Graduate School of Architecture

Academic Rules and Regulations
Courses Descriptions

General Information

The academic programs of the School of Architecture encompass the broad range of concerns, disciplines, and sensitivities expressed in Thomas Jefferson’s timeless design for the University, his “academical village”, which is widely considered to be one of the most significant achievements of American architecture.

Four distinct, yet increasingly interrelated, disciplines provide a rich setting for professional education. Architecture and Landscape Architecture seek to integrate the academic and professional aspects of their disciplines in the belief that design skills must be responsive to cultural, historical, and physical context as much as to functional need. Architectural History aims to develop an awareness of the value of the past. Urban and Environmental Planning addresses community sustainability and the balance between environment, economy, and social equity. The Common Course (SARC 6000), a course required of graduate students in all departments, explores themes common to architectural History, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and environmental planning. In addition to this and other courses regularly offered in each discipline, the curricula provide ample interdisciplinary opportunities for the exploration of such diverse contemporary issues as urbanism, energy conservation, social equity, environmental protection, preservation, and adaptive re-use.

The full-time faculty numbers about forty-five, augmented by twenty to thirty visiting lecturers and critics from this country and abroad who bring to students their varied perspectives and wide-ranging experience. The student body averages approximately five hundred thirty students, of whom about two hundred are graduate students.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professorship in Architecture has been funded since 1965 by an annual grant from the same foundation that has guided the restoration and preservation of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. The foundation also awards an annual medal and honorarium to a practitioner or teacher of international distinction and has established two fellowships that are awarded annually to outstanding graduate students in the School of Architecture.

The Institute for Environmental Negotiation, established in 1981, is affiliated with the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and has become a major resource for the resolution of land-use and environmental conflicts. In addition, the Institute awards three or four assistantships each year that provide graduate students with training and experience in negotiation and consensus building.

Mr. Jefferson’s legacy seems as appropriate and alive today as it did in 1819 when the University was founded; and it is one of the imperatives of that legacy, and a central educational aim of this school, that students understand their culture as well as their profession. Since we expect to play major roles in the analysis, planning, design, development, and protection of the physical environment, nationally and internationally, we are charged with that most difficult of tasks: the development of “the whole person,” one who understands how a craft is connected to a society, who appreciates the larger context of life, and who seeks elegant and practical approaches to its ever-changing needs. Jefferson sought “useful knowledge” and was able to fashion that knowledge artfully. We take that as our tradition also. Seen in this light, “profession” is raised to the level of art, and when that art serves life, lasting culture results.

Programs Abroad Master students may, with approval, participate in one of the programs abroad when offered. The following programs are subject to change.

Fall Program in London, England This program is open to graduate students in the history of architecture department for study at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Students participating in this program are on leave of absence from the University.

Summer Program in Vicenza, Italy This program is open to all students in the School of Architecture. The program carries a three credit summer course offered through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Extensive field trips to explore the art, architecture, and urbanism of the region are a prominent part of the program. Instruction is provided by University of Virginia and Italian adjunct faculty members. Knowledge of Italian language is recommended.

Summer Program in Beijing, China The UVa program in China introduces students to Chinese art, architecture, culture, and language. The program includes field trips to sites in the city of Beijing and environs, as well as sites in other parts of China. Students may receive up to six credits through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. A faculty member of the School of Architecture, as well as local experts, lead the program.

Summer Program in Falmouth, Jamaica The Falmouth Field School in Historic Preservation is a four-week, three credit program in applied historic preservation held on-site in Falmouth, Jamaica. Designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, the field school engages many aspects of the practice of presentation in the culturally diverse and economically complex context of the Caribbean.

Applying to the School of Architecture The School of Architecture offers four graduate programs: Master of Architectural History, Master of Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, and Master of Urban and Environmental Planning. The School of Architecture has one annual admissions process and, in most cases, admits students for the fall semester only.

For specific admissions information, including application instructions and deadlines, please visit www.arch.virginia.edu/admissions/graduate/.

Please note, if an applicant wants to apply to more than one department within the School of Architecture, he or she must submit one application, and all additional application materials, per department.

Address

School of Architecture

Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid
Campbell Hall, Room 201
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400122
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4122
Admissions: (434) 924-6442
www.virginia.edu/arch

Facilities

Campbell Hall, the School of Architecture building, was completed in 1970 and is part of a complex of buildings forming a Fine Arts Precinct that also includes the Department of Art, the Department of Drama, and the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library. Campbell Hall provides well-equipped studio work areas, exhibition spaces, lecture halls, and seminar rooms. Expansion to Campbell Hall was completed in 2008 adding both classrooms and offices. The school has three computer-graphics and computer-aided design laboratories with high-resolution graphics. These facilities support software applications in computer aided design, GIS digital mapping and modeling, site analysis, image processing, rendering, animation, structural analysis, lighting analysis, energy analysis, statistics, word processing, spreadsheet, and other areas. They also contain Macintosh, and Windows computers with Internet access and maintain digital voice and video links with other research laboratories in the United States and Europe. The design studio space has network connections for individual laptop computers which are required of each student. Other research support facilities include digital modeling laboratories, a CNC fabrication laboratory, and a woodworking shop. The Architecture’s School’s newest facilities include a virtual reality lab and a full scale fabrication lab.

The Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library, one of fifteen libraries of the University of Virginia Library system, serves the McIntire Department of Art, the School of Architecture, and the Department of Drama of at the University of Virginia, as well as the surrounding community. The Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library currently holds about 154,000 volumes in numerous formats: print, electronic resources, digital resources, images, videos, and CD-ROMs. The Library’s collections are increased each year by means of allocations for books, periodicals, databases, visual resources, etc. Sources of funding include the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as endowed funds that create annual income designated for use to purchase particular types of materials. Gifts also play a significant role in expanding and improving the Fine Arts Library’s collections. The Library’s collections are increased each year by means of allocations for books, periodicals, databases, visual resources, etc. Sources of funding include the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as endowed funds that create annual income designated for use to purchase particular types of materials. Gifts also play a significant role in expanding and improving the Fine Arts Library’s collections. The collections cover all aspects related to architecture, landscape architecture, architectural history, urban and environmental planning, and the visual and performing arts. The Fine Arts Library provides patrons with access to all University Library resources, including government documents, geo-spatial data, maps, rare books and manuscripts, many other online resources, as well as a gateway to the Internet. Special emphasis is placed on teaching students and faculty to conduct research utilizing online resources. Reference services are provided to the entire University community and to practitioners throughout the Commonwealth and the nation.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

The School of Architecture offers financial assistance to students in the following areas:

Merit-Based Fellowships
Through the generous support of donors, the School of Architecture is able to offer a number of fellowships to full-time graduate students. Incoming students may qualify for fellowships based on the strength of their application to the graduate program and apply for these fellowships via the School of Architecture Graduate Admissions Application. Returning students must submit the Graduate Fellowship Assistance application to apply for fellowships.

Federal Work-Study Funding
More information regarding work-study funding can be found in the Financial Aid section of this Record. The School of Architecture will support funding to the extent possible within the budget. Students receiving work study awards typically help a member of the School with an undertaking connected with research or teaching. The department chair reserves the right to assign some students to positions needed throughout the school, such as Information Technology or building services jobs.

Federal Student Loans
Students enrolled at the School of Architecture may be eligible to apply for Federal Student Loans. More information regarding federal loans can be found in the Financial Aid section of this Record. In addition to the Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, students may also apply for private loans to help fund their education.

More information regarding all financial aid sources listed above can be found on the School of Architecture’s financial aid website: http:// www.arch.virginia.edu/admissions/financial/.

Degree Information

The School of Architecture offers four graduate programs leading to the Master of Architectural History, Master of Architecture, the Master of Landscape Architecture, and the Master of Urban and Environmental Planning. The programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, and the Planning Accreditation Board; and the school holds memberships in the Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, the National Council for Preservation Education, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition to the graduate degree programs, the school offers an interdisciplinary program leading to the Certificate in Historic Preservation.

Academic Rules and Regulations

Course Load The minimum course load, in order to be classified as full-time, is 12 hours graduate students. Special written permission is required for a graduate student to register for fewer than 12 hours or more than 19 hours in any semester, from his or her departmental chair.

Candidates for a degree in one of the four graduate curricula offered in the School of Architecture must hold an approved baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

Applicants whose previous course work does not include the equivalent of courses listed under the “admission” paragraph for any of the described degree programs must complete those courses before enrollment or, with permission, while enrolled in their respective graduate program.

An explanation of the course numbering system is given in the How to Read Course Listings section of this Record.

Inquiries concerning degrees should be addressed directly to the Chair of each department.

Grading System The following letter grade symbols are used for grading graduate students in the Graduate School of Architecture: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, F, S, U. Graduate School of Architecture: students may take undergraduate courses on a CR/NC basis, but those courses may not be offered toward a graduate degree.

Withdrawal Grading System After the drop deadline has passed, a grade of “W” is assigned. An appropriate withdrawal grad of “W” appears on the official academic record.

Academic Good Standing The lowest acceptable grade for a student in the Graduate School of Architecture is a B-. Students who earn more than two grades lower than a B- are required to leave the program in which they are enrolled. Students failing a studio cannot continue in the studio sequence until they have successfully passed the course. Two failing grades in the same or different studios may result in the student being asked to leave the program.

Incomplete and Missing Grades A grade of IN (Incomplete) is not a valid final grade and converts to an F either 30 days after the last day of the examination period, or on the first day of classes of the subsequent semester, whichever comes first. Thesis credit deadlines are handled on a case-by-case basis between the student and the thesis chair. When assigning a grade of incomplete, a faculty member must complete and submit an Incomplete Grade Submission Form to the School registrar. An extension of the deadline specified above will be considered only in extreme circumstances, and requires the approval of the Associate Dean for Academics. These regulations apply to courses listed through the School of Architecture. For a course listed in another academic unit, the regulations of that unit apply a notation of NG (no grade reported) computes as an F and remains on the transcript unless corrected.

A notation of NG (no grade reported) computes as an F and remains on the transcript unless corrected.

Grade Changes No grade may be changed without the approval of the Dean’s Office after it has been submitted to the University Registrar. The Dean’s Office is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to the University Registrar except when an instructor certifies that, because of errors in calculation or transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted. Extra work to raise a grade, once submitted, is not permitted.

The School limits the time in which a grade change is approved to the fall or spring semester following the one in which the grade was received, except when there is indication that the student violated the integrity of the course. Incompletes are handled under the Incomplete and NG Policy.

Grade Appeals Students may appeal negative decisions about enrollment, grades, or general academic policies in the School of Architecture according to the procedures which follow. It is understood that only students may submit appeals. Appeals must be made 7 days after the end of that semester’s examination period; students should consult with the Associate Dean for Academics for details.

Grading Issues Students who wish to appeal a grade must first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor of the course. Absent a satisfactory outcome, the student consults with the chair of the department. If this path proves unsuccessful in the resolution of the matter, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean for Academics.

Course Expectations In each of the degree programs, students should expect that courses may require the purchase of textbooks, software, materials or equipment or students may incur costs in the form of field trips upon occasion. Students are also expected to complete on-line course evaluations at the end of each semester.

Readmission Students who do not enroll at the University for a semester or more and who are not on an educational leave of absence must be formally readmitted, regardless of whether they were on an approved leave of absence. In order to accomplish readmission, they must be cleared by the Associate Dean for Academics, the Departmental Chair, the Department of Student Health, and the Office of the Dean of Students. Application for readmission must be made to the Associate Dean for Academics’ office 60 days in advance of the next University registration period.

Readmission application forms are available in the Student Records and Registration office. For students under academic suspension from the School of Architecture, the completed application must include a statement that (1) addresses their readiness to return to full-time study, in light of any serious difficulties during their most recent enrollment (e.g. financial, medical, personal hardship), and (2) outlines the courses needed to fulfill their degree requirements over the remaining semesters.

Time Limitation All work for the Master’s degree must be completed within 5 years. Students who have not been enrolled for more than a year or longer must follow the procedures for admission by applying to the Graduate School of Architecture. For more information about the admissions process, please visit www.arch.virginia.edu/admissions/graduate/.

Voluntary Withdrawal Students may withdraw from the University before the conclusion of a semester if they meet the conditions stated in the University Regulations section.

Students in the School of Architecture who withdraw within 10 class days immediately proceding the final examination period are not permitted, except for providential reasons, to re-enter the School of Architecture for the succeeding semester nor to present transfer credit earned during the same time.

In extreme medical circumstances, documented by professional certification, a School of Architecture student has one semester in which to petition for a retroactive medical withdrawal. If approved, all grades convert to W’s and the student is obliged to be absent for a full semester before resuming full-time study.

Educational Leaves of Absence Students who wish to take a leave of absence to pursue educational interests at another educational institution in the United States must consult with the Associate Dean for Academics and with the Chair in the appropriate department for a leave of absence. Students who wish to study abroad in an accredited program or at an accredited foreign university must apply for a leave of absence at the International Studies Office. While on such an approved leave, a student must register at the University of Virginia as a non-resident and pay a non-resident fee; this indicates that he or she is on an approved leave of absence pursuing educational interests elsewhere. Students registered for an approved leave may pre-enroll for courses and do not have to apply for readmission to the University, although they must notify the Student Records and Registration office or the International Studies Office of when they intend to return.

Enforced Withdrawal Students may be forced to withdraw from the University for habitual delinquency in class, habitual idleness, or any other fault that prevents the student from fulfilling the purpose implied by registration at the University. Students who are forced to withdraw during a given term will have the notation “withdrawal date: mm/dd/yyyy ” entered on their permanent academic records following the semester in which the action occurred. A grade of W (withdrawal) or WD (administrative withdrawal) will be entered for each course in which the student was registered. In order to accomplish readmission, they must be cleared by the Associate Dean for Students. Application for readmission must be made to the Associate Dean for Student’s office 60 days in advance of the next University registration period.

Medical Withdrawal Students who withdraw for reasons of health must obtain permission from the Department of Student Health. A grade of W (withdrawal) will be entered for each course in which the student was registered. Subsequent medical clearance from the Department of Student Health is required for readmission.

Ownership of Student Work The School of Architecture reserves the right to retain student course work for purposes of exhibition and/or publication with appropriate credits. Professors who wish to retain student work for their own purposes must gain the student’s consent and provide adequate documentation of the work for the student.

Student Owned Computers Graduate students are required to own a personal laptop computer with specified base software. A list of specification is at http://www.arch.virginia.edu/computing/requirement/.

Course Descriptions

Courses are subject to change; certain courses are offered in alternate years or are temporarily suspended when the instructor is on leave or for other reasons. 5000 level elective courses are open to students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

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