Bachelor of Architecture

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Pennsylvania State University University Park

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) at Pennsylvania State University is a five-year, 162-credit professional degree designed for students who want to develop the knowledge and skills required for architectural practice, combining design with architectural history, theory, structures, materials, environmental systems, visual communication, professional practice, and systems integration. The program suits students who enjoy combining art, technology, environmental thinking, experimentation, teamwork, and independent creative problem-solving, and includes a required semester abroad as part of the professional curriculum.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 121 Visual Communications I, ARCH 131 Basic Design Studio I, and ARCH 132 Basic Design Studio II, developing visual communication and fundamental design skills. The year also introduces architectural history through ARTH 201 and ARTH 202, alongside AE 210 Introduction to Architectural Structural Systems.

Year 2: The curriculum moves into more advanced architectural design and building technology through ARCH 231 Architectural Design I and ARCH 232 Architectural Design II, while ARCH 203 Materials and Building Construction I and ARCH 204 Materials and Building Construction II develop students' understanding of construction and materials. AE 421 Architectural Structural Systems I and AE 422 Architectural Structural Systems II strengthen the structural side of architectural design.

Year 3: Students deepen their design knowledge through ARCH 331 and ARCH 332, while ARCH 311W Architectural and Planning Theories develops their understanding of architectural and planning thought. ARCH 380 Building Environmental Systems I and ARCH 381 Building Environmental Systems II introduce environmental control and building-system considerations within architectural design.

Year 4: Students undertake advanced professional and design work through ARCH 491 and the ARCH 499A, ARCH 499B, and ARCH 499C sequence. This stage also includes a required semester abroad, giving students an international dimension to their architectural education while supporting advanced studio development.

Year 5: The final year focuses on advanced architectural study and professional preparation through ARCH 451 and ARCH 492H, supported by additional courses selected for the major. The five-year sequence concludes the professional design-studio education and completes the 162-credit B.Arch. requirements.

Focus Areas: Architectural design, architectural history, architectural theory, structural systems, building materials and construction, environmental control systems, visual communications, professional practice, systems integration, and interdisciplinary exploration.

Learning Outcomes: Students develop the ability to integrate architectural design with structural, material, environmental, historical, theoretical, visual, and professional considerations while developing the skills required for architectural practice. The program also supports exploration through concentrations, minors, and supporting courses.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The Bachelor of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and received an eight-year term of reaccreditation in 2023, with the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2031. Graduates can pursue the required internship experience before sitting for the Architect Registration Examination.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings): Penn State states that its B.Arch. has ranked in the top 20 of DesignIntelligence B.Arch. rankings since their inception, while its Stuckeman School Career Day attracts 81 companies from 13 states, providing a substantial employer-engagement platform for architecture students. Penn State also reports a 5-star QS Stars rating for employability at the university level.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.Arch. at Penn State University Park emphasizes learning through design studios, model-making, hands-on construction, digital fabrication, and computational design. Students work in the Stuckeman Family Building’s collaborative studio environment and have access to dedicated workshops, digital fabrication resources, research laboratories, a design-computing center, and the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library. The program also connects students with interdisciplinary research and industry through the Stuckeman School and its research centers.

These opportunities give students several ways to develop practical architectural skills:

Design Studios: The B.Arch. is taught in dedicated studio spaces designed for close interaction between students and faculty, with collaborative and multidisciplinary work embedded in the Stuckeman Family Building.
Model Making & Construction: Students can develop physical design and construction skills through the Stuckeman Shop, which supports architecture students with woodworking, metalworking, hand tools, and digital fabrication techniques.
Digital Fabrication: The Stuckeman Shop includes a Precix 3-axis CNC router and Z Printer 310 Plus 3D printer, allowing students to translate digital designs into physical prototypes and models.
Computational Design: The Stuckeman Center for Design Computing (SCDC) supports advanced computational design research and learning, with facilities including a Digital Fabrication Laboratory and architectural robotics lab.
Research Projects: Undergraduate students can participate as research assistants in SCDC projects involving architectural robotics, simulation and visualization, GIS, sustainable development, digital fabrication, augmented reality, and additive manufacturing.
Immersive Environments: The Immersive Environments Lab provides visualization and tele-collaborative capabilities and is used for student work, instruction, and critique.
Community Design: The Department of Architecture incorporates community outreach/service learning, design-build, and digital fabrication into its educational approach, giving students opportunities to connect architectural design with real-world community contexts.
Industry Exposure: The Stuckeman School operates an Industry Partner Program that connects the school with practitioners, industry partners, and organizations involved in design innovation and research.
Career Engagement: The annual Stuckeman School Career Day brings architecture and design employers to campus; the university reports participation from 81 companies from 13 states.
Architecture Library: The Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library is located within the Stuckeman Family Building, giving students a dedicated academic resource for architecture and related design disciplines.
Exhibitions & Lectures: Students can engage with the Stuckeman School Lecture and Exhibit Series, as well as the building's gallery spaces, providing exposure to practicing architects, designers, and contemporary architectural work.
Collaborative Facilities: The Stuckeman Family Building brings studios, the design-computing center, community-design research, library, model construction shop, digital fabrication lab, presentation spaces, and gallery facilities together in one environment.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Penn State B.Arch. is a five-year professional degree designed to prepare students for architectural practice, with graduates eligible to pursue professional licensing examinations after completing the required internship experience. The program also creates pathways into related design fields and graduate study, while its NAAB accreditation supports the professional licensing pathway in jurisdictions that require an accredited architecture degree.

Typical Career Roles: practicing architect, architectural designer, design professional, related design-field professional.

Career Services: Stuckeman Career Services provides architecture students with resume, cover-letter and portfolio support, guidance on internships and careers, licensure advice, and salary discussions. Students can also use Nittany Lion Careers and Penn State alumni connections for employment and networking opportunities.
Industry Connections: Stuckeman School Career Day connects architecture students with professional firms for networking, recruiting and interviews; recent participating employers include AECOM, Gensler, HOK, Perkins&Will, Perkins Eastman, Stantec, ZGF Architects, CannonDesign and many other architecture, design and construction organizations.
Internship Opportunities: Penn State documents architecture students completing internships with firms and organizations including KPF, Dahn & Krieger Architects Planners, and the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, demonstrating opportunities to gain professional experience alongside the degree.
Employment & Salary Data: Penn State's official B.Arch. pages do not publish a program-specific graduate employment rate or salary figure; therefore, a specific percentage or salary should not be inferred from broader university or industry statistics. Stuckeman Career Services does provide students with guidance on salary questions.
Professional Accreditation: The B.Arch. is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), with an eight-year reaccreditation term received in 2023 and the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2031. Penn State states that most U.S. registration boards require an accredited professional architecture degree as a prerequisite for licensure.
Licensure Progression: After completing the B.Arch. and the appropriate internship experience, graduates are eligible for admission to professional state licensing examinations and subsequent registration as architects. Penn State also notes that its ARE 5.0 pass rates are above the national average across all examination divisions.
Graduation Outcomes: The program specifically prepares graduates for practicing architecture while also providing a route into further study in architecture, landscape architecture, computer science, geography, urban studies, systems logistics, art history and other design-related fields.

Further Academic Progression: After the B.Arch., students can continue into Penn State's M.Arch., M.S. in Architecture or Ph.D. in Architecture depending on their professional or research goals. Penn State also offers an Integrated B.Arch./M.S. in Architecture pathway that combines the fifth year of the B.Arch. with the M.S. research degree in a continuous program.