Architecture

Tyler Architecture programs stress critical inquiry and innovation as part of the creative process, teaching students how to intervene in the physical world through carefully considered acts of making. Coursework engages the city, exploring and addressing the ethical, cultural, and social dimensions of architecture and the urban environment, preparing students to become effective and responsible leaders in practices and discourses surrounding the complex global and local issues of our time.

Tyler Architecture offers the following undergraduate degrees:

  • Bachelor of Science in Architecture, pre-professional degree

  • Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management

  • Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation

All of the undergraduate programs prepare students for continued study in the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Master of Architecture professional program which has 2- and 3-year tracks to accommodate students from different undergraduate majors.

  • A 2-year track for students with a 4-year pre-professional bachelor's degree program in architecture.

  • A 3-year track for students with a bachelor's degree in other disciplines or in a non-pre-professional architecture program. 

  • An accelerated track for eligible Temple pre-professional students.

The undergraduate architecture curricula share a common two-year Foundation Program. Upon successful completion of this preparatory program, students continue in the Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management, the Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation, or Bachelor of Science in Architecture. An application process is used to assess the best fit for each student. A place in the B.S. in Facilities Management or the B.S. in Historic Preservation is guaranteed for all students in good academic standing. Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture is competitive.

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture program are eligible to apply for the +1 accelerated undergraduate-graduate program. The program enables qualified and eligible students to complete the 60-credit Master of Architecture (M Arch) degree within a year after graduation with the Bachelor of Science in Architecture pre-professional degree. Eligible undergraduate students use up to 12 specified graduate credits to fulfill requirements for their undergraduate degree. Upon graduation from their undergraduate program, students move seamlessly into their graduate program. At the end of the contiguous fifth year (including two summer semesters), students will receive a Master of Architecture degree. To be eligible for the program, students must be declared Architecture majors; have a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA in at least 45 credits of coursework taken at Temple; be able to complete their undergraduate degree in four full-time semesters (beginning with their first semester taking a graduate course as an undergraduate); and be able to complete the graduate degree in one additional year including two summer semesters of graduate coursework.

Architecture Department Laptop Policy

Laptops are required for all students entering Architecture, Facilities Management, and Historic Preservation programs. The computer and its corresponding digital tools, such as laser cutters, 3D printers, and digital fabrication machines, have become an integral part of architectural pedagogy and the design studio environment. All architecture, facilities management, and historic preservation students begin working digitally in their freshman representation courses within the Architecture Foundations program. This Laptop Policy has been implemented to provide advantageous learning environments that guide students towards the acquisition of tools and skillsets that are most appropriate for the furthering of both their academic and professional journeys. Students should purchase a Windows-compatible laptop.

For full device and software requirements and recommendations, please see the Architecture Program Laptop Policy.

Study Abroad

All Architecture Department students have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester at Temple Rome or Temple Japan. Admission to these programs is competitive. Applications are made through the Temple Education Abroad Office.

Students who plan to study abroad should arrange to meet with an academic advisor as early as possible, preferably during the freshman year, in order to plan the sequence of courses that would be most appropriate. While students majoring in Architecture may study in Rome in the fall or spring semester, Japan is only an option for the spring. Because of program requirements in the fall semesters of junior and senior years, Historic Preservation and Facilities Management majors should consider attending the Rome or Japan program only during the spring semester of the junior year.

Sasha W. Eisenman, Ph.D., Chair, Architecture and Environmental Design
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Dixon Hall, Room 201
580 Meetinghouse Road
Ambler, PA 19002
267-468-8168
eisenman@temple.edu

Robert Shuman, Jr., Architecture Program Head
Architecture Building
2001 North 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-204-4300
robert.shuman@temple.edu

Seher Erdogan-Ford, Architecture Foundations Advisor
Architecture Building, Room 138
2001 North 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA  19122
215-204-3204
seher.erdogan@temple.edu

Programs