Architectural Studies

Academic Program: Art

Major, Honors, and Honors Major in Architectural Studies: Art Program

The Art Program’s Architectural Studies track focuses on the development of architectural skills and methods including observation, drawing, model-making, mapping and photographic documentation.

Semester long studios vary in scale, methods and thematic focus, but share a conception of architecture that aligns making, craft and materials with analytical thinking, humanistic inquiry and social urgency. The major prepares students for professional degrees or graduate study in a broad range of design disciplines including architecture, landscape, urban planning, historic preservation and industrial design. The major also serves as a meaningful introduction to methods of spatial analysis for students interested more broadly in the role of the built environment in human experience.

A required, three-credit, year-long Senior capstone offers majors a chance to develop an architectural design that demonstrates the knowledge, skills and methods acquired during their time in the program. Students in the Art Program’s Architectural Studies track rigorously document their work in design portfolios that become an important part of their record for graduate school applications and off- campus opportunities.

Requirement for Admission to the Architectural Studies: Art Program Major

• Completion of at least 2 courses in Architectural Studies from either the “Studio” or “History” track at Swarthmore with grades of B or better.
• Students interested in the major must take at least one ARTT course from the list.
• Courses in the “History” track (ARTH) are also listed.

Distribution Requirements for Completion of the Architectural Studies: Art Program Major 

The Architectural Studies (ART) major comprises 12 credits.

Six Pool A credits from Art and Art History; these six credits are inclusive of the 2 credits taken for admission to the major.

In total, students in the studio-based concentration must complete at least 4 pool A credits focused in studio-based courses and 2 pool A credits focused in history and theory.

Three Pool B credits from throughout the college that allow students to develop an interdisciplinary expertise that relates to their study of the built environment.

A three credit full-year Senior Capstone; the senior capstone is an independent thesis that synthesizes a student’s education at Swarthmore in a design project. Architectural Studies majors are granted individual studios in Whittier Hall, alongside other art majors, to complete their capstone.

Pool A Credits

Pool A credits comprise design, art and architectural history courses that introduce majors to the methods, skills, concepts and issues that are central to architectural design and practice. All architectural design classes are “vertical studios” in which students who have never taken a design class work besides more experienced students. Peer-learning and collaborative work become an important part of the design studio. Design courses in Pool A cover a wide diversity of subjects and methods; students should make their selection in consultation with Art Program staff and based on their own interest and curiosity.

(Please see pool A & B course tables.)

Students should take pool A courses with at least three different faculty, two of whom must be from studio-based courses.

Pool B Credits

3 credits from pool B.

Pool B courses come from outside the Art Program and reflect the broad range of knowledge and methods that designers may be called on to synthesize in practice and research. Students are encouraged to choose Pool B credits to develop an expertise (for example, on questions of the city, on biological and material processes, or on the mechanics of movement) that can be further explored in their Senior Capstone.

NOTE: Courses listed in Pool B will vary based on course offerings. This list is not exclusive; students are encouraged to speak with their advisor to identify courses that reflect their own interdisciplinary interest.

Senior Capstone

The 3-credit Senior Capstone comprises 2 credits in the fall (ARTT 101: Contemporary Art Practice) and 1 in the spring (ARTT 102: Senior Capstone) of the senior year. The Senior Capstone is required for all Architectural Studies Majors and cannot be fulfilled through exchange or study abroad program.

Architectural Studies Majors and the 20-Course Rule

It is a college requirement that 20 of the 32 credits required for graduation must be outside the major. This means that students can take no more than 12 courses in the major unless they graduate with more than 32 credits, in which case the surplus can also be in the major. For Architectural Studies majors, the required one credit in art history counts within the major, but additional credits in art history count outside the major.

Off-Campus Study

The Art Program strongly encourages those with an interest in art and its history to consider incorporating study abroad - either during a summer or a regular academic term - into their Swarthmore program. Important examples of art and architecture are scattered throughout the world, and the encounter with works still embedded in their original context is vital to an understanding of their historical and contemporary significance. Students who are interested in bettering their chances of gaining a full Swarthmore credit for a course taken in a foreign program are advised to meet with Sony Devabhaktuni and the chair of the Art Program before leaving the campus. Up to two credits abroad can count toward the major.

Academic Program Requirements forArchitectural Studies: Art Program Honors Major

Students may also elect to combine the Senior Capstone with other courses for evaluation in the college Honors program. Students graduating as an Honors major are granted a solo show in one of the List Gallery’s two rooms. Please reference Honors Major and Minor admission and completion requirements in the Honors Art section in the Art Program Academic Program information for more information, or for further detail, please contact Sony Devabhaktuni, Assistant Professor.  ALL PREPARATIONS FOR HONORS MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY THE DEPARTMENT.

Pool B Courses

• ANTH 122. Urban Ethnographies (M)
• ARTH 082. Histories of Modern Craft
• ENGR 006. Introduction to Mechanics I
• ENGR 007. Art and Engineering of Structures
• ENGR 062. Structural Design
• ENVS 001. Introduction to Environmental Studies
• ENVS 013. Our Trash
• ENVS 047. Environment, Cultural Memory, and Social Change in Japan
• HIST 056. Police, Prisons, & Protests
• HIST 114. Cities and Social Movements
• JPNS 036. Environment, Cultural Memory, and Social Change in Japan
• PHIL 011. Moral Philosophy
• PHIL 021. Social and Political Philosophy: Founding Philosophies
• PHIL 117. Aristotle: Ethics and Politics
• POLS 047. Ethics and Economics (TH)
• PSYC 001. Introduction to Psychology
• PSYC 035. Social Psychology
• SOCI 007B. Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in the United States
• SOCI 058C. Manufacturing Scarcity: The Housing Crisis in American Cities and the People’s Fight for A Home
• THEA 004B. Lighting Design

Academic Program: Art History

Major, Honors, and Honors Major in Architectural Studies: Art History Program

The architectural studies major prepares students well for graduate school in architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, urban planning, historic preservation, and architectural history and theory, as well as for many jobs in those fields open to students with nonprofessional bachelor’s degrees.

The architectural studies history track is ideal for students interested in the multidisciplinary study of the built environment and with a keen interest in the historical development of buildings, cities, and landscapes. Alongside coursework on historical topics taken through the art history program, an essential component of the curriculum comprises studio coursework in architecture and three-dimensional design. Additionally, students will complete credits toward the major outside the Department of Art and Art History that meet the student’s particular interests in the built environment (these could include sociology & anthropology, environmental studies, philosophy, Black studies, theater, and engineering, among many possibilities). Majors will craft their program of study in consultation with their advisor to meet the general distribution requirements and define their trajectory inside architectural studies.

Requirements for Admission to the Major

Overall average of C or better in all courses taken during the two semesters preceding the time of application. Completion of at least 2 of the following courses at Swarthmore with grades of B or better. For a double major, the grade minimum is also B. Students pursuing the architectural studies major in the history track must take at least one ARTH course from this list.

NOTE: Courses listed below will vary based on offerings.

ARTH 001D. First-Year Seminar: Architecture of Philadelphia

ARTH 001N. First-Year Seminar: Indigenous Art, Land, and Environment.

ARTH 002. Cave Painting to the Sistine Ceiling

ARTH008. Built Ecologies: Architecture, Landscape, and Environment in East Asia

ARTH 072. Global History of Architecture: Prehistory to 1750 CE

ARTH 073. Global History of Architecture: 1800-Present

ARTT 005A. Sculpture I: Form, Material, Process

ARTT 006A. Studio Arch. I: Turning Corners

ARTT 006B. Studio Arch. I: Monuments and Public Space

ARTT 006C. Studio Arch. I: Architectures of Air

ARTT 006F. ARCH Design: Dwelling and Inhabitation (A Room Of One’s Own)

ARTT 006G. ARCH Design: Collective Living

ARTT 006H. ARCH: Mapping and GIS (Mapping Infrastructural Movements)

ARTT 006I. ARCH Design: Civic Realm/Public Home

ARTT 006J. ARCH Design: Cities, Territories Infrastructure: (Crum River Futures)

ARTT 006K. ARCH: 2D: Experiments In Drawing

ARTT 023C. 3D Design II: Exploration of Wooden Structures

ARTT 054C. Sculpture and the Environment

ARTT 054D. Sculpture II: Installation

Requirements for Completion of the Major

Architectural studies, course and honors, is a 12-credit major. 6 credits must comprise courses selected from Pool A (includes those taken for admission to the major) and 3 credits comprise courses selected from Pool B (or on related topics, with advisor’s approval). A capstone and preparatory coursework, described further below under Pool C, comprises the remaining 3 credits.

Students in the history track must complete at least 4 pool A credits focused in history and 2 pool A credits focused in studio. They must additionally complete a two-credit seminar in their area of interest and ARTH 100 as their capstone.

Students are required to take pool A courses with at least three different faculty members, two of whom must be in art history for students in the history track. Students may count no more than one study abroad or Tri-Co/Penn course toward the three-faculty rule.

NOTE: Courses listed in pools A and B will vary based on course offerings.

Pool C

Students must complete preparatory coursework and, during senior year, a capstone that corresponds to the plan of study inside their chosen track.

Requirements include:

A two-credit seminar on an architecture- or urbanism-oriented topic in or outside (with advisor’s guidance) the art history program, such as ARTH 138, ARTH 152, ARTH 153, ANTH 122, or HIST 114, subject to offerings, AND ARTH 100. Senior Capstone

Senior Comprehensive Requirement

During senior year, course majors will complete a comprehensive project as part of the required Senior Capstone (ARTH100). Honors majors may alternately satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement through a two-credit thesis (ARTH097). Two-credit thesis writers are not required to take the Senior Capstone.

CR/NC

Except in semesters when CR/NC is required (such as a student’s first semester or the spring 2020 semester), students may not take courses toward major requirements as CR/NC.

Transfer Credits From Other Institutions and Study Abroad

A maximum of two transfer credits will count toward the major, either from study abroad or other U.S. institutions. Majors or minors in architectural studies in the history track requesting transfer credit toward degree requirements must take at least one course at Swarthmore that counts under Pool A above either before or after the course for which they are requesting transfer credit. Students transferring into Swarthmore from another institution should consult with the art history chair regarding their specific situation.

Overlapping Credits

A maximum of two credits may double count for both the major in architectural studies (history track) and a student’s second major. For major and minor credit overlap, the standard overlap rule applies. Because departmental policies vary, please consult with your non-ARTH advisor for questions.

AP Credit

One credit for receiving a 5 in AP Art History will be given upon completion of an art history course in the department. This credit can count only for one of the Pool A requirements.

Architectural Studies: Minor in the Art History 

The course minor in architectural studies in the history track will consist of five credits, three of which should be in relevant ARTH courses and one in a relevant ARTT course (all under Pool A above), and one in a course that would fall under Pool B. Four of the five credits must be taken at Swarthmore. The three credits in ARTH must be with at least two different Swarthmore art history faculty members. Courses toward the minor may not be taken CR/NC (excepting those taken in semesters when CR/NC is required, such as a student’s first semester).

Architectural Studies Majors: Art History 20-Course Rule

It is a College requirement that 20 of the 32 credits required for graduation must be outside the major. This means that students can take no more than 12 credits in the major unless they graduate with more than 32 credits, in which case the surplus can also be in the major.

Because of the inherent interdisciplinarity of the architectural studies major, the six required credits in ARTH and ARTT (Pool A) will count as within the major for the purposes of the 20-course rule, as will the three credits taken under Pool C, but the credits taken under Pool B in other departments will count as credits outside the major (e.g. they will count toward the 20 credits outside the major required for graduation).

Off-Campus Study

We strongly encourage those with an interest in architectural studies to consider incorporating study abroad into their Swarthmore program either during a summer or a regular academic term. Important examples of architecture and art are found throughout the world, and the encounter with works still embedded in their original context is vital to an understanding of their historical and contemporary significance. Past experience has shown, however, that art history and art courses in most study abroad programs fall below the academic standards of comparable courses at Swarthmore. Students who are interested in bettering their chances of gaining a full Swarthmore credit for a course taken abroad are strongly advised to meet with their architectural studies advisor and the art history or art program chair before leaving campus to review course syllabi and determine course credit value. Please note: To receive transfer credits in architectural studies in the history track, you must have taken at least one course at Swarthmore that counts under Pool A above (either before or after going abroad).

Honors in Architectural Studies: Art History 

Requirements for admission to honors do not differ from those for admission to the course major. Once admitted to the honors major, students will be expected to maintain an average of B+ or better in all courses in art history.

Architectural Studies: Art History Honors Major

An honors major in architectural studies in the Art History track requires three two-credit preparations relevant to the major, two of which must relate to topics under Pool A, one of which must relate to a linked field outside of ARTH and ARTT (related to the topics a student has pursued in Pool B). The normal prerequisite for any seminar in art history is two credits of previous art history or relevant architectural studies coursework. Each honors seminar or alternative honors preparation will be evaluated by an outside examiner. (For details on honors preparations and exam formats, see the Honors Handbook.)

An honors major in architectural studies in the Art History track must also fulfill the requirements for the 12-credit course major. Because an honors major in this field will require careful advance planning, potential honors majors should work closely with their advisor well in advance to map out a curriculum that will meet all necessary requirements. Because of the number of credits that honors majors may find necessary to complete all requirements, they are reminded to be attentive to the 20-course rule.

Architectural Studies: Art History Honors Minor

An honors minor in architectural studies in the Art History track consists of one two-credit preparation and completion of at least two other courses, all of which should fall under or relate to topics in Pool A. Three of the four credits should be in ARTH coursework and one in a relevant ARTT course. Three of the four credits must be taken at Swarthmore.