Bachelor of Architectural History
The undergraduate curriculum in Architectural History provides an introduction to the discipline within a liberal arts program. Students select one of the following concentrations by the first semester of their second year: Architectural History or Historic Preservation. The first year of study is a shared Common First Year curriculum, wherein students take courses in three School of Architecture departments: Architecture, Urban + Environmental Planning, and Architectural History. During the fourth year of study, students develop a thesis on a topic of their choice, researching and writing an advanced paper, while working closely with a faculty member within the department.
The Architectural History department offers a wide range of lecture, practice-based and seminar courses, including the following architectural history areas:
+ American
+ Asian
+ European
+ Mediterranean
122 CREDITS
The Bachelor of Science Architecture is a 4-year undergraduate degree with a minimum of 122 credits.
BArH Thesis Guidelines
Undergraduate students entering the School of Architecture share a Common First Year Curriculum. Students take core courses in three School of Architecture departments: Architecture, Urban + Environmental Planning, and Architectural History to provide a framework for the study of contemporary culture through observation, analysis, and design. Students must pass each core course with a grade of C- or higher. During the spring semester of the first year, students choose an intended major: Bachelor of Architectural History, Bachelor of Science Architecture, or Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning.
By the end of the first semester of their second year, each student selects one of the following two concentrations: Architectural History or Historic Preservation.
The Architectural History concentration allows students to focus on architectural history from all periods and prepares them to write a thesis on a subject of their choice. To ensure breadth of knowledge, students must take at least one course from all four of the following distribution areas: the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Additional Architectural History electives may be taken in areas of the student’s choice. Appropriate historic preservation, landscape architecture, and art history courses may be used to fulfill architectural history requirements after consultation with the Director of the Undergraduate Program.
By the end of the first semester of their second year, each student selects one of the following two concentrations: Architectural History or Historic Preservation.
The Historic Preservation concentration allows students to gain knowledge and expertise in the multi-disciplinary area of historic preservation and public history. In addition to core requirements, students in the Historic Preservation concentration take additional electives in areas of their choice in Architectural History and in Historic Preservation offered in the Architectural History department and approved courses in Architecture (including studios with a preservation emphasis), Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Environmental Planning. Relevant courses from the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering may also be applied towards the concentration with the Historic Preservation Program Director’s approval. An internship in preservation/public history is a recommended part of the curriculum.
A minor in Architectural History requires 15 ARH credits, including ARH 1010 and ARH 1020, and 9 credits of ARH electives with a minimum grade of C-. No thesis is required.
Eligible students in the University of Virginia’s Bachelor of Architectural History (BArH) program may consider pursuing the Master of Architectural History (MArH) degree by applying for a fifth year of study upon application and successful review of a research writing sample.
Current students who wish to continue directly on for the Fifth-Year Master of Architectural History should meet with the Architectural History Graduate Director during the spring semester of their second year, or no later than fall semester of their third year to ensure that they are following an appropriate course of study. The undergraduate thesis should be completed during the fall semester of their fourth year, before the application deadline in January for the MArH program. Graduates of the BArH program should be in contact with the Graduate Director before submitting their application. All students interested in the Fifth-Year MArH Program must follow the School of Architecture’s admissions procedures and submit their application prior to the January deadline. We strongly recommend that students continuing immediately on to the Fifth-Year MArH program finalize their MArH thesis proposal in the spring semester before they receive their BArH degree.
The Fifth-Year MArH Program will be determined by departmental review. Graduate Financial Aid will be awarded following the same process that applies to all graduate students. Application for financial aid from the Department of Architectural History should accompany the MArH application in addition to the application to the Office of Financial Aid.
Curriculum Requirements for the Fifth Year MARH Program
A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level courses is required in order to complete the MArH degree. Students in the Fifth-Year MArH Program may transfer in applicable credits for graduate level courses taken, but these credits must be beyond the 122 credits required for the Bachelor of Architectural History degree. In total, the combined BArH + Fifth-Year MArH requires 150 unique credit hours. Students are required to take ARH 8001 (Methods in Architectural History), at least three graduate seminars (8000- or 9000-level), and ARH 8994 (Thesis). At least one course must cover the period before 1450. Those students interested in also obtaining the Certificate in Historic Preservation should consult with the director of that program.
Waivers
When a student has previously passed a course (earning a grade of B or better) that satisfies a core course in architectural history, the graduate director, in consultation with the instructor of the course to be waived, may waive the requirement for that student. The student must take an approved elective to count in lieu of a waived course. No reduction in hours for the MArH degree results from waiving a course.
Students who earned a Bachelor of Architectural History from the University of Virginia will have satisfied the foreign language requirement at the undergraduate level, which will satisfy the graduate program Language Qualification should they enroll in the MArH program within two years of graduation.