Bachelor of Science in Architecture

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Cincinnati

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Cincinnati is a four-year, pre-professional program combining architectural design, construction technologies, digital arts, humanities, social sciences, and aesthetic expression, with three semesters of professional co-op experience. It suits students who want to develop creative and technical architecture skills while gaining substantial real-world experience before progressing to a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their design foundation through SAID1001 Design Lab 1, SAID1002 Design Lab 2, and SAID1031 Human Dimension of Space, while SAID1011/SAID1012 Communication Skills develops visual and professional communication. They also study SAID1061 Design Science 1 and SAID1021 Modernism and Form: History of Architecture 1750 to Present, connecting design practice with architectural history and theory.

Year 2: Students move into more developed architectural design through SAID2001 Design Studio 1 and ARCH2002 Architecture Studio 2, while SAID2062 Design Science II - Building Construction introduces construction principles. Courses such as SAID2022 Ritual and Space, ARCH2023 The Classical Tradition in Architecture, and ARCH3014 Digital Media Skills expand students’ understanding of architectural history, spatial concepts, and digital design communication.

Year 3: Students deepen their architectural and technical knowledge through ARCH3001 Architecture Studio 3, AEC5120 Structures for Architects, and SAID2063 Design Science III. The curriculum combines advanced studio work with structural understanding and design science, while the required Co-op for DAAP semester provides professional practice experience in an architecture-related workplace.

Year 4: Students undertake advanced design through ARCH4001 Architecture Studio 4 and complete ARCH4002 Building Design Research Studio, supported by professional and advanced electives. This final stage brings together design research, architectural knowledge, technical development, and the professional experience gained through the program’s co-op structure.

Focus Areas

Architectural design, design science, building construction, structures, digital media, architectural history, human dimensions of space, communication, design research, professional practice, interdisciplinary design, digital fabrication and animation.

Learning Outcomes

Creative and technical design skills, architectural communication, construction knowledge, structural understanding, digital design skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, professional practice, project management, collaboration, and the ability to respond to functional, aesthetic, technical, social, cultural, environmental, and human-comfort requirements.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Pre-professional degree: The BS in Architecture is a pre-professional degree and is not itself a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. The University of Cincinnati states that the BS-Arch provides preparation for continued education in a NAAB-accredited professional degree program, while its architecture program has maintained NAAB accreditation since 1948; the university's Master of Architecture is the NAAB-accredited professional degree.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

DAAP reputation: The University of Cincinnati states that its College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) is nationally recognized and has been ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, and Design Intelligence. The university does not currently publish a specific, current BS Architecture employability ranking on the official program page.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.S. in Architecture at the University of Cincinnati is strongly practice-oriented, with experiential learning built around studio work, professional co-op placements, digital design, fabrication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. All Architecture students complete three full-time co-op semesters, working in architecture firms locally, nationally, or internationally, while DAAP provides specialized facilities where students can develop physical models, digital prototypes, drawings, and other design projects.

Students can put these opportunities into practice through:

Co-op Experience: Students complete 3 full-time co-op semesters in architecture firms, gaining paid professional experience alongside their academic studies; UC maintains a roster of 500+ firms in the U.S. and overseas.
Build Lab: The 12,000+ sq. ft. DAAP Build Lab provides wood- and metalworking equipment, welding, plasma cutting, CNC-related tools, casting facilities, assembly areas, and a Tool Library for hands-on project development.
Rapid Prototyping Center: Students can turn CAD models into physical prototypes using 3D printing, large-format laser cutting, and CNC milling.
Digital Design & Software: The DAAP Computer Lab provides high-end workstations, scanners, plotters, digital video-editing suites, and software including AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, Revit, 3ds Max, Rhino, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Cloud, ArcGIS, CityEngine, Unity, Unreal Engine, SolidWorks, and MATLAB.
Collaborative Work: The Computer Lab includes an open collaboration area with large monitors, allowing students to share and review design work together.
Architectural Robotics: The Architectural Robotics Lab features a KUKA six-axis robotic arm with interchangeable tools for applications including 3D printing, routing, and materials research.
Photo & Documentation: The DAAP Photo Lab supports photography, video, sound, lighting, printing, and documentation of student design work.
Library Resources: The Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlacter Library provides architecture, design, art, and related resources within the DAAP building.
Galleries & Exhibitions: The DAAP Galleries, including the Reed and Meyers Galleries, provide spaces for exhibitions that complement students' exposure to contemporary design and architecture.
Interdisciplinary Learning: DAAP encourages students to collaborate across disciplines, while its labs and initiatives support projects involving architecture, design, technology, planning, and research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the University of Cincinnati’s Bachelor of Science in Architecture leave with a pre-professional architecture foundation plus three semesters of paid professional experience through UC’s co-op program. The degree is designed to prepare students for continued study in a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree, while the co-op experience can provide substantial professional practice experience before graduate study.

Typical career directions include architectural designer, architectural assistant, design professional, and architectural project support roles, while the BS in Architecture itself is positioned primarily as preparation for further professional architectural education.

Career development and progression opportunities:

Paid co-op experience: Architecture students complete three co-op semesters, working full-time in architecture firms locally, nationally, or internationally. UC maintains a roster of 500+ architecture firms for professional practice opportunities.
Co-op career support: Students receive guidance from a dedicated co-op faculty advisor, along with resume and portfolio workshops, mock interviews, application support, and access to employer opportunities through UC’s co-op system.
Industry network: DAAP reports that its co-op students work across 37 states, 175 cities, and 22 countries, with almost 2,000 employers having worked with DAAP students.
Employer connections: UC’s co-op model connects students with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations to startups, providing opportunities to build professional networks before graduation.
Co-op earnings: Across UC, 9,614 co-op enrollments generated $99.5 million in student earnings in 2025–26, with 1,798 employers participating. These are university-wide co-op figures, not architecture-specific salary statistics.
Graduation outcomes: For the DAAP college, UC reports an 88.6% employment rate, 6.1% continuing-education rate, and $47,410 three-year average salary for 2024–25 bachelor's degree completers. These figures cover DAAP bachelor's graduates overall rather than BS Architecture specifically.
University-wide outcome: UC reports that 92.5% of graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months, based on its university-wide outcomes reporting.
Professional accreditation pathway: The BS Architecture is explicitly a pre-professional degree, not itself a NAAB-accredited professional degree. Its value for long-term architectural practice is that it provides preparation for a subsequent NAAB-accredited M.Arch, which is the professional degree route identified by UC for students progressing toward architectural licensure.
Professional experience toward licensure: UC notes that state licensing boards grant substantial credit for the program’s professional-practice experience toward the internship experience required for the architectural registration examination.
Career services: Beyond co-op, students can use the Bearcat Promise Career Studio, Handshake, Big Interview, DAAP career fairs, architecture and interior-design advising, and professional networks including AIA Cincinnati, AIA Ohio, and the AIA National Career Center.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS Architecture, students can progress directly into UC’s Master of Architecture II (M.Arch II), specifically designed for applicants with a B.S. in Architecture, requiring 64 graduate credits. Students may also pursue UC’s M.Arch I if appropriate, while the Master of Science in Architecture provides a research-oriented option and can lead toward UC’s Ph.D. in Architecture.