The Major

Architecture and Design is an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating architecture and interior design, studio arts, history of art and the built environment, landscape architecture and regional planning, and the technologies of construction and the environment. The program, while housed in the Department of Art, has an interdepartmental and Five College faculty.

B.F.A. Design students enter into either an Interior Design or an Architectural Studies concentration. Architecture and Design students gain broad exposure to aspects of building and material science as well as a variety of cultural, environmental, and historic perspectives, preparing them to make innovative and integrated contributions as architects and designers.

After graduation, students may enter directly into interior design or architecture offices. Graduates are consistently hired by well-respected design firms in Boston, New York, and other major cities. Those who continue their studies make excellent candidates for graduate programs in Interior Design or Architecture.

Requirements
The B.F.A. Design curriculum has four major components:

1. General Education Requirements: Some specific General Education courses are recommended, particularly as they pertain to Areas of Knowledge described below and to course requirements for application to graduate programs.

2. Department Foundations, comprising required introductory classes in Studio Art, Architecture and Design, and Art History.

3. Core Architecture and Design Requirements: The B.F.A. in Design has a specific sequence of required core courses that become available to students after they have been accepted into the program. Students not in the program may be given access to core classes with consent of the instructor.

4. Areas of Knowledge: B.F.A. in Design students are required to complete electives selected from a broad range of courses offered throughout the University and the Five Colleges which together form a thematic grouping in one of the following areas: Inhabitation, Legacy Material, Sustainability, and Terrain. All students develop personalized expertise forming their Area of Knowledge study with the help of their faculty adviser.
Admission to the Major
Applicants to the B.F.A. in Design must be admitted to the Department of Art as well as to the Program in Architecture and Design.

Departmental Admissions may be completed at the time of admission to the University. For simultaneous admission to the University and the department, applicants will submit a portfolio directly to the Department of Art at the time of application to the University. Applicants must be accepted by the University Admissions Office and the Departmental Portfolio Review Committee.
Students applying to the University without a portfolio can apply as an undeclared major and work to develop a portfolio while taking entry-level Foundations courses. They can then apply to the department after completing one or two semesters of Foundation work.

Transfer students accepted to the University must also be accepted by the department and the program. Interested applicants must submit their portfolios directly to the department and program as soon as acceptance to the University is certain to ensure timely review of their portfolios and avoid delay in academic progressions.

Program Admission: A student can apply to the Program in Architecture and Design after completing specifically required Foundations courses. Applicants must submit current transcripts with a GPA of B or better, a statement of interest, and an updated portfolio.

For additional admissions information, visit www.umass.edu/architecture/.

Contact: Director of Undergraduate Programs
Office: 357 Fine Arts Center
Phone: 545-1902
E-mail: mainoffice@art.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/art/

Universities and Colleges offering Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design—Interior Design Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design—Architectural Studies