Bachelor of Architecture

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Illinois Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) at Illinois Institute of Technology is a five-year professional degree that combines design excellence with technical expertise through an intensive, studio-based curriculum covering architecture, construction, structures, materials, environmental systems, urbanism, and professional practice. It is well suited to students who want to develop as architects through hands-on making, interdisciplinary projects, advanced digital and physical fabrication, and direct engagement with Chicago’s architectural environment.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 100 Introduction to Architecture, ARCH 107 Design Communication I: Introduction, and ARCH 113 Architecture Studio I: Elements. They progress to ARCH 114 Architecture Studio II: Unit and ARCH 108 Design Communication II: Advanced, developing representation, composition, design processes, craftsmanship, and analytical thinking.

Year 2: Students move from individual architectural elements toward more developed buildings through ARCH 201 Architecture Studio III: House and ARCH 202 Architecture Studio IV: Multiple. ARCH 215 Site Design, Planning, and Ecology, AAH 119 History of World Architecture I, and ARCH 230 Systems: Structural Analysis introduce site planning, architectural history, environmental context, and structural thinking.

Year 3: The curriculum expands into more complex architectural and technical challenges through ARCH 305 Architecture Studio V: Hybrid and ARCH 306 Architecture Studio VI: Hybrid. Students also study ARCH 334 Material: Metal, ARCH 335 Material: Cementitious, ARCH 403 Environment and Building Systems I, and ARCH 404 Environment and Building Systems II, connecting design with materials, structures, and building performance.

Year 4: Students enter advanced synthesis through ARCH 417 Architecture Studio VII: Synthesis and ARCH 418 Architecture Studio VIII: Synthesis, integrating architectural ideas with increasingly complex building requirements. ARCH 413 Architectural Practice, architectural history electives, advanced technology electives, and IPRO interdisciplinary projects add professional, technological, and collaborative dimensions to the curriculum.

Year 5: The final year centers on ARCH 419 Architecture Studio IX: Advanced and ARCH 420 Architecture Studio X: Advanced, where students undertake sophisticated architectural design work and develop comprehensive building proposals. Architecture electives allow further specialization in areas such as digital computation, design/build, technology and sustainability, history/theory, and landscape architecture/urbanism.

Focus Areas

Architectural design, construction, structures, enclosure, integrated environmental systems, materials, sustainability, design communication, digital computation, design/build, history and theory, landscape architecture, architecture and urbanism, professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

Visual communication, architectural design, analytical thinking, technical knowledge, material understanding, construction knowledge, environmental systems integration, professional practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and the ability to develop comprehensive architectural solutions.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

NAAB accreditation: The B.Arch. is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and carries 159 credits; Illinois Tech states that the program satisfies the academic requirement for architectural licensure. The current accreditation was reaccredited in 2021, with the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2029.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

DesignIntelligence: Illinois Tech reported that its College of Architecture undergraduate program was ranked #15 nationally in the 2018–19 America’s Most Admired Architecture Schools ranking and #10 for Materials and Construction; the ranking incorporated perspectives from architecture and design professionals, including hiring professionals.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology is built around learning by doing, with studio projects, physical model-making, digital fabrication, and direct engagement with architectural materials and construction methods. Students spend a full year training in the Fabrication Center and can use extensive digital and analog equipment, while advanced studios allow them to work on Chicago sites, global urban contexts, and complex architectural challenges.

Fabrication Center: The 14,000-square-foot facility gives B.Arch. students hands-on experience with woodworking, metalworking, plastics, model-making, and full-scale construction. Students can use CNC routers, laser cutters, 3D printers, table saws, gantry cranes, and other digital and analog fabrication tools under professional fabrication staff.
Digital Design & Software: IIT provides dedicated computer labs with architectural software including Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoCAD, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, V-Ray, QGIS, Karamba, Kangaroo Physics, Ladybug, and RhinoCAM. These resources support architectural modeling, rendering, BIM, parametric design, geospatial analysis, and CNC fabrication workflows.
Digital Fabrication Courses: ARCH 433 Introduction to Digital Fabrication gives students practical experience moving from concept development and CAD/CAM modeling to digital files, laser cutting, CNC milling, and 3D printing. ARCH 435 Digital Fabrication extends this into component design, simulation, scripting, CNC production, rapid prototyping, and material-related fabrication constraints.
Studio Projects: The B.Arch. is strongly studio-based, with students developing increasingly complex design projects through successive architecture studios. Advanced studios can involve Chicago sites, urban areas around the world, hypothetical challenges, parametric design, digital fabrication, model-making, and advanced geospatial software.
Design/Build Experience: Through Made@IIT, students can participate in design/build programs that take projects into communities internationally. IIT states that recent design/build projects have been completed across four continents, connecting architectural design with actual construction and community needs.
Materials Research: The Fabrication Center functions as a building laboratory where students can investigate materials, technologies, and construction at different scales, from detailed models to full-scale building sections. Professional fabricators also teach classes in materials research, design, and construction.
Architecture Library: The Graham Resource Center in S. R. Crown Hall serves as the main architecture library, with more than 16,000 books, architecture-specific databases, 55 journal subscriptions, archives, audiovisual resources, and research assistance.
Multimedia & Model Photography: Students have access to a dedicated Photo Room for photographing architectural models, while the Multimedia Lab provides workstations, scanners, and large- and small-format printing resources.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.Arch. at Illinois Tech is designed to prepare graduates for professional architectural practice through intensive studio education, technical training, and direct engagement with Chicago’s architecture community. Its NAAB-accredited professional degree can support the path toward architectural licensure without requiring a separate master’s degree, while also opening routes into related design and urban fields.

Career opportunities: Graduates can pursue roles such as architect, interior designer, urban designer, and other architecture and design positions.

Career support and employment opportunities:

Career Services: Illinois Tech provides career advising, Handshake job postings, career events, professional-development workshops, and connections with employers recruiting for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions.
Architecture career support: The School of Architecture has an Assistant Dean for Professional Development, hosts professional panels including architectural licensing sessions, and works with Career Services on an architecture Career Fair each semester.
Industry employers: Illinois Tech identifies architecture alumni employers including Gensler, DLR Group, Jacobs/Ryan Associates, JAHN, Stantec, Wight & Company, Ramboll US Corporation, The Walsh Group, and UrbanWorks Architecture LLC, among others.
Employment outcomes: For the 2025 Architecture, Construction & Planning cohort, Illinois Tech reports that 91% of graduates responded to its First Destination survey and that the vast majority obtained full-time employment or continued into graduate education. The university does not publish a B.Arch-specific employment percentage on this page.
Salary information: Illinois Tech reports that its graduates receive competitive starting salaries and provides salary information by industry, sector, and geographic location; however, the official architecture-specific page does not state a single B.Arch salary figure. University-wide, Illinois Tech reports that its 2024 graduates' mean starting salary was above the national average.
Hands-on professional experience: Illinois Tech's Elevate program guarantees students access to experiences such as internships, research, competitions, and study-away opportunities, providing opportunities to build practical experience before graduation.
Long-term professional value: The B.Arch. is NAAB-accredited, and Illinois Tech states that the degree qualifies graduates for the professional education requirement used by registration boards for architectural licensure. The B.Arch. was reaccredited in 2021, with the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2029.
Graduation progression: Illinois Tech's 2025 Architecture, Construction & Planning outcomes show graduates moving primarily into full-time employment or further graduate study, with graduates working across the U.S. and internationally.

Further Academic Progression: After the B.Arch., students can continue into Illinois Tech's Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), including the advanced-standing route for students with an architecture bachelor's degree, or pursue graduate study in related architecture and built-environment fields. Illinois Tech also offers a Ph.D. in Architecture with a specialization in Technologies of the Built Environment; B.Arch. holders can enter the graduate pathway through the Master of Science program.