Bachelor of Architectural Studies

Welcome to the Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree program

Please read this degree guide prior to registering.

Congratulations on your decision to study Architecture at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism! Carleton University’s Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree welcomes students entering directly from high school as well as students with previous post-secondary qualifications. Our architectural education offers unique opportunities to address important social and environmental questions through spatial thinking and design. At the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, you are joining a great community of creative thinkers designing from the scale of buildings to the scale of cities, critically considering the relationship between land, people, materials, conservation, and sustainability.

The first year of the program introduces you to the exciting realm of architecture and lays a broad foundation to the different facets of this amazing and diverse discipline. You will take introduction courses to architecture, architectural history, drawing, and structures, learn about multimedia applications and computer modelling, and benefit from teachings in art history, engineering and the social sciences. This learning across cultural, technical, and environmental realms will guide you as you focus your creative inquiries in the different areas of our three interconnected undergraduate majors – Conservation & Sustainability, Design, and Urbanism.

The School’s website is where you will find information to help you with registration in the core and elective courses of the Architecture program. Academic Advisors are available by appointment. You can also come to our main office – room AA 202 in the Architecture Building – where you will always find administrative staff ready to answer your questions.

In your first-year drawing and studio courses, you will learn the fundamentals of architectural representation and material exploration. In the fall term, you will need a small drafting table and architectural drafting tools for hand drawing and physical model making. In the winter term, you will need a laptop for advanced digital drawing, modelling, and rendering. A list of required supplies and computer recommendations will be circulated in the summer prior to your first term.

Your Degree Program

The Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) is a four-year pre-professional honours undergraduate degree program that leads to the professional Master of Architecture program, which is accredited by the Canadian Architectural and Certification Board. While the degree prepares you for further studies in architecture and eventual training as an architect, it also offers a range of opportunities to explore different areas of design while learning more about the world we live in. As part of the degree, you will have the possibility to seek work placements, travel globally or participate in academic exchanges:

• The Co-op Program gives students in their third year up to 16 months of work experience in professional practice, with support from the School and University to find international work placements. The co-op program helps students develop invaluable professional and design thinking skills, create a professional portfolio of work, build a network of contacts, and gain critical employable skills prior to graduating.
• The Directed Studies Abroad (DSA) is an optional studio travel experience for students to attend a two-week long study trip abroad to learn in-situ, engage in local culture and history, and be immersed in new architectural environments. Recent destinations have included Japan, Chile, Morocco, Italy, and the Netherlands.
• The International Exchange Program offers the opportunity to study abroad for the winter term of third year with partner universities in countries like France, Spain, Mexico and Australia, opening new learning opportunities and ways of thinking to our students, while being immersed in a new urban context for studies.

Required Courses for First Year Students

The year-to-year course sequence for the BAS and its three majors may all be found on the School’s Website.

For more information on registration options please visit the Azrieli School of Architecture website.

Congratulations on joining one of Canada’s leading Schools of Architecture. We look forward to welcoming you to the school in the fall!