Requirements for the Bachelor of Architecture
Required Writing Courses
Eight units of writing requirements.
Physics and Math
Eight units, including PHYS 125L (or equivalent) (4) and MATH 108 (or equivalent) (4).
General Education Requirements
Six courses, one course from each of the six categories identified by Roman numerals:
Category I. Western Cultures and Traditions
Category II. Global Cultures and Traditions
Category III. Scientific Inquiry (Physics 125 satisfies Category III)
Category IV. Science and Its Significance
Category V. Arts and Letters
Category VI. Social Issues
Professional Electives
A minimum of 12 units of professional electives in architecture is required.
Free Electives
An additional 12 units in any category of professional courses, humanities, social sciences and communication and natural sciences. Natural sciences include astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, geological sciences, mathematics (excluding MATH 108) and physics (excluding PHYS 125L or PHYS 135abL). One of these courses must satisfy the USC Diversity Requirement.
Core Requirements
In order to take advantage of elective opportunities in the advanced program, students must complete the following courses prior to the end of second year: ARCH 102abL, ARCH 105L, ARCH 202abL, MATH 108 (or equivalent), PHYS 125L (or equivalent), ARCH 211, ARCH 213ab, ARCH 114, and ARCH 214ab.
Design Studio Scholarship Standards
Consistent with high standards of our first professional degree program and the importance of the design studio, students must earn a grade of C or above in each semester of design (ARCH 102abL, 202abL, 302abL, 402abcL, 502aL) in order to continue in the design sequence and to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course until such a grade is achieved.
Credit by Examination
Students may establish a total of 32 semester units of credit toward their Bachelor of Architecture Degree. AP Examination credit is explained below. For information on credit for International Special Examination please contact the Office of International Admission.
Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)
USC grants college credit for high school honors courses that have been validated by the Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) of the Educational Testing Service. A student may be granted four semester units of credit for each AP score of four or five.