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Kent State University

Kent , Ohio ,United States

Architectural Studies - B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies builds a broad foundation for professional master’s degrees in architecture and other design disciplines. By focusing on historical and contemporary design thinking, the program links design to art, culture, society, environment and urbanism. The degree prepares students to be innovative, active, well-rounded, critical and informed designers and introduces students to architectural design culture while emphasizing the history and theory of architecture and art. The program includes design studios, lecture/studio hybrid courses and seminars that focus on architectural history, theory and criticism; urban issues; and sustainability.

Students are required to complete elective credits outside of the Architectural Studies major, which allows students to customize their undergraduate experience to suit their own career and educational goals, expand their understanding of design and explore the ways it is connected to other fields. Students may use these electives to pursue minors, double majors and dual degrees in other areas of interest, such as a streamlined dual degree with the B.S. degree in Construction Management.

Students may take advantage of the semester-long study abroad program in Florence, Italy, during any semester after successful completion of at least 6 credit hours of Architectural Studies (ARCS) coursework and 30 total credit hours at Kent State University. The Florence program is open to all Architectural Studies students who have made satisfactory progress toward completion of their undergraduate program.

Students may apply early to the M.L.A I degree in Landscape Architecture and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.

Campus Information

Kent Campus

Intakes

  • April
  • Oct

Application Processing Time in Days: 30

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the language, logic and rhetoric of design and ability to deploy this understanding in design projects, research, analysis and critique.
  • Demonstrate abilities in design thinking, visual thinking, critical thinking and design discourse.
  • Demonstrate skills in research and apply these skills to the design of the built environment.
  • Recognize the value of cultural diversity and a broad range of historical traditions.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of the allied design disciplines and the ability to articulate relationships between these professions and other areas of study.
  • Appreciate a wide range of contrasting perspectives on sustainability, recognize the relationship between these perspectives and the design of the built environment and advocate for specific positions.
  • Utilize and interpret literature and data related to environments and their design.
  • Demonstrate leadership skills in cross-disciplinary settings.

PSW Opportunity

Post-Study Work visa or permit, allowing international students on F-1 visas to work in the US after completing their studies, typically through Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Eligibility:
To be eligible for OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time in a US educational institution for at least one academic year and be seeking work related to their major.

Duration:
Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT, either before they finish their studies (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion).

STEM OPT:
Students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields can apply for an extended OPT period of up to 24 months.

Contact our PSA counselor for more information

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

New first-year applicants must finish secondary school in their home country by the time of enrollment to be eligible for university (comparable to the completion of senior high school in the U.S.). A student who has previously enrolled in a post-secondary (higher education) institution is required to apply as a transfer student.

First-year undergraduate applicants should meet the minimum requirement of GPA 2.5 on a U.S. 4.0 scale. Check for specific majors' selective requirements. Students who want a particular program but do not meet the minimum requirements may be considered for the pre-major.

If you are applying for first-year or transfer admission, you are not required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) as per Kent's Test-Optional Policy.

HONORS COLLEGE
International students with outstanding intellectual and creative ability are encouraged to apply to the Honors College. Honors students participate in special classes, taught by distinguished faculty, which are small and emphasize active participation.

All international undergraduate applicants must submit an English language proficiency test score to be considered for a Kent State program unless they meet specific exceptions or apply for conditional admissions.

All undergraduate applicants must obtain one of the following:

TOEFL iBT: 71; Home Edition iBT: 71
Revised PBT: 18 (average score)
IELTS Academic and IELTS indicator: 6.0
Duolingo:100
PTE Academic: 48
Completion of the Kent State University ESL Center Level 8 Intensive English program with a minimum of 3.75 out of 4.0 GPA
ELS Level 112 Intensive English Program completion
SAT: a minimum of 510 evidence-based reading and writing
ACT: a minimum of 21 in English
Please note, Kent State accepts MyBest™ scores for the TOEFL iBT® test, in addition to TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date.