University of Arkansas

The Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas houses professional design programs of architecture and landscape architecture together with liberal studies programs in each discipline. The school’s programs in architecture and landscape architecture include traditional five-year professional degree programs and four-year pre-professional degrees, combining studio design education with innovative teaching in history, theory, technology and urban design. A broad range of course offerings equips graduates with the knowledge required for the challenges of a changing world. Design instruction occurs in a carefully planned studio sequence, providing educational experiences appropriate for students who wish to pursue both traditional and non-traditional forms of professional practice. Fundamental principles and techniques of critical analysis are stressed, and the curriculum strives to empower students by developing skill, knowledge, and a deep sense of responsibility to the environment and to the cultures they will serve. Design studio projects survey issues and opportunities in built and natural settings, as well as complex social, physical, and cultural relations that constitute the human-made environment.

The school’s administrative offices and department of architecture are located in Vol Walker Hall, formerly the university’s library building, which has been extensively remodeled to meet the needs of the department and school. The landscape architecture department is located in Memorial Hall, formerly the university’s student union.

The university’s location in Northwest Arkansas, an area experiencing rapid growth and change, affords unusual opportunity to study the impact of urbanization in a rural setting. The school includes as part of its programs field trips, guest lectures, research assignments, and other teaching techniques oriented toward major urban and rural problems as means to broaden the educational base of its students.

Classes also are offered in a variety of settings away from the campus. Options include a semester in the Rome Study Center for Architecture and the Humanities near the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy; the Mexico Summer Urban Studio in Mexico City; and European Field Studies in Italy, France and England.

Design Studio

The design studio sequence is the core of each discipline within the School of Architecture. Studio exercises are complemented by topical lectures informing the process. Knowledge from those lectures is expected to inform work produced in design studios. This method is intended to develop and nurture the intellectual and creative skills of students and to allow them to approach problem solving in a disciplined, logical, and analytical manner.

Design professionals must be able to conceptualize responses to project programs, to communicate with clients, to present ideas verbally, and to demonstrate ideas graphically. They also need to maintain technical knowledge of building or ecology and construction technology, must be able to negotiate with contractors and owners to administrate construction, and should be prepared to market their services. In other words, each designer fulfills a multitude of roles, whether practicing alone or as a team member in a large multidisciplined organization.

The design studio consists of a series of projects of increasing complexity, all requiring three-dimensional problem solving, conceptualization, and final presentation to the studio critic, other faculty members, and fellow students. The amount of material to be covered, the fast pace of assignments, and the presentation of work for faculty and other students combine to produce a highly charged studio atmosphere.

Library Resources

The School of Architecture is served by the Fine Arts Library, a branch of the University Libraries. The collections in the Fine Arts Library include traditional print resources on the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and photography), architecture, and landscape architecture. Types of materials include books, exhibition catalogs, reference books, and periodicals. Electronic resources supporting the art, architecture, and landscape architecture programs include Art Index, Avery Index, Bibliography of the History of Art, and Grove Dictionary of Art among others. The Fine Arts Library also maintains course reserves for faculty wishing to place materials on reserve for their classes.

The C. Murray Smart Media Center, located in Vol Walker Hall, contains an online digital image database with more than 40,000 images relating to architecture, architectural history, landscape and urban design. This resource, along with a collection of more than 80,000 slides and 900 video programs, is available to faculty and students of the School of Architecture. The center also provides assistance to students with digital imaging technology, including the use of scanners and digital cameras.

Computer Resources

The School of Architecture maintains two fully equipped computer labs that are available to all faculty and students around the clock. The computer labs are staffed during business hours by a computer technology coordinator who can assist with any problems that may arise. The Visualiation Lab houses a three-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) router, two laser cutters and a three-dimensional printer that allow students and faculty to transform software files into physical models. Finally, the school offers lectures, workshops and access to design software that supports collaboration between architects, landscape architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators and clients.

Materials Shop

The Materials Shop supports construction projects ranging from light fixtures and furniture to three-dimensional models. The facility is staff by one full-time technician and is available to students and faculty for design, coursework, and research projects. The workshop houses multiple table saws, band-saws, chop saw, scroll saw, drill presses, jointer, planer, lathe, belt sanders, metal break and many hand tools.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

Located on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Garvan Woodland Gardens is an integral unit of the School of Architecture. The land and endowment were the result of a bequest to the department of landscape architecture in 1985. This 210-acre woodland habitat features a variety of garden settings and unique architectural structures designed and developed by world-renowned specialists in botanical gardens, landscape architecture and architecture. An internship program offers opportunities for summer study and employment.

University of Arkansas Community Design Center

 

Since 1995 the University of Arkansas Community Design Center (UACDC) has provided award-winning, innovative planning to communities and organizations throughout Arkansas. Using teams of students and professional staff, UACDC prepares multifaceted design solutions that promote economic development, enhanced ecologies and improved public health. The center’s work addresses new challenges in affordable housing, urban sprawl, environmental planning and management of regional growth or decline. UACDC services have been enhanced by collaborations with the Department of Landscape Architecture, the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the Center for Business and Economic Research in the Sam Walton College of Business, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, Audubon Arkansas and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The School of Architecture offers five-year professional programs in architecture and landscape architecture. Each program culminates in a professional degree, the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) or Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.).

The Bachelor of Architecture prepares students who aspire to registration and licensure to practice architecture. Architects do more than design and plan buildings. The architect’s unique talents create environments that serve the psychological, economic, and spiritual needs of their clients and communities. Architects help cities and small communities to become safe, healthy, and wholesome places to live. Perhaps most important, architects create, preserve, and inspire beauty in the built environment.

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture is an accredited five-year first professional degree that prepares students to practice landscape architecture as a licensed professional. The discipline of landscape architecture balances human requirements with landscape concerns. Landscape architects design, plan, and manage the land through understanding the interrelationships among the spirit of place, local ecology, individuals, and communities. They create outdoor spaces and rebuild ecological systems that meet societal needs, protect or enhance the natural environment, and respond to cultural conditions. Design and planning projects span the breadth of the profession to include urban design and town planning, public parks, land conservation, storm water management systems, ecological rehabilitation, historic landscape preservation, private gardens, housing developments, institutional and business campuses, and golf courses.

The School also offers two four-year programs, culminating in non-accredited degrees: the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architectural Studies. These degrees serve students who, although interested in the design disciplines, do not aspire to professional practice. The four-year programs are particularly well suited for students who seek careers in allied disciplines, including historic preservation, environmental law, and history of architecture, as well as for students looking forward to graduate education in architecture, landscape architecture and the allied disciplines.

Minors

Students in architecture and landscape architecture may pursue an academic minor in approved degree programs of other colleges on campus, providing they meet the specific requirements for that minor.

University of Arkansas Department of Architecture Admissions

The University of Arkansas Department of Architecture maintains three distinct tracks of study for entering freshmen to accommodate all students interested in pursuing a degree in architecture. The three tracks of study are designed to foster learning and to build strong foundations for students entering the program with different skill levels and high school backgrounds. Students accepted to the University of Arkansas with the intention to participate in the B.Arch. or B.S. programs in the Department of Architecture will be classified as “Regular Admissions” (Fall/Spring Studio Students or Spring/Summer Studio Students) or “Pre-Architecture Admissions.” Please contact the School’s Advising Center for a complete description of admission requirements.

Fall/Spring Studio
Students must meet all of the following requirements:

• 25 ACT or better
• 3.5 GPA in high school
• College preparatory curriculum to include physics and an upper level math (Pre-Calculus or higher)

Space in the studio is limited to 60 students with priority given to first year students who return the School of Architecture Supplemental Information Form by April 1. The form will be sent to all students admitted to the University of Arkansas who choose any of the School of Architecture majors on their University of Arkansas general admissions application.

Students are reviewed at the end of the fall semester and may continue the program if they meet the following criteria:

• “C” or better in ARCH 1014, Architectural Design I
• “C” or better in PHYS 1044 Physics for Architects I or an approved equivalent
• Pass ARCH 1212, Design Methods I
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA

Students who do not meet those criteria will receive a letter and be advised accordingly.

Spring/Summer Studio
These students meet the University of Arkansas minimum requirements for admission but do not meet the above criteria for fall/spring studio. These students may continue into ARCH 1014, Architectural Design I in the spring if they meet the following criteria:

• “C” or better in PHYS 1044 Physics for Architects I or an approved equivalent
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA

Students who do not meet these criteria will be delayed until they satisfy the admissions criteria for the Department of Architecture. Students will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester and will not be allowed to continue in the program if they do not meet the following criteria:

• “C” or better In ARCH 1014, Architectural Design I
• Pass ARCH 1212, Design Methods I
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA

Pre-Architecture Admissions: Students who are accepted to the University of Arkansas on a provisional basis cannot begin the Fall/Spring or Spring/Summer sequence until the provisions of their admission are met. These are students who have GPAs or ACT scores below the University of Arkansas minimum or have deficiencies in one or more areas (typically math or English). The Pre-Architecture track of study will, in most cases, add one year to their education. Students follow a specified curriculum based on individual needs and are allowed to enter the design sequence only when their provisions are met and a cumulative GPA of 3.00 is achieved. Please see the School’s Advising Center for additional information regarding the review process, grade criteria, and continuance in the program.

Architecture Department Transfer Students and International Students:

• Completion of first semester core courses (to include an approved general physics course, survey of calculus or finite mathematics and general education core requirements with a minimum of 12 hours credit and a GPA of 2.67).
• To enter Design I in the fall, students must also meet the same requirements for freshmen admissions.
• To enter Design I in the spring, students must successfully pass Physics for Architects I (or an approved upper level physics course) with a minimum of C or better, complete survey of calculus or approved math course and maintain a 2.67 GPA overall.

International students must present a TOEFL minimum score of 550 to become eligible for acceptance into the department of architecture.

Lack of knowledge or misinterpretation of policies and/or regulations on the part of individual students will not be considered a valid reason for failure to fulfill requirements.

Transferring from Accredited Schools of Architecture: Students transferring from an accredited architectural program must have their architecture courses reviewed for placement and acceptance by submitting materials for review. Please contact the School’s Advising Center for a specific list of required materials.

NOTE: All students must complete or receive transfer credit for either PHYS 1044 “Physics for Architects I” or PHYS 2013/2011L “College Physics I”, MATH 2043 “Survey of Calculus” or MATH 2053 “Finite Mathematics” and all other first year university core curriculum courses prior to entry into ARCH 2016 “Architectural Design III” or ARCH 2114 “Architectural Technology I.”

Ultimate responsibility for completion of entrance requirements rests with each student. Please contact the School’s Advising Center, for a complete description of admission requirements.

Admission to the Professional Program in Architecture

The department of architecture offers prospective students the opportunity to prepare for architectural practice or related endeavors. With this opportunity comes a responsibility for demonstrating a commitment to personal growth and success in the professional program.

Students are admitted to the first year of the architectural curriculum based on criteria established by the University and by the School of Architecture. They are evaluated by grades in course work and by grades each semester for performance and progress in the design studio sequence.

At the completion of the third year of the department of architecture curriculum, including completion of the 35 semester-credit hours of the University’s general education core requirement, students will be evaluated for admission to the Professional Program on the basis of academic performance in the University core and the Architecture curriculum comprising the sub-disciplines of History/Theory, Technology, and Design. Admission requires a majority vote of the Admissions Committee. Students are encouraged to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that professional and free electives provide for pre-professional development, cultivation of specialization in and related to the profession, and/or preparation for graduate education. Students admitted to the professional program will continue in the established studio curriculum sequence and are to complete the final two years of design studio at the UA School of Architecture. At the time of admission, however, the faculty may recommend or approve an alternative course of study that will allow students to pursue an area of concentration other than design in accordance with the letter and spirit of the curricula. Multidisciplinary alternatives may be developed using electives and coursework from business, engineering and other areas applicable to the practice of architecture.

The University Advanced Composition requirement must be completed either by course work or by exemption via an exam, prior to entry into the fifth year of the professional curriculum.

University of Arkansas Department of Landscape Architecture Admissions

All students (including freshmen, international, and transfer students) admitted to the University of Arkansas are eligible for participation in the Landscape Architecture program in the School of Architecture. Space in the studio is limited with priority given to first year students who return the School of Architecture Supplemental Information Form by April 1. The form will be sent to all students admitted to the University of Arkansas who choose any of the School of Architecture majors on their University of Arkansas general admissions application.

Students who require developmental work because of low ACT or SAT scores or University-administered math placement examinations or who require courses to remove deficiencies may not register for courses carrying LARC departmental designations. Upon completion of required developmental work and maintaining a grade-point average of 2.00 or more on at least 12 credit hours, students may enroll in landscape architecture (LARC) courses. Please refer to “Admission to the Professional Program in Landscape Architecture” for required academic levels for entering the program. Please contact the School’s Advising Center for more information.

Admission to the Professional Program in Landscape Architecture

The Department of Landscape Architecture offers a professional education grounded in liberal arts studies, which prepares students for landscape architecture practice in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Successful completion of the program requires commitment to personal growth and excellence. Students are admitted to the first year of the Landscape Architecture program based upon the established criteria by the University of Arkansas. Academic and professional performance is evaluated by grades in the course work, design studios, and construction labs. After two years in the program, students submit a portfolio of work at the end of the spring semester for application to continue in the professional program. Applicants who have a grade-point average below a 1.67 will not be allowed to continue in the program. Contact department head for specific portfolio submission requirements and schedule of deadlines. All candidates will be notified of their acceptance or rejection in writing, normally by the first of August.

Students will be evaluated on general academic performance and in the Landscape Architectural curriculum as well as professional conduct. All department faculty serve on the admissions committee. Any appeal to the committee’s decision may be made by submitting a letter to the department head one week before the first week of the subsequent fall semester. The appeal will be presented to the entire faculty for consideration and will require the candidate to present their case in person.

Students who fail to gain admission to the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree program will be referred to the department head and the School’s academic adviser for appeal procedures and alternative degree programs in the School and the University.

More than 70 awards and scholarships, including both merit and need-based scholarships, are available to students in the School of Architecture. Most are awarded annually on the basis of recommendations made by the Scholarship Committee of the School of Architecture. Only work accomplished since entering the School of Architecture will be considered in determining merit awards based on grade-point averages.

Applications for scholarships are available for prospective and currently enrolled students at architecture.uark.edu/126.php

American Institute of Architecture Students

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is a national organization whose purpose is “to organize architecture students and combine their efforts to advance the science and art of architecture, to promote excellence in architectural education, training and practice, and to foster an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines among all persons.” All students in the School’s architecture program are eligible for membership.

American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter

The purpose of the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects is to bring together the landscape architecture students to combine their interests and efforts, to extend their knowledge of the profession of landscape architecture, and to help advance the profession while preparing for a professional career. All students in the School’s landscape architecture program are eligible for membership.

Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society

The Alpha Eta Chapter of Tau Sigma Delta is the only national collegiate honor society recognized in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and allied arts. All students of the School are eligible for membership. Elections to membership are made by the existing membership, subject to approval by the faculty, from fourth-year and fifth-year students maintaining a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade-point average. In addition, leadership, character, and promise of professional merit are considered in making selections.

Construction Specification Institute

Construction Specification Institute (CSI) is a nonprofit technical organization dedicated to the improvement of specifications and building practices in the construction industry through service, education, and research. Founded in 1948, CSI provides a forum for architects, engineers, specification writers, contractors, construction product representatives, students, and others in the construction industry.

Sigma Lambda Alpha

Sigma Lambda Alpha, founded and chartered by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), is an international honor society that encourages, recognizes and rewards academic excellence in preparation for the profession of landscape architecture. Any landscape architecture junior or senior with an average of 3.2 or higher is eligible for membership.

Plus/Minus Grading System

The School of Architecture utilizes a plus/minus grading system that assigns numerical values to 12 different grades. These values are used for architecture or landscape architecture courses when grade-point averages are calculated. The 12-step grading system with assigned values is as follows:

A	4.00	C	2.00
A–	3.67	C–	1.67
B+	3.33	D+	1.33
B	3.00	D	1.00
B	2.67	D	0.67
C+	2.33	F	0.00

Academic Policies – Department of Architecture

The following academic policies, beyond the requirements of the University, are applicable to all students in the Department of Architecture.

1. Any student receiving a grade of “D (+/-)” in a pre-professional program studio course is subject to a comprehensive review of their semester’s work by the Design Review Committee. The Design Review Committee may require that the student retake the studio, prior to advancing to the next studio in sequence, in order to demonstrate competence for the required materials as evidenced by achieving a grade of “C” (2.00) or better. A student receiving an “F” in design studio must repeat that studio before progressing.
2. Each student’s progress through the Design Studio sequence is monitored and governed by the faculty and subject to a Design Review process.
3. Admission to the Professional Degree Program in the Department of Architecture requires a minimum 2.00 grade-point average in the University Core and each of the sub-disciplines of Architecture: History/Theory, Technology and Design.
4. Enrollment in Architectural Design VII (ARCH 4016) is contingent upon admission to the Professional Program in architecture as described above.
5. Successful completion of the upper level studios of the professional degree program (ARCH 4016, ARCH 4026, ARCH 5016, ARCH 5026) requires demonstration of competence as evidenced by achieving a grade of “C” (2.00) or better in those courses. Failure to achieve this minimum standard will require retaking the studio.
6. Any student receiving an “I” in a design studio must complete all work necessary to receive a grade prior to the first day of the next studio in the student’s prescribed sequence to be eligible to enroll in that studio.
7. Prior to graduation, a student must present a 2.00 cumulative gradepoint average at this institution in all work attempted including the University Core, electives, and in each of the sub-disciplines of Architecture: History/Theory, Technology and Design.

Design Review Procedure – Department of Architecture

Design Review is a process initiated by a faculty member, department head or by a student in order that a committee comprising studio faculty may review a student’s design work within a studio course. The review process may be used by students to appeal grades and to seek resolution of conflicts with studio faculty in which it is believed there are questions of fairness and equity in the application of the published grading policy of the faculty member. Faculty reviews are predicated upon, but are not limited to, student work that may receive a “D” grade or lower.

Grade appeals initiated by students will occur during the week prior to the start of class in the subsequent semester. Petitions for this review must be made through the Advising Center prior to the scheduled meeting of the Design Review Committee. Grade appeals may be filed as soon as the student receives his or her final grade.

In all cases, the student shall exhibit, at the place and time specified by the Design Review Committee, ALL work assigned and attempted for the studio in the semester under review. Faculty are required to provide appropriate documentation including, but not limited to, the course syllabus, grading policy, and semester assignments. In the case of an appeal, the student is requested to meet with the faculty committee.

Grade Appeals – Department of Landscape Architecture

Students in the Department of Landscape Architecture may appeal grades in the design studios as well as other professional courses in which it is believed that there are questions of fairness or equity in the application of the published grading policy of the faculty member. Appeals must be made in writing to the department head one week before the first week of the subsequent semester. The appeal will be presented to the entire Landscape Architecture faculty for consideration and may require the students to present their case in person.

1. A recommendation to the faculty member regarding the grade appeal of the student.
2. A requirement for the student to repeat the design studio course and any co-requisite.
3. A recommendation for enrollment in the subsequent studio course, while advising the student of the need to achieve and maintain a cumulative 2.00 (in the studio sequence) for admission to the professional program.

Off-Campus Study Requirement

Each student in the professional program in architecture is required to complete an approved off-campus study experience focusing upon complex urban relationships, and fostering cultural diversity. Approved programs in Architecture include a semester in Rome and a summer design studio in Mexico City.

Each student in the department of landscape architecture is required to participate in a summer study in Europe. This program exposes students to urban design and planning approaches. The program takes place after the student’s third year of design studios.

A special international programs fee supports the School of Architecture’s international programs. These fees are assessed to all students participating in architecture and landscape architecture designated in the “Fees and Cost Estimates” section of this catalog. The international program fees offset costs of maintaining off-campus programs that are not a part of the School’s University-funded budget, as well as enhancing student-centered activities. The fee is assessed for each study abroad program.  The fees are non-refundable under any circumstances including withdrawal from the respective professional programs. For further information, see notes on related program fees under “Fees and Cost Estimates” for the University.

Ownership of Work

All original work submitted for credit, including design studio projects, becomes the property of the School of Architecture. Students are required to maintain portfolios documenting all academic and design studio work. Digital copies (compact discs) of all work completed in a studio must be submitted to the studio year coordinator in order to receive a grade for the studio.

School Computer Policy

All students enrolled in the School of Architecture are required to supply, by the beginning of the second year, a personal computer matching or exceeding specifications issued by faculty. The specifications, which are updated annually, are available through the Advising Center or at architecture.uark.edu/172.php. A substantial amount of software may be required depending on specific course requirements. The School has two computer labs, one in each department, equipped for output and scanning for digital production. All studios are wired for Internet access.

The Department of Architecture Honors Program

The mission of the Department of Architecture at the University of Arkansas is rooted in the best traditions of architectural education: responsibility and service to the societies and cultures to which we are inextricably connected, and the nurturing of the individual curiosity and capabilities of our students. To achieve the highest potential of these goals, the department faculty has developed the Department of Architecture Honors Program and participates in the programs of the University of Arkansas Honors College. The Architecture Honors Program provides opportunities for students of superior academic and creative ability to enhance and enrich their professional and liberal education. Students in the Architecture Honors Program are eligible to graduate cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. All other students who attain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher will be eligible to graduate with distinction, a classification separate from the cum laude awards.

The Architecture Honors Program offers two components: The Distinguished Scholars Program, which requires 44 credit hours of honors designated courses and the Departmental Scholars Program, requiring 24 credit hours of honors designated courses for the Bachelor of Architecture degree. Specific requirements for each program are detailed below. Eligible students in both the five-year Bachelor of Architecture curriculum and the four-year Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies program are welcome to join the Honors Program.

Invitation to Join the Architecture Honors Program

Upon admission to the University, students who present a composite ACT score of 28 (or higher) and a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher will be invited to enroll in the University of Arkansas Honors College. Concurrently, students majoring in Architecture or Architectural Studies will be invited to join the Architecture Honors Program as Distinguished Scholars. From the second semester of the third year onward, Architecture Honors Scholars are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.33 to remain in the program. Each student is encouraged to consult the Architecture Honors Committee and the Architecture Advising Center before deciding the level of honors distinction (Distinguished Scholar or Departmental Scholar) they wish to pursue and to maintain this advisory relationship throughout the student’s matriculation in the program.

Transfer students may be invited to join the Architecture Honors Program as Distinguished Scholars or as Departmental Scholars if they maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in courses completed at the University of Arkansas by the end of the first semester of their third year of study, and a 3.33 GPA thereafter.

Every semester, the Architecture Advising Center will apprise the Architecture Honors Program Committee of students who have achieved this level of excellence and are eligible to join the Architecture Honors Program. Invitations are extended to students by the end of the semester in which the candidacy is advanced.

Confirmation of Intent to Complete the Honors Program

At the end of the first semester of the third year, students will sign a form, confirming their intention to complete the remaining requirements for their Honors degree.  Students found not to have successfully completed the Honors core course(s) needed to satisfy their Honors degree requirements (i.e., sufficient credits in University Core and/or Professional Core Honors courses) will be dismissed from the Honors program at this time.

Dismissal from Architecture Honors Program

Architecture Honors Program students who fail to maintain a 3.5 or 3.33 cumulative gpa, depending on their year level, will receive a one-semester probation period prior to dismissal from the program.

Architecture Honors Program Mentors

Every Architecture Honors Program student will be assigned an Honors Faculty Mentor.  Students shall meet with their mentors at least once each semester to discuss the student’s progress through the honors curriculum and his/her developing interests or focus in the discipline of architecture. The Honors Faculty Mentor also will serve as a committee member for the Honors Thesis/Research Project.

Architecture Honors Thesis /Research Project

All honors students will pursue a research project during the final year of their undergraduate program. Honors students in the Bachelor of Architecture curriculum will invest 12 credit hours in a research/design thesis, articulating topics identified in the Honors Architectural Research Methods (ARCH 4723H) or the Methods of Research in Architectural History Colloquium. Honors students in the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies program invest six credit hours in the Honors thesis. Students pursuing the History of Architecture and Urbanism major concentration will develop traditional written Honors theses. Guidelines for topic selection and preparation of the Honors Thesis/Research Project are available from the Architecture Honors Committee.

The Honors thesis involves original work by each student under the direction of a thesis committee, which shall include a thesis director, a faculty member in the Department of Architecture. The director chairs the thesis committee to be comprised of two other members, typically, a departmental faculty member and a non-departmental faculty member.  In rare cases when the thesis director, in consultation with the Department Honors Committee and the student, determines that a non-departmental faculty member with expertise appropriate to the thesis in question cannot be identified on campus, an extra-disciplinary member from within the Department of Architecture (e.g., faculty in architectural history, technology, or other allied field) may be fill the position of the non-departmental member. Any such exceptions to the standard membership of a thesis committee should be infrequent, as the point of including non-departmental participation is to help ensure that a student’s research is understandable and valid to an informed community outside of the disciplines of architecture.  The determination should be based on the extent to which a student’s thesis would have to be unproductively altered to meet the requirement for non-departmental participation on the thesis committee.  Additional faculty, both departmental or non-departmental, as well as non-academic experts, may participate in any Honors thesis as non-committee members, if thesis director welcomes their involvement.

Students will complete and present a written prospectus for the Research Thesis no later than the Friday before spring break before the fall semester of the final year of study, (e.g. the semester prior to the thesis).

Students shall meet a schedule of interim requirements established by the thesis committee in consultation with the Architecture Honors Committee.

Requirements for Architecture Honors Program Scholars

The Distinguished Scholars Program

• For Distinguished Scholars in the Bachelor of Architecture Program

Completion of 44 credit hours of honors designated courses, to include a minimum of:

12 credit hours: University Core Honors Courses

11 credit hours: Professional Core Honors Courses in Architecture (Architectural Technology and/or History of Architecture)

9 credit hours: Honors Professional Electives, including an approved Methods of Architectural Research colloquium

12 credit hours: Honors Thesis Research Project

• For Distinguished Scholars in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies Program

Completion of 38 credit hours of honors designated courses, to include a minimum of:

12 credit hours: University Core Honors Courses

8 credit hours: Professional Core Honors Courses in Architecture (Architectural Technology and/or History of Architecture)

12 credit hours: Honors Professional Electives or Upper Level (3000+) University Honors Courses, including an approved research methods course.

6 credit hours: Honors Thesis Research Project

The Departmental Scholars Program

• For Departmental Scholars in the Bachelor of Architecture Program

Completion of 24 credit hours of honor designated courses, to include a minimum of:

6 credit hours: Upper Level (3000+) University Honors Courses, (Free Electives taken outside of the School of Architecture).

3 credit hours: Professional Core Honors Courses in Architecture (Architectural Technology and/or History of Architecture)

3 credit hours: Honors Professional Electives, including an approved Methods of Architectural Research colloquium

12 credit hours: Honors Thesis Project

• For Departmental Scholars in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies Program

Completion of 15 credit hours of honors designated course, to include a minimum of:

6 credit hours: Honors Professional Electives and/or Upper Level (3000+) University Honors Courses, including approved methods of research course.

3 credit hours: Professional Core Honors Courses in Architecture (Architectural Technology and/or History of Architecture)

6 credit hours: Honors Research Thesis

Architecture Honors Program Committee

The chair of the School of Architecture Honors Program, the head of the Department of Architecture, the Department of Architecture representative to the School of Architecture Honors Program Committee and one tenured or tenure-track Architecture faculty member comprise the Architecture Honors Program Committee. The committee serves to:

• Review courses for honors designation.
• Review nominations of eligible students to join the Architecture Honors Program.
• Serve as ambassadors for the Department and its Honors Program.
• Participate in recruiting efforts of the School of Architecture and the Honors College.

The committee shall meet at least once each semester, and at the discretion of the department head and the chair of the School Honors Program.

Department of Landscape Architecture Honors Program

Initially, a 28 composite ACT score and a 3.5 GPA in the first semester are required for admission to the University Honors Program. However, students who accomplish and maintain a 3.5 GPA in University of Arkansas course work may be offered an invitation from the School of Architecture Honors Committee to join the Honors Program.

An honors student in the Department of Landscape Architecture is required to take a total of 38 credit hours of honors courses within the University and Department for graduation. This course work is summarized as follows for the Distinguished Scholars Program:

	Hours
University Core or Electives at the Honors level	12
Landscape Architecture Professional Core at the Honors level, which may include design studio, construction laboratory, or history class	11
Professional Electives, as identified with the Professional Core, at the Honors level, which may include coursework within the Landscape Architecture Department or from other University department programs.	9
Honors Thesis or project as described below	6

Honors Program in the Department of Landscape Architecture

An honors student in the Department of Landscape Architecture is required to take a minimum total of 18 credit hours of honors courses within the University and Department for graduation. This course work is summarized as follows for the Departmental Scholars Program:

	Hours
Landscape Architecture Professional Core at the Honors level, which may include design studio, construction laboratory, or history class; Professional Electives, as identified with the Professional Core, at the Honors level, which may include coursework within the Landscape Architecture Department or from other University department programs.	12
Honors Thesis or project as described above	6

Each Honors student shall have a department faculty adviser who will consult with the student throughout the university experience. The adviser will meet with the student a minimum of two times every fall and spring semester and correspond at least once during the summer. These sessions are venues for students to discuss their academic progress, course work, community service activities, and leadership development opportunities.

Honors courses within the Professional Core may be fulfilled through independent study or additional course work within the History of Landscape Architecture, Contemporary Landscape Architecture, Construction III, and Construction IV.

The student may also select honors work within Design Studio VI or VII. Additional work may include in-depth precedent research and design applications, and increased design resolution and details, as determined by the studio instructor. In addition, a student may choose an independent studio with mutual faculty agreement. This studio option is in addition to the required studios in the professional program and would only be available during the spring or summer semester of the fourth or fifth year.

An Honors student will be required to fulfill 6 credit hours of a written academic thesis or thesis design project. For the written thesis option, the student shall take a 3-credit-hour professional elective directly related to the thesis topic, and 3 credit hours of Special Projects with student's thesis adviser or other faculty designee. For the studio thesis option, the student shall take an honors-level 3-credit-hour Senior Project Preparation course, and an honors-level, 3-credit-hour Special Topics in Design Research in the same semester. The Design Studio VIII will not be offered at the honors level. All landscape architecture students in the professional program are required to complete a Senior Demonstration Project. Honors students pursuing the design thesis option are expected to integrate significant research within the design. Landscape Architecture Study students will be required to take two Special Topics in Design Research as partial fulfillment of the 6-credit thesis requirement. The last requirement will be a presentation and defense of the work to a jury from the department and other relevant academic advisers. All Honors students are highly encouraged to take a research methods course within the subject or topic area, scheduled prior to thesis work.

The architecture program was founded in 1946 and has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) since 1958. The landscape architecture program was established in 1975 and has been accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) since 1983. The School holds memberships in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), organizations comprised of North American schools of architecture and landscape architecture.

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Masters of Architecture and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Master’s degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in Landscape Architecture. LAAB recognizes the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, and Masters of Landscape Architecture. It accredits each program every five years, evaluating degree of conformance with established education standards.

Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.