Howard University's Architecture Program: A Comprehensive Overview

Howard University's Department of Architecture offers a comprehensive program of study that leads to a five-year professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree. This program is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB). Located in Washington, D.C., the program leverages the city's rich architectural heritage and diverse cultural context to provide students with a unique learning experience. The program emphasizes the philosophy that design is a method of inquiry and resolution. The design studio serves as the synthesizing element of the curriculum.

Program Duration and Cost

The M.Arch. program at Howard University spans 60 months. The tuition fee is USD 26,464 per year.

Application Details

The application deadline is February 15. The next intake is August 23. The process for applying to the Department of Architecture is the same process as applying to any other school/college at Howard University for both domestic and international admissions.

Curriculum Overview

The M.Arch. curriculum consists of 171 credit hours, divided into required core courses, professional electives (concentration areas and open/free electives), and general/liberal studies electives. Students should track their academic progress each semester using Degree Works. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.0 in order to be in “good academic standing”.

Core Areas of Emphasis

The program places emphasis on student competence in several pragmatic areas:

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Design: The Design Studio serves as the core synthesizing forum of the program for design.
Inquiry/Research: The M.Arch curriculum has a new focus and rigor on research theory as part of the final three semesters of the five-year program. Required courses on research methods during the Spring semester of the fourth year as well as more concentrated thesis courses (prep and design) in the fifth and final year will ensure a more rigorous research-based final project which is typical of Master's level study.
Architectural History and Theory: The program also emphasizes architectural history and theory.
Human Behavior and Environment: The Design Studio serves as the core synthesizing forum of the program for social and human behavior concerns.
Technical Systems: The program places emphasis on student competence in technical systems.
Computer Usage: This might be enhanced by computer animations, 3-D modeling, and computer generated renderings.
Professional Practice: The program places emphasis on student competence in professional practice.

These core areas are complemented by elective courses in general/liberal education, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences that supplement the major courses. Study in these areas provides the student with fundamental design and communication skills through critical thinking, conflict resolution, visual literacy, knowledge of forces that shape and influence societal and human affairs, and the impact of new technologies in an ever-changing world.

Design-Thinking Processes

Design-thinking processes are introduced to students from the first year and continually reinforced throughout the program. The theory is a vital component of architectural exploration as it presents varied sets of related ideas that predict, describe, and direct the relationships between factors that influence and support the appropriate design decision-making process-outcomes.

Community and Social Responsibility

Through coursework that exposes students to the civic responsibility of the architect, the Architecture program at Howard University has designated community and social responsibility as an integral component of the curriculum. The academic setting enables students to learn about and participate in the community engagement process. Other elective courses provide hands-on experiences with community groups. These experiences reinforce the social and civic responsibility necessary for today’s practitioners. The new M.Arch. curriculum includes five courses (15 credit hours across three lecture format and two studio courses) in a concentration, which initially focuses on Community Design and Planning.

Transfer Credits

Undergraduate applicants from accredited institutions that have completed a minimum of two full semesters of college work with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better may be considered for admission. A maximum of 90 credit hours may be transferable credits in the pursuit of the Bachelor of Architecture degree. Transfer of credits is not automatically guaranteed but is normally awarded for courses equal in magnitude and content to the equivalent courses offered at Howard University. Transfer credits in the Graphics and Design Studio courses are considered only after a student has completed one semester in residence. No transfer credits in Design Studio courses will be considered above the Design I and II course level.

Once a transfer student is admitted, the transfer of courses from other institutions to Howard University is evaluated by his/her major department and the Office of Enrollment Management (for general education courses). The Chair, in consultation with faculty, uses the official transcript and course descriptions from the source institution to conduct an equivalency assessment of each transfer request in the context of curriculum requirements. Transfer credit is only awarded for courses of similar content and equal or greater credit hours, in which the student earned a grade of “C” or better. Generally, only sixty credits may be transferred toward CEA degree requirements (90 for Architecture), with the exception of special courses approved by the major Department Chair.

All courses taken at institutions other than Howard University that a student would like to have considered to be part of their degree program must be approved by the major department. Continuing students must receive approval prior to enrolling in courses from other institutions. To be considered for transfer credit, continuing students must submit to their faculty advisor the “Transfer Course Petition” and a detailed course description or syllabus that includes the topics covered in the course and number of credit hours. The advisor and department chair, in consultation with the appropriate faculty instructor(s), decide the merits of a transfer request in the context of curriculum requirements. Courses will only be approved from accredited institutions of higher education if the course is deemed to be of equal rigor and content as the course at Howard University. Once a student has received approval, by signature of the faculty advisor and department chair on the “Transfer Course Petition”, the student may proceed with registration for the course following the procedures of the external institution. Upon completion of the course, students must provide a sealed, official transcript and copy of the Transfer Course Petition to the Office of the Registrar in order to transfer approved courses to the students’ academic record. Each CEA student is assigned a faculty advisor. Students should meet with their assigned faculty advisor at least once each semester to review academic progress and make course selections for the following semester.

Howard University's Architectural Education Legacy

Architecture education at Howard University has continued to evolve since it formally began on February 9, 1911, when the Board of Trustees approved degree studies in architecture. Today, the Department of Architecture continues to offer a fully accredited program of study leading to the Bachelor Science in Architecture and Design Studies or the five-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch.). The Master of Architecture program is steeped in the tradition of design excellence that began at Howard University in 1911.

Located in the heart of the Nation’s Capital, Howard’s Department of Architecture draws heavily on the rich heritage of Washington, D.C. Surrounded by both historic and contemporary built fabric, Howard University provides the ideal setting for exploration and discovery. Students can walk across the campus to view a variety of architectural styles and design philosophies. Many campus buildings were designed by African-American architects, some of whom graduated from or lead the architecture program.

Program Objectives

The School of Architecture and Design advances the philosophy that the built environment must critically reflect and reinforce the positive values of human cultural experience. All activities at the school, including instruction, research, and public service, are directed toward the development of individuals who are capable of providing leadership in all sectors and at all levels of the profession and society. The Department of Architecture responded by its charge to prepare "activist practitioners", a mission that will continue and be strengthened in the M.Arch. program.

Students explore a range of architectural typologies, tectonics, and settings, and engage a broad perspective on the human environment. They are exposed to a myriad of opportunities to design efficient and aesthetically-pleasing built environments.

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Additional Information

Consortium of Universities

Courses pursued through the Consortium Program must be courses not available at HU during the given semester. Undergraduate students are restricted to undergraduate level courses; Graduate students are restricted to graduate level courses. The total number of hours taken through the Consortium must not exceed forty percent of the total hours required for the degree.

Credit Hours

Courses are assigned credit hours based on the amount of classroom instruction, or its academic equivalent, an enrolled student receives. One credit hour generally represents one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and at least two hours of out-of-class student work each week in a typical fifteen-week semester. CEA students in good academic standing are permitted to enroll in no more than twenty-one (21) credit hours each semester, with faculty advisor approval.

FERPA

The University is required to comply with certain federal and state regulations governing the disclosure of student information. The dominant federal law pertaining to student information is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA permits Howard faculty, staff and representatives to discuss the content of a student's education record with a third party only if specific regulations are met.

Registration

Each semester, students must complete a Registration Request Form, in consultation with their faculty advisor. This form lists all courses that the advisor has approved for the student to enroll in during the following semester. Students are responsible for keeping a copy of this form for their records and providing a copy to their major department and the Office of Student Services for their student file.

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