ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM FAQ’S
GENERAL EDUCATION
First Year Experience
1.
Are
all first year students required to take Univ 189?
First year NDSU students
with 24 or more transfer credits are not required to take Univ
189.
Communication
2.
I
understand that Comm 110 Fundamentals of Public
Speaking can be taken on-line. How does that work?
The content for this or any other on-line course
will be very similar to what you’d receive in a traditional lecture class. For
your speeches, however, you will be asked to present to a group of peers. You’ll
videotape the speech (and audience) and hand in the video. Be aware that
on-line classes can add to your tuition bill (approximately $500/class), unless
you are taking exactly 12 credits.
Quantitative Reasoning
3.
I’ve
looked at the “Architecture Math Requirements” guide on the Architecture
program website, and I’ve looked at the M.Arch. curriculum. How many math classes do I have to take?
That can vary. Most students will be required to
complete a minimum of two classes: Math 104
OR Math 146, AND Math 105. Some students, however - depending on the results of
their NDSU math placement test - may have to start with math courses which are
prerequisites to the courses listed above. Make sure you study the math guide
carefully, or ask your advisor for assistance. A smaller number of students may
test into Math 165, another Gen.Ed. math class. Since Math 105 is a prerequisite for Math 165,
those students will only need to take that one math class.
4.
Could
I take CSci 120 or 125 Programming or Stat 330 Introductory
Statistics instead of a math course to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning
requirement?
No, only the math classes listed above will meet
the Architecture Program General Education requirement.
Science and Technology
5.
How
many Science and Technology courses do I have to take? On the Architecture
Checklist it looks like I have to take four 3-credit classes and one lab class.
All Architecture students are required to take 10
credits in this category. One of these credits is fulfilled by taking a lab
class. All Architecture students must take Phys 120 Fundamentals of Physics,
fulfilling three credits. The remaining six credits may be fulfilled with two
additional science lecture classes OR one science lecture class and one
Technology class (CSci 114 Microcomputer Packages, CSci 116 Business Use of Computers, or Soil 217
Introduction to Meteorology and Climatology).
6.
If
I take two science lecture classes, does one have to be a Natural Science and
one a Physical Science?
You could take one of each
type, but you could also take two of one type.
7.
Could
I take any lab class?
No, you must take a lab
class that corresponds to one of the science lecture classes you’ve taken.
8.
What’s
the difference between CSci 114 and CSci 116?
In addition to one credit (CSci
116 is a four credit course), CSci
116 concentrates on business software applications, including
telecommunications packages.
9.
I
see that both CSci 114 and CSci
116 are offered on-line. Is this a reasonable way to take these classes?
Many students have success taking these two classes
on-line. Be aware that on-line classes can add considerably (approximately
$500/class) to your tuition bill, unless you’re taking exactly 12 credits.
Humanities and Fine Arts
10.
According
to the Architecture Checklist, Envd 101 Environmental
Design I and Arch 321 History of Architecture I fulfill the six-credit
requirement for this General Education category. Do I need to take additional
Humanities and Fine Arts courses?
Yes. The Architecture program curriculum requires
that students take an additional six credits, or two classes, in the Humanities
and Fine Arts category. These six credits count toward the 21 elective credits which
are required by the program for graduation.
11.
Could
the two additional classes be selected from the list of Humanities and Fines
courses in the General Education list?
Perhaps yes, perhaps not. The list of qualifying
courses is posted on the Architecture program website in the “Student Services”
section. The list does not correspond exactly to the Humanities and Fine Arts
list of General Education courses. For example, the Architecture program list
includes additional language courses, but does not allow performing arts
courses to count. Make sure you consult the website list.
Social & Behavioral
Sciences
12.
I
see that Psyc 111 Introduction to Psychology and Anth 111 Introduction to Anthropology are listed on the
Architecture Checklist and meet the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement. Do these two courses complete the
requirements for this category?
Yes, they do meet the General Education
requirement. The Architecture program, however, requires one additional course
in this category: Soc 110 Introduction to Sociology, which is listed in the
“Additional Architecture Program Requirements” section on the Architecture
Checklist.
Wellness
13.
I
see that there are eight classes which are listed in the “Wellness” category
list of General Education classes. If there one of these classes which could be
recommended to fulfill this requirement?
While any of the listed classes would be good to
take, many students fulfill this requirement by taking HPER 100 Concepts of
Fitness, which includes one hour of activity and one hour of lecture per week. Courses
which do not fulfill the requirement are the many one-credit activities classes
offered by the HNES program.
Miscellaneous Questions
14.
I’ve
looked at the new Architecture Curriculum and am concerned that I’ve haven’t
been able to take some of my Gen.Ed. electives during the recommended semesters. Is that a problem?
No, the timetable for taking the various Gen. Ed. and
elective courses is just a recommendation and not semester specific. The goal
should be to finish as many Gen. Ed. courses as possible during the first four semesters.
Sometimes, though, because of the difficulty of being able to register for some
courses when you’d like to, there must be some flexibility built in to the sequence
of elective courses. Major courses, however, must be taken in the order
indicated.
ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS
Components of Master of
Architecture (M.Arch.) Course Requirements
15.
I’ve
completed all the General Education requirements listed in the left-hand column
of the Architecture Checklist. What are the remaining requirements for obtaining
an M.Arch degree?
There are four types of courses you must take to
fulfill your M.Arch. graduation
requirements: General Education Courses, Architecture Courses, Additional
Architecture Program Requirements, and Elective Courses. It’s a very good idea
to keep track of your required courses with the Architecture Checklist. This
form will also be used by your advisor to keep track of your progress.
16.
I
see that the revised total number of credits required to complete
an M.Arch. degree is 170
credits. How will we fit in the 10 extra
credits?
For first, second, third, and fifth year students
the challenge should not be too difficult.
Studio credit totals under the new curriculum adjust upward to more
closely reflect the amount of time you devote to your studio classes. Two
2-credit seminar courses have also been added. The largest challenge will be
faced by fourth year students who must fit in 10 extra credits in just three
semesters. The best way to add credits would be by taking summer school credits
(on-line if one were not going to be in
Architecture Course
Requirements
17.
I
don’t recognize some of the course numbers in the list of required architecture
courses.
Some of the courses in the new curriculum are
actually new courses (e.g., Arch 461 Urban Design). Some of the courses have a new subject name, course
number and description (e.g., Arch 171 Environmental Design I will now be Envd 101 Introduction to Environmental Design). Some of the
courses just have a new course number (e.g., Arch 582 Professional Practice
will now be Arch 681
Professional Practice). Ultimately, it
will be very important to look carefully at the new Architecture Curriculum and
understand how courses have “migrated” from the old curriculum to the new
curriculum, both in terms of name and location by year within the curriculum.
18.
Do
the Architecture Courses listed on the Checklist have to be taken in that
particular order?
No, that is just a numerical
listing. See the Architecture Curriculum for the order of major courses.
Elective Requirements
19.
I
see that there are 21 elective credits required, 6 of which must be humanities
electives. Does it matter whether these 6 electives are upper division (300
level and above) or lower division (100 or 200 level) electives?
No, if you take them during your first through
third year. If you take them during your
fourth or fifth year, they will need to be upper division electives. This
applies to all your elective courses, not just your humanities courses.
20.
What
types of 1-credit courses are being referred to in the four-course, 1-credit maximum.
These would be courses such as those HNES 1-credit
activities courses (e.g., bowling or rock climbing), or 1-credit Music or
Theater courses for the performing arts.
21.
I
was looking forward to completing an elective concentration or minor in another
discipline. I’m disappointed that I
won’t be able to with the 21 credit elective requirement.
There’s no reason why you should still not be able
to pursue an elective concentration
or most minors. The former elective concentration required 12 credits in one
area, and most minors require 18 credits. You will have to plan carefully for
either, as there are not as many elective slots in the new curriculum, but you should certainly pursue your goal
if you have started one of either and would like to.
22.
What
happened to the 25 credit upper division elective requirement?
The 25 credit 300/400/500 level course requirement
has been replaced by one that only requires 9 upper division elective
requirements. The new curriculum has fewer slots for electives and 25 upper
division electives would have not fit into a 5-year curriculum.
Additional Architecture
Program Requirements
23.
Just
three classes – anything more we should know about them?
No, just that these three courses have been
required as part of the Architecture Curriculum for many years and are
considered being an important part of an architect’s education. The only change
is that Math 105 Trigonometry will be required for all students and cannot be
waived by taking an upper division math course with the exception of courses
for which Math 105 is a prerequisite.
SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS ISSUES
In
the spring of 2006, the Architecture Program will institute revised selective
admissions criteria, one which will place increased emphasis on final grades
which students will receive for their first-year architecture courses. The
revised criteria will be as follows:
60
% of Score - GPA
for the following three classes - ENVD
101 – Intro. To Environmental Design
ENVD 172 – Envir. Design Fundamentals
ENVD 130 –
Drawing for Envir. Designers
40% of Score – GPA for all remaining classes.
For
those of you who plan to apply to the Program for a second or third time, be
aware that the grades you received in your Architecture classes previously
become more important now. Think of taking classes over if leaving them on your
record and having them weighted more heavily will lower your chances of getting into the program.
We
are hoping that by the end of the semester we will have an admissions score
calculator. In past years students have been aware of previous year’s GPA
cutoff for admission. That will not happen this year, as we chart new
territory.