About B.a. In Architectural Studies in University of Pittsburgh

Required Courses | 54 credits

The term-by-term sequence outlined here is based on a student declaring Architectural Studies as their major in the fall of their first year. All the requirements can be completed in 4 years if a student declares in their second year at Pitt.

[1] The Gateway seminar for all Architectural Studies majors is ARC 0110 | Approaches to the Built Environment, which is offered in both the fall and spring terms. All majors should take this course as soon as they declare their major. It is intended as the first in a sequence of required courses in architectural history and ideas, including ARC 0150 | Introduction to Western Architecture | and ARC 0114 | Modern Architecture.

The above three courses should be taken before more advanced courses in architectural history and ideas, especially the required writing-intensive course ARC 1160 | Architecture: Image, Text, Theory.

[2] Design studios are the backbone of the B.A. in Architectural Studies and must be completed sequentially, starting with ARC 0201 | Foundation Studio, which is offered in both the fall and spring terms.

    •    ARC 1201 | Design Studio 1 is only offered in the spring term;
    •    ARC 1202 | Design Studio 2 is only offered in the fall term.

[3] Courses in digital media

    •    ARC 1911 | Architecture + Digital Media 1 is offered only in the fall term

          and should be taken at the same time as ARC 0201 | Foundation Studio.
    •    ARC 1912 | Architecture + Digital Media 2 is offered only in the spring 

         term and should be taken at the same time as ARC 1201 | Design Studio 1

[4] Three required courses in Studio Arts are important adjuncts to Architectural Studies design studios. SA 0130 | Foundation Drawing and SA 0140 | Foundation Sculpture should be taken early and must be complete before enrolling in SA 1430 | Perspective Drawing. All Architectural Studies majors are encouraged to take addition courses in the Studio Arts department.

[5] The Physics requirement can be taken any time; it is recommended that it be taken early.

• Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). We encourage you to complete the SRAR rather than sending a transcript to improve application processing time. Please note that we will compare your SRAR to your official high school transcript if you enroll at Pitt. Accuracy in completing the SRAR is very important. Discrepancies and misrepresentations could result in the Admissions Committee revoking your admissions decision.
• Original or certified, official secondary school records from grades 9-11 (transcripts, marksheets, certificates, examination results, etc.) and any national/state examination results required in your country. You will also need to send literal translations of your records if they are not in English. If your secondary record only includes grades 10-12, please submit the third year of your middle school transcript. Note: Students may be required to complete a transcript evaluation.
  • If you have a General Education Diploma (GED) email the Admissions Office pitt.admissions@pitt.edu about your options. In some cases the GED is not accepted.

English Language Requirements

• For the Pittsburgh campus, a 100 or higher TOEFL composite score with subscores of 21 or higher is considered competitive, a 7.0 IELTS with subscores of 6.0 or higher, or a 120 or higher Duolingo score.

  Applicants are reviewed holistically, however, and those with a 95-99 TOEFL and a solid academic record will be given strong consideration in the admissions process for the Pittsburgh campus. Applicants with TOEFL scores between 80-94 (6.5 IELTS) will most often be considered for admission to a regional campus at Bradford, Greensburg or Johnstown. We recommend that students rank the campuses on their admission application in order of preference.

University of Pittsburgh Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance varies depending on whether the candidate has applied to graduate or undergraduate programmes, as well as the necessary fees that must be paid. The tuition charge varies according to the programme to which one has applied. The following is a breakdown of expenses in the form of an expected budget for international students interested in studying in the United States.

Undergraduate Cost of living (Per year)

Graduate students Cost of Attendance (Per year)