School of Architecture: Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies

The Master of Architecture is intended to prepare students to enter into the professional world of architectural practice and discourse. As they advance in the program an increased emphasis is placed on architectural design and theory. Students deal with issues of a broader scope, have more flexibility in their choice of topics, and assume greater independence in their work. There are opportunities to choose from a selection of Graduate Design Studios. A special series of courses addresses professional aspects of architecture. The School provides Architecture students with an exceptional computing environment to support their creative design activities. For details, refer to the University of Waterloo Graduate Studies Calendar.

Professional Accreditation

The Canadian Architectural Accreditation Board Visiting Team reviewed the professional program in October 2005, including the Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture degrees. The team report was presented to the full Certification Board in November 2005. The Board granted the maximum six-year term of accreditation. The Program was deemed to have met all 37 academic performance criteria. The CACB accreditation allows University of Waterloo Architecture graduates to directly enter the process of professional licensure in Canada and the United States.

The provincial architectural associations in Canada require that an individual intending to become an architect hold a professional degree in architecture accredited and/or certified by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board. Two types of degrees are accredited by the Board: (1) the Bachelor of Architecture, which currently requires a minimum of five years of study, except in Quebec, where four years of professional studies follows two years of CEGEP studies and (2) the Master of Architecture, which currently requires a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor's degree or two years following a related bachelor's degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration and licensure to practice as architects.

Three- and four-year degrees, even when included in reviews of the professional programs, are not accredited by the CACB. These degrees are useful to those seeking a foundation in the field of architecture, as preparation for either continued education in a professional degree program or for other professional studies or employment options in fields related to architecture.

Graduates wishing to proceed to professional registration in Ontario should contact The Registrar, Ontario Association of Architects, 111 Moatfield Drive, Don Mills, Ontario, M3B 3L6 for information regarding the work experience and other requirements.

Non-Architecture Students

Students not enrolled in the Architecture Program may take any architectural course listed in the recommended core Program (depending on availability of space) with the exception of courses in the theme area of Design. Prerequisites indicated in the course descriptions are primarily for Architecture students. For non-Architecture students, prerequisite evaluation must be carried out by the respective instructors. Please contact the Course Instructor or the Undergraduate Officer for Architecture if you are interested in taking any Architecture courses.

Note

Students currently enrolled in the former BES, Honours BES and BArch Academic Programs will be required to fulfill their degree requirements as outlined in the undergraduate calendar for their year of entry to the Program. Students in the Honours BES degree may elect to modify their academic Program to align with the new Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree. Those students who entered the Academic Program prior to September 2003 should consult the undergraduate calendar as indicated above for degree requirements and course credit weightings.

Requirements for the Degree of Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies
(Pre-Professional Architecture)