from the Architecture Department. This impressive number of alumni offers graduating students with ample opportunity to merge smoothly with the profession.  Graduates hold leadership roles as principals of national and international design firms, work for prize-winning architects, or join forces with small, creative practices in a number of metropolitan areas.

For additional information, go to Alumni & Friends web page, and the CSU Alumni Council.

Faculty

The Architecture Faculty typically have multiple degrees and 98% are registered architects.  Their teaching abilities are complemented by robust scholarly agendas, giving students a unique perspective on the culture, discipline, and profession of architecture. Students share a close relationship with faculty who serve both as educators and mentors.

For additional information, go to Faculty Directory web page.
For additional information about faculty research, go to Publications web page.
For additional information about faculty accomplishments, go to Faculty News web page.

Students

Our students enter with some of the highest test scores and grades on campus. Although most are from California, we have students from across the United States and overseas. The resulting mix is a diverse and dynamic group who often achieve national recognition while completing their studies. Contributing to the success of the program is the mix of entering new freshmen with second year transfer students.

For additional information, go to Current Students web page.
For additional information about Students' accomplishments, to to Student News web page.

Scholarships

The Department is proud to offer an impressive variety of scholarships which grow in number every year. CAED scholarships; University Senior Recognition Awards; Internship, and Professional Organizational Awards complement those of the Department. All together, over fifty are given annually.
For additional information, go to ARCH Scholarships and Other Scholarships web pages.

Degree Nomenclature

The Architecture Department at Cal Poly offers a five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree (BArch). This is a first professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).  In addition, the department offers the Master of Science in Architecture, which is a post-professional degree in the broad field of architecture with an emphasis on environmental planning and design in an information society.  These are not the only degrees available to prospective students; other institutions offer programs leading to the following:

Students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in architecture with a specialization in areas such as design theory, healthcare facilities, historic preservation, solar design, etc., can resume their studies at the graduate level to receive the MS or PhD in Architecture.  They may choose to do this either directly after receiving their undergraduate degree or after a few years in a professional office. Some choose to return after many years of professional training.

Program Admissions Statistics

The Architecture program has been impacted for some time.  This is to say that, due to its reputation for excellence, the program receives many more applications than it can admit students. For your information, we are including the following statistics from Fall 2009:

Our students are some of the best and brightest in California.  We encourage you to apply and join their ranks.

DesignIntelligence Ranking

The Architecture Department ranked third among undergraduate programs in the 2010 DesignIntelligence survey ranking public and private degree programs nationally. Cal Poly’s Architecture program has made the nation’s Top 20 list since 2003 with a ranking of sixth or better. The full report can be ordered at the America's Best Architecture & Design Schools, 2010 Edition

For additional information, go to Architecture Program Ranking web page.

BArch Programs: Ranked by Tuition

The listed institutions represent the top twenty three undergraduate architecture programs in the nation as defined by DesignIntelligence. In 2010, the architecture program at Cal Poly ranked the third best undergraduate program in the nation. To see the full rankings, go to our Architecture Program Ranking web page.

Cal Poly’s program is $34,712 below the most expensive ($40,910 Carnegie Mellon University) and $1,641 above the least expensive ($4,952 Virginia Polytechnic Institute) as reflected in the chart below based on Winter 2010 data.

DesignIntelligence Programs

Rank University Tuition & Fees
1 Oklahoma State University $4,557
2 Virginia Polytechnic Institute $4,952
3 University of Arizona $5,933
4 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo $6,198
5 Iowa State University $6,651
6 Auburn University $6,924
7 University of Arkansas $7,382
8 University of Oregon $8,006
9 University of Texas at Austin $9,808
10 Southern California Institute of Architecture $12,675
11 Boston Architectural College $15,340
12 Pennsylvania State University $18,674
13 Illinois Institute of Technology $30,212
14 Rice University $32,058
15 Pratt Institute $33,300
16 Cooper Union $33,000
17 Syracuse University $34,928
18 Rhode Island School of Design $36,659
19 University of Southern California $37,694
20 Cornell University $37,954
21 University of Notre Dame $38,480
22 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $39,165
23 Carnegie Mellon University $40,910

California Programs

The listed institutions represent the Bachelor of Architecture programs in California.

Cal Poly’s program is $26,706 below the most expensive ($32,904 California College of the Arts, CCA) as reflected in the chart below based on Winter 2009 data.

Rank University Tuition & Fees
1 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona $5,077
2 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo $6,198
3 Berkeley $19,800
4 Academy of Art University (San Francisco) $20,343
5 New School of Architecture and Design (San Diego) $20,850
6 Woodbury University (Los Angeles) $29,476
7 California College of the Arts, CCA (San Francisco) $32,904

Application Links

Other links