Bachelor of Architecture

This is a one-year professional degree program ONLY for those students who have earned a four-year undergraduate degree in Architecture (from NC State or another program within a NAAB accredited institution). Admission requirements include prerequisite courses which must be included in the applicant’s undergraduate program. A transcript review will identify any prerequisite deficiencies. If accepted to the program, the applicant will be advised regarding how to comply with the prerequisite requirements.

How to Apply:

Current NCSU BEDA Students:

• Complete the CODA application from MyPack Portal form online (CODA).
  • Deadline: February 1st
  • BEDA students should select “Add New Plan” in order to prevent issues with their current major.
• CODA Applicants must email .pdf or .doc file of their portfolio to design-admissions@ncsu.edu.
• Submit $85.00 application fee – Check or Money Order to the College of Design Student Services Office in Brooks Hall 225 or via postal mail to the address below.
• If your North Carolina Residence Determination has expired, please complete this for tuition purposes. You will receive a Residency Certification Number (RCN) that you will need to include on the application.

Off-Campus Applicants

If you earned a four-year undergraduate degree in Architecture from a NAAB accredited institution or you graduated from the NCSU BEDA program in the past. Please follow these steps below:

• Complete this Application form online from NC State Office of Undergraduate Admissions. (Off-Campus B. Arch Applicant form).
  • Deadline: February 1st
• Off-Campus Transfer students must email .pdf or .doc file of their portfolio to design-admissions@ncsu.edu.
• Submit $85.00 application fee – Check or Money Order to the College of Design Student Services Office in Brooks Hall 225 or via postal mail to the address below.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
  • It is required that the recommender emails the letter to design-admissions@ncsu.edu. Letters of recommendation from the applicant will not be accepted.
• Your unofficial transcript needs to be uploaded to the application. If you are offered admission into the program, you will need to provide your official (sealed) transcript to the College of Design (address below).
• Complete the North Carolina Residence Determination for tuition purposes. You will receive a Residency Certification Number (RCN) that you will need to include on the application.

Application Fee

The School of Architecture requires a non-refundable application fee of $85.00 via check or money order only. Cash will NOT be accepted. Please make the payment payable to NC State University and send the check or a money order to the address below, or deliver a check to the College of Design Student Services Office in Brooks Hall 225.

Official Transcript

If you are offered admissions into the program, you will need to provide an official (sealed) transcript from each college and university previously attended. This requirement is waived for students currently enrolled in NC State’s BEDA Program.

Three Letters of Recommendation

Recommendations are required from at least three people who know your academic record and potential for graduate study. Download the recommendation form (pdf) and have the recommender send via email to design_admissions@ncsu.edu. This requirement is waived for students currently enrolled in NC State’s BEDA Program.

Portfolio

Current BEDA and Off-Campus Transfer applicants are REQUIRED to email their portfolio as one compiled file in .pdf or .doc format to design-admissions@ncsu.edu.

A few specific suggestions for you to keep in mind as you assemble your portfolio:

Portfolios for applicants with previous architectural degrees are considered as demonstrations of the ability to design architectural projects. Other pertinent 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works of artistic, design, or technical interest may be included as supplementary to this desired purpose.

It is useful to include some information regarding the context in which a work was produced, particularly whether it was done in response to a class assignment, a job-related task, or by your own initiative. It is also good to include the dates of execution as well as the size, materials, and media. If a project was done by a group of persons or in the context of a professional office, please be specific as to the exact nature of your personal involvement and contribution.

You should give special attention to the form and craft of your submission. We are not only interested in the quality of what you show but also in the quality of how you show it.

Please be sure to include your name on the portfolio and on all items.

You can consult references on portfolio design. As an example, Portfolio Design, Fourth Edition by Harold Linton (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012, ISBN 0-393-732533) contains much information and many examples of portfolio design. At NC State, this book is available at the College of Design Library and the University Career Center. This book or others like it should be available at design and university libraries around the country.

Admissions Review Process and Procedures 

Each application undergoes a holistic review by departmental representatives and the university’s Undergraduate Admissions office. The reviews take into consideration all of the items listed above, with an emphasis on academic record, portfolio of creative work, and essays. Applicants may be asked to interview with departmental representatives as part of the review process.

Student diversity goals and our admission procedures

The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) requires all accredited programs to provide an explanation of how student diversity goals affect admission procedures (Condition 6.5(e): Admissions and Advising).

Each undergraduate and graduate program in the School of Architecture encourages and actively seeks applications from students from wide-ranging and diverse backgrounds, including in-state, out-of-state, and international students. The school thrives on diversity of thought and experience, and we foster creativity and rich academic discourse in an inclusive community that promotes belonging and wellbeing. We seek to admit students who we believe will promote a culture of academic rigor, creative experimentation, and committed citizenship in our design community. We understand not every student has the same opportunities. We take into consideration applicants’ experiences and opportunities, including the curriculum, course offerings, grading scale, and activities offered at their current and past educational institutions. Our goal is to admit a diverse student body, and our admissions process is structured to meet Goal 4 of the NC State University Strategic Plan: Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being in all we do. This goal states: 

NC State’s strength comes from all of its amazing people and their diversity of thought and experience. We believe that institutionalized inequality, including racism, is unacceptable in our nation and state, and on campus. We commit to creating sustainable systemic change across the university that improves our campus culture and empowers NC State to be a truly inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment for all. Therefore, as an institution, we must ensure an equitable, accessible and welcoming environment so all members of the Wolfpack community — especially those in underserved populations — feel respected, valued and a sense of belonging in every corner of campus. We will work to ensure diverse perspectives are embraced at all levels, in all processes and through all decisions. We will work to promote the health and well-being of our campus community. We seek to invest our minds and hearts at the individual level, and our capacity and resources at the institutional level, to bring about and sustain needed change in a way that champions equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being at NC State.

Additional resources:

• NC State’s 2021-2030 Strategic Plan, “Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary“
• To learn more about diversity in the College of Design, follow this link: https://design.ncsu.edu/about/diversity/

Policies and Processes for Evaluating the Content of Non-Professional Degrees

The B.Arch. degree program is designed for students with a preparatory education in the NC State University Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture (BEDA) program or an equivalent pre-professional degree program. B.Arch. students should have completed all of the prerequisite courses (see list below) or courses with equivalent content at another institution during their undergraduate education, or they will be required to schedule them as additional requirements during their B.Arch. degree program. If additional courses are required, then the Director of Undergraduate Programs (DUP) will alert the admitted students. We review accepted students’ transcripts and portfolios to ensure that curricula are similar. If further clarification is required, then we may request additional documents from the student.

Following is a list of courses that are prerequisites for the B.Arch. program. Note: Since the following courses are required for the Bachelor of Architecture degree, they must be taken for a grade. A student must earn a C- or better grade in the course.

• ARC 211 Natural Systems and Architecture
• ARC 232 Structures and Materials
• ARC 241 Introduction to World Architecture
• ARC 242 History of Western Architecture (Preq. ARC 241)
• ARC 251/451 Digital Representation
• ARC 331 Architectural Structures I (Preq. ARC 232)
• ARC 332 Architectural Structures II (Preq. ARC 331)
• ARC 590-14 (i.e. ARC 414) Environmental Controls Systems (Preq. ARC 211)
• ARC 590-32 (i.e. ARC 432) Architectural Construction Systems (Preq. ARC 232)
• ARC 590-41 (i.e. ARC 441) History of Contemporary Architecture (Preq. ARC 242)
• ARC 450 Architectural Drawing
• ARC 403 Architectural Design Fundamentals: Environment (Co-req. ARC 211)
• ARC 404 Architectural Design Fundamentals: Form (Preq. ARC 403; Co-req. ARC 251)
• ARC 405 Architectural Design Fundamentals: Technology (Preq. ARC 404; Co-req. ARC 331 and 432)

See this link for our Bachelor of Architecture Non-Accredited Degree Review & Advising Report form: Bachelor of Architecture Non-Accredited Degree Review

Submission of Application

Sealed official transcripts (required for students not currently enrolled at NCSU) and application fees can be hand delivered to NCSU College of Design – Brooks Hall 225 Student Services or be mailed to the following address;

Mail all items to:

Student and Academic Services
Bachelor of Architecture Program
NC State University
College of Design
Box 7701, 225 Brooks Hall
Raleigh, NC 27695-7701

Business Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.