Explanation of the New Graduate Professional Studio Sequence
The courses in question, though graduate courses, are part and parcel of a total package of professional study in our college and are best understood holistically as part of a continuous and cumulative professional building design studio sequence that begins at "Studio 1" (ARCH1412) taken in the spring semester of the freshman undergraduate year.
Our last professional architecture curriculum incorporated an additive and incremental building design studio sequence of ten courses totaling 54 credit hours- 6 undergraduate courses adding up to 30 credit hours and 4 graduate level courses adding up to 24 credit hours. These changes do nothing to change that level of distribution. The sum will still be 6 undergrad courses of 30 hours and 4 grad courses of 24 hours. What is proposed is a pedagogical shift in the way we deliver content in individual coursework and how we define the stream of studios. To do so we made a shift in the coursework in the graduate level of study:
2007-08 Studio Curriculum Model: The sum ten studios form a sequence of eight studios (6 undergrad (1412, 2501, 2502, 3501, 3502, & 4601) and 2 grad (5604 & 5605)) leading to a two semester single project M.Arch. culmination or capstone (5691 & 5692), the "Master's Design Studio".
2008-09 Studio Curriculum Model: A sequence of seven core building design studios followed by a non-sequential set of three graduate topical (required elective) studios. The seven studio core building design sequence includes the sum six undergraduate studios (1412, 2501, 2502, 3501, 3502, & 4601) and culminates in the first graduate studio experience (5901) as an intensive compilation of the content areas covered in the six undergraduate courses (intro, form, program, structure, envelope, urbanism) and it meets or exceeds the requirements of the NAAB student performance criterium on "Comprehensive Design".
Comprehensive Design Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project based on a building program and site that includes development of programmed spaces demonstrating an understanding of structural and environmental systems, building envelope systems, life-safety provisions, wall sections and building assemblies and the principles of sustainability.
The nine credit hour comprehensive building design studio set at the beginning of the graduate experience is a highly regulated and rigorous course with a narrow and focused set of expectations. It acts as both culmination and gateway in the overall program. Once that course (5901) is completed the student will have demonstrated a standardized and expected level of professional and disciplinary acumen.
After the nine-credit hour comprehensive studio the students then move into a set of three non-sequential open ended required elective five credit hour research and advanced practice related specialized studios whose content is designed to accommodate the integration of faculty areas of specialization and the introduction of advanced issues in contemporary practice in the architectural profession. In these changes the capstone "Master's Design Studio" is dissolved and replaced with a comprehensive (less independent and individual) nine credit hour building design studio at the entry point into graduate studies.
The content of the required elective graduate topical studios at the end of our professional curriculum is based on the topics that particular faculty will bring to the coursework. A key part of the implementation of these changes is the intention to rotate virtually all interested graduate faculty teaching in the core building design studios through these courses (the first seven studios) so that all qualified colleagues teach in this level from time to time. That will include 20+ faculty passing through the coursework each one bringing a highly focused and changing expertise. Our college curriculum committee will vet each proposal for a graduate topical studio based on relevance to contemporary practice, qualification and credentials of the proposing faculty, and potential to advance research and creative activity in the college and then forward their recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academics as they make final staffing decisions.
Our last professional architecture curriculum incorporated an additive and incremental building design studio sequence of ten courses totaling 54 credit hours- 6 undergraduate courses adding up to 30 credit hours and 4 graduate level courses adding up to 24 credit hours. These changes do nothing to change that level of distribution. The sum will still be 6 undergrad courses of 30 hours and 4 grad courses of 24 hours. What is proposed is a pedagogical shift in the way we deliver content in individual coursework and how we define the stream of studios. To do so we made a shift in the coursework in the graduate level of study:
2007-08 Studio Curriculum Model: The sum ten studios form a sequence of eight studios (6 undergrad (1412, 2501, 2502, 3501, 3502, & 4601) and 2 grad (5604 & 5605)) leading to a two semester single project M.Arch. culmination or capstone (5691 & 5692), the "Master's Design Studio".
2008-09 Studio Curriculum Model: A sequence of seven core building design studios followed by a non-sequential set of three graduate topical (required elective) studios. The seven studio core building design sequence includes the sum six undergraduate studios (1412, 2501, 2502, 3501, 3502, & 4601) and culminates in the first graduate studio experience (5901) as an intensive compilation of the content areas covered in the six undergraduate courses (intro, form, program, structure, envelope, urbanism) and it meets or exceeds the requirements of the NAAB student performance criterium on "Comprehensive Design".
Comprehensive Design Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project based on a building program and site that includes development of programmed spaces demonstrating an understanding of structural and environmental systems, building envelope systems, life-safety provisions, wall sections and building assemblies and the principles of sustainability.
The nine credit hour comprehensive building design studio set at the beginning of the graduate experience is a highly regulated and rigorous course with a narrow and focused set of expectations. It acts as both culmination and gateway in the overall program. Once that course (5901) is completed the student will have demonstrated a standardized and expected level of professional and disciplinary acumen.
After the nine-credit hour comprehensive studio the students then move into a set of three non-sequential open ended required elective five credit hour research and advanced practice related specialized studios whose content is designed to accommodate the integration of faculty areas of specialization and the introduction of advanced issues in contemporary practice in the architectural profession. In these changes the capstone "Master's Design Studio" is dissolved and replaced with a comprehensive (less independent and individual) nine credit hour building design studio at the entry point into graduate studies.
The content of the required elective graduate topical studios at the end of our professional curriculum is based on the topics that particular faculty will bring to the coursework. A key part of the implementation of these changes is the intention to rotate virtually all interested graduate faculty teaching in the core building design studios through these courses (the first seven studios) so that all qualified colleagues teach in this level from time to time. That will include 20+ faculty passing through the coursework each one bringing a highly focused and changing expertise. Our college curriculum committee will vet each proposal for a graduate topical studio based on relevance to contemporary practice, qualification and credentials of the proposing faculty, and potential to advance research and creative activity in the college and then forward their recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academics as they make final staffing decisions.
posted by B.Rex at
31.10.08
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