Architects provide a vital service for society. Architectural creations add beauty, utility, and safety to the places that people live, work, and play. Architects must have a license to practice in the United States. Online courses in architectural design are available from a number of universities. However, students wishing to obtain a bachelor's, masters, or postgraduate degree in architecture must complete some of their coursework in brick-and-mortar institutions.
Licensing and Degrees
To obtain an architecture license in the United States, students must earn a degree from an accredited institution, complete an internship, and pass the standard exam. Before selecting a school and a degree, students should check with their state-licensing board for specific licensing requirements
Students studying architecture can earn five-year bachelor degrees, graduate degrees, and postgraduate degrees. Students who earn a bachelor's degree in architecture, art, mathematics, or engineering can earn a master's degree in architecture in two to three years. Most schools offering architectural degrees are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). (See Reference 1)
Course Requirements
Architecture degrees require mastering a number of disciplines, including mathematics, engineering, visual art, design, and communication. In addition, students must take core courses to earn their degree.
Architectural Degrees and Distance Learning
Many accredited colleges and universities offer classes to obtain architectural degrees online. However, with the exception of associate's degrees, no accredited university offers a complete architectural degree course online. This is because many of the principles involved in obtaining an architecture degree involve hands-on participation. For example, some classes require the building of large-scale models or the use of tools that are only available in the classroom. (See Reference 2)
Free Online Class Offerings
Some schools offer free architecture courses online via OpenCourseWare or other technologies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers architectural courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Course offerings include a study of architecture in different cities and countries, as well as courses in structural theory, urban architectural design, and structural theory. The University of Notre Dome offers a free online class, where students learn about how humans interact with structures, how nature influences design, and how ancient building influences current architectural designs. Stanford University offers free courses through iTunes.com, as does the University of California at Berkeley. Other prominent universities that offer free distance-learning courses in architecture are: the Delft University of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Open University, Utah State University, Rice University, the Dixie College of Utah, and the University of Southern Queensland. (See Reference 1)
Kent State University
Kent State is an example of a college that teaches distance-learning courses from which students can earn a degree in architecture. The courses are offered through The Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM) School at the university. Courses offered include the IAKM program overview, Information Architecture, Content Management Systems, Foundation Principles of Knowledge Management, and Economics of Information and Business and Competitive Intelligence. (See Reference 3)
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