Architecture

The Architecture Department

Department website: architecture.barnard.edu
Office location: Suite 500, The Diana Center
Office contact information: 212-518-3148, architecture@barnard.edu

Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Architecture: 
Professor of Professional Practice Kadambari Baxi, kbaxi@barnard.edu
Department Manager: Rachel Garcia-Grossman, rgarciag@barnard.edu
Department Assistant: Elisabeth Sher, esher@barnard.edu 
 

The Study of Architecture

Studying Architecture at Barnard College, Columbia College, and General Studies leads to a liberal arts degree – a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Architecture, and Barnard College is the administrative location for all undergraduate architecture studies at Columbia University and its partner institutions. A liberal arts education in architecture holds a unique position in academia and in relation to the discipline. If the goal of a professional education in architecture is to enable students to participate directly in the world as an architect – a liberal arts education asks that students consider the broader and myriad conditions in which architecture is conceived and practiced and, in turn, to understand how architecture inevitably alters those conditions. Students are asked to confront and interpret the complex social, cultural, political, and environmental processes that weave through architectural design and urbanism. The purpose of an undergraduate liberal arts degree in architecture is to educate students to think about the world through architecture.

The Architecture curriculum introduces design at a variety of scales, acknowledging that integrated design thinking is effective for problem-solving at any scale and in any discipline. Students will experiment with full-scale installations and devices and make small-scale models of the built environment from which they extract, interpret, and invent new possibilities of inhabitation and use. The curriculum intentionally balances the traditions of handcrafted representation with evolving digital technologies of architectural design and communication.

The Architecture major complements, and makes great use of its University setting. With access to superb libraries, research centers, graduate programs, and abundant intellectual resources, our students have the opportunity to follow their creative instincts to great depth and breadth – and they do. The major takes full advantage of our location within New York City, utilizing it as a site for many design and research projects that explore the social, cultural, and environmental histories that have shaped the city. Architecture students study with peers from countries around the world in one of the most diverse cities in the world. A large majority of Architecture students expand their education by interning in Architecture or a related field during their undergraduate studies. Alumni of the Department are leaders in architecture and design fields around the world. The faculty teaching in the undergraduate program are dedicated teachers who are also at the forefront of practice and research and are similarly drawn to New York City as a nexus of global design thinking.

Students interested in obtaining a professional degree in Architecture continue on to graduate programs after their undergraduate degree, and students from the Barnard Columbia program have enjoyed enormous success in their admissions to the most competitive graduate programs in the country. Students who study Architecture as undergraduates have also pursued graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines including Urban Planning, Law, Medicine, Media and Communications, and other related design fields such as Industrial and Fashion Design.

Mission

The Architecture major establishes an intellectual context for students to interpret the relation of form, space, program, materials, and media to human life and thought. Through the Architecture curriculum, students participate in the ongoing shaping of knowledge about the built environment and learn to see architecture as one among many forms of cultural production. At the same time, the major stresses the necessity of learning disciplinary-specific tools, methods, terms and critiques. Thus, work in the studio, lecture or seminar asks that students treat architecture as a form of research and speculation which complement the liberal arts mission of expansive thinking.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students in the Architecture Majors who fully engage with the curriculum should be able to complete the following outcomes:

• Apply integrated design thinking to specific problems in and beyond the discipline.

• Visually communicate architectural concepts and research using discipline-specific techniques in multiple media.

• Verbally present independent, group or assigned research, in multiple media formats.

• Organize and concisely write in a variety of formats including reports, case studies, synthetic overviews, etc.

• Understand and critically interpret major buildings and themes of Architectural history and theory.

• Be intellectually prepared for graduate studies in architecture and related disciplines.

Programs of Study

There are a few distinctions between the opportunities for students at Barnard College, Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, and the School of General Studies to study architecture at an undergraduate level.

Barnard College students can major in Architecture (also referred to as the studio major), major in the History and Theory of Architecture, or minor in Architecture through our department.

Columbia College students can major or minor in Architecture through our department. Columbia students who wish to pursue the History and Theory of Architecture major can do so through Columbia's Department of Art History and Archaeology.

The School of General Studies students can major or minor in Architecture through our department. General Studies students who wish to pursue the History and Theory of Architecture major can do so through Columbia's Department of Art History and Archaeology.

Columbia Engineering students may complete a minor in Architecture.

Student Advising

Advising Resources

Advising Appointments
Our department offers advising appointments for students who are interested in our courses and the architecture major or minor. If you have any questions or need help interpreting departmental requirements for the major or minor, please sign up for an appointment with one of our faculty advisors. Faculty advising appointments are offered throughout the fall and spring and are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about our department. During the summer break, current and prospective students can submit their questions by email to architecture@barnard.edu or wait until the fall when faculty advising sessions resume. 

Major and Minor Advising
After a student has officially declared their major in architecture, they will be assigned a faculty advisor in our department who will meet with them once a semester to review their progress in the major. Although students who minor in architecture are not formally assigned to a faculty advisor, we welcome and encourage our minors to meet with our faculty advisors to address any questions and to refer to the Minor Requirements Worksheet.

Major and Minor Requirements Worksheets
Major and minor worksheets are intended to help students plan their coursework and the completion of their program of study. You can download major and minor worksheets here.

The Architecture Department Newsletter
Our department distributes a weekly newsletter for architecture students. Students who are enrolled in one of our courses or who have declared the major in architecture are automatically subscribed to this newsletter. Those who are not in our courses and wish to subscribe to our newsletter can do so here.

Architecture Program Planning Meetings
Our department hosts two program planning meetings per year, one in October and another in April. At these meetings, students can learn about our course offerings, the course application process, the major and minor requirements, and our events programming. Information about upcoming program planning meetings can be found on our website’s events calendar.

Guidance for First-Year Students

For first-year students who are interested in architecture and design, we offer the following courses, which prioritize first-year students:

ARCH UN1010 Design Futures: New York City

ARCH UN1030 The City: Thinking with the Urban Built Environment

In addition to the above courses, first-year students are encouraged to refer to our program planning lists and review any lecture courses that can count towards the architecture major and minor requirements. First-year students are discouraged from applying for admission to our introductory-level studios Architectural Design: Systems and Materials or Architectural Design: Environments and Mediations; these courses are more appropriate for second and third-year students, and those students will be given priority for admission to these studios. Similarly, our required lecture course for the major, ARCH UN3117 Modern Architecture in the World, can be taken at any time but is generally recommended for the sophomore year as a companion course to the first two studios.

Please note that first-year students interested in majoring in architecture should not enroll in ARCH UN1020 Introduction to Architectural Design & Visual Culture, as this course is intended for third and fourth-year students minoring in architecture or non-majors interested in an architecture studio. This course will not count toward the architecture major. 

To learn more about our courses and department, first-year students are strongly encouraged to sign up for our faculty advising appointments. 

Enrolling in Courses

Course Applications

Many architecture courses require an application. To receive full consideration for admission, you must fill out the course application in advance and also join the online course waitlist during an early registration period.

Please note that our department will only review applications and process admissions during specific weeks, with priority given to those who apply and join the waitlists during one of the early registration periods. 

Admission to our courses is at the discretion of the department and instructor. If a student is admitted from the waitlist, the transition from the waitlist to the class list will occur automatically in Vergil. 

Due to very limited space in our courses, it is possible that a student who has applied and joined the waitlist during an early registration window will remain on the waitlist until the start of classes. Once the semester begins, students who remain on the waitlist for any of our courses must attend the first class session and speak with the instructor if they wish to inquire about available spots.

To learn more about our course application process, please visit our website.

Preparation for Graduate Study

Students who wish to pursue graduate study in architecture or related fields are strongly encouraged to sign up for our faculty advising appointments in their junior or senior year and attend our program planning meetings, where we will highlight any events or workshops that may support the graduate school application process. 

Coursework Taken Outside of Barnard (For Barnard Students Only)

Our department offers studio, lecture, seminar, and project-based courses that can be counted toward a major or minor in architecture. Courses taught by our department are often supplemented by courses from other departments, colleges, and schools at Columbia University, such as the Columbia Art History Department, the Barnard Art History Department, and the Barnard Urban Studies Program. Some courses taught at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) may also be approved to count toward the architecture major or minor each term. 

Before each semester begins, our department reviews all upcoming undergraduate courses and publishes a list of classes that fulfill the requirements for the architecture major and minor. These lists, known as 'Program Planning Lists,' are typically released a semester in advance at our program planning meetings.

Once available, the links to our Program Planning Lists can be found on this page of our website.

Additionally, our department reviews all upcoming graduate courses at the GSAPP that are open for cross-registration by undergraduate students and publishes a list detailing how those courses can fulfill the architecture major and minor requirements. This list, known as the B+C|A List of GSAPP Courses Approved for the Architecture Majors and Minor, undergoes updates each semester and is published by the end of the first week of classes. 

Once available, our list of approved GSAPP courses is uploaded to this page on our website. 

If you have any questions about using either of these lists, or questions about other courses at CU, please schedule an appointment with one of our faculty advisors. 

Advanced Placement Credit

Our department does not grant any course exemptions for AP or other exam scores.

Columbia College Courses

Select courses offered at Columbia University may be used for credit toward the major or minor. These courses have been approved by the Department Chair and are noted on our ‘Program Planning Lists’ each semester. Architecture majors may request consideration for courses beyond this list in fulfilling their ‘Specialization’ within the major—this process is done through consultation with their major advisor.  

Transfer Credit

When students wish to transfer credit to Barnard from other institutions, their coursework is first evaluated for college elective credit by the Registrar’s Office. Once approved, courses can be considered by departments for credit toward the major or minor. Typically, students may apply up to three courses taken outside of Barnard College or Columbia University toward the Architecture major. Whether a transfer course fulfills a major requirement is determined on a case by case basis by the Department Chair. In most cases, the approved transfer courses count toward the Specialization requirement within the major. 

The Architecture Department does not accept transfer credit toward the Architecture minor.

If you would like to request that up to three of your approved transfer courses be considered for the Architecture major, please complete the Architecture Department's Request to Apply External Coursework to the Architecture Major form. Once you submit the form, the Department Chair will be notified and will review your request. The Chair will follow up with you by email if any additional information is needed or to communicate a decision. 

Study Abroad Credit

Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Global Engagement) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus.

Classes taken abroad through other institutions or programs are treated as transfer credit and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. Accordingly, there will be a limit on the number of study abroad courses taken at other institutions that can be counted toward the major or minor. Typically, students may apply up to three courses taken outside of Barnard College or Columbia University toward the Architecture major. Whether a study abroad course fulfills a major requirement is determined on a case by case basis by the Department Chair. In most cases, the approved study abroad courses count toward the Specialization requirement within the major. 

The Architecture Department does not accept study abroad credit toward the Architecture minor.

To receive Architecture major credit for coursework completed while studying abroad, whether through a Columbia-led program or another institution or program, Barnard students must complete the following steps in order: 

1. Meet with your major advisor to discuss whether any courses taken while studying abroad may be eligible to fulfill Architecture major requirements. 
2. After consulting with your major advisor, complete the Architecture Department's Request to Apply External Coursework to the Architecture Major form. Once you submit the form, the Department Chair will be notified and will review your request. The Chair will follow up with you by email if any additional information is needed or to communicate a decision. 
3. If your request is approved, the Department Chair will instruct you to submit a Study Abroad Approval form through Slate to officially record the course approval. 

Summer Credit

Summer courses at Barnard are equivalent to those taken during the academic year. Courses that have been approved for the fulfillment of departmental requirements will automatically count toward the major and minor. 

Courses taken at other institutions (including Columbia) are considered transfer credit and are subject to the same policies governing other transfer courses.

To receive Architecture major credit for summer coursework taken at other institutions (including Columbia), Barnard students must complete the following steps in order: 

1. Meet with your major advisor to discuss whether any courses taken over the summer may be eligible to fulfill Architecture major requirements. 
2. After consulting with your major advisor, complete the Architecture Department's Request to Apply External Coursework to the Architecture Major form. Once you submit the form, the Department Chair will be notified and will review your request. The Chair will follow up with you by email if any additional information is needed or to communicate a decision. 
3. If your request is approved, the Department Chair will instruct you to submit a Summer Course form through Slate to officially record the course approval. 

Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia (For Columbia Students Only)

Our department offers studio, lecture, seminar, and project-based courses that can be counted toward a major or minor in architecture. Courses taught by our department are often supplemented by courses from other departments, colleges, and schools at Columbia University, such as the Columbia Art History Department, the Barnard Art History Department, and the Barnard Urban Studies Program. Some courses taught at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) may also be approved to count toward the architecture major or minor each term. 

Before each semester begins, our department reviews all upcoming undergraduate courses and publishes a list of classes that fulfill the requirements for the architecture major and minor. These lists, known as 'Program Planning Lists,' are typically released a semester in advance at our program planning meetings.

Once available, the links to our Program Planning Lists can be found on this page of our website.

Additionally, our department reviews all upcoming graduate courses at the GSAPP that are open for cross-registration by undergraduate students and publishes a list detailing how those courses can fulfill the architecture major and minor requirements. This list, known as the B+C|A List of GSAPP Courses Approved for the Architecture Majors and Minor, undergoes updates each semester and is published by the end of the first week of classes. 

Once available, our list of approved GSAPP courses is uploaded to this page on our website. 

If you have any questions about using either of these lists, or questions about other courses at CU, please schedule an appointment with one of our faculty advisors. 

Associate Professors: 
Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi

Assistant Professors:
Ignacio G. Galán
Ralph Ghoche
Nick Smith (Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies)

Professors of Professional Practice in Architecture: ​
Kadambari Baxi
Karen Fairbanks (Tow Professor of Professional Practice in Architecture)

Lecturers:  
Leah Meisterlin

Adjunct Professors:
Madeline Schwartzman
Suzanne Stephens

Adjunct Assistant Professors:
Marina Correia
Marlon Davis
Lindsay Harkema
Angela Keele
Clara Kraft
Nick Roseboro
Todd Rouhe
Michael Schissel
Fred Tang
Irina Verona
Ines Yupanqui 

Our Undergraduate Programs of Study

THE MAJOR IN ARCHITECTURE
THE MAJOR IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE
THE MINOR IN ARCHITECTURE

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The Major in Architecture

The major in architecture is open to Barnard College students, Columbia College students, and General Studies students.

The required courses for the major are broken down into four categories: Studios;  Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops;  Senior Courses; and courses for the Specialization.

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Course List

Code	Title	Points
Studio Courses
Four studio courses, to be taken one per semester (studio courses have limited enrollment and priority is given to Architecture majors):
ARCH UN2101	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: SYSTEMS AND MATERIALS
ARCH UN2103	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: ENVIRONMENTS AND MEDIATIONS
ARCH UN3201	ADVANCED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN I
ARCH UN3202	ADVANCED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN II
Lecture, Seminar, and Workshop Courses *
Five courses following the distribution requirement below:
ARCH UN3117	MOD ARCHITECTURE IN THE WORLD
Architectural Elective: History
Architectural Elective: Society, Environment, and the Global
Architectural Elective: Design, Media, and Technology
Architectural Elective
Senior Courses *
ARCH UN3901	SENIOR SEMINAR
Elective Architecture seminar (another Senior Seminar in the Department, Advanced Architectural Research and Design, or Independent Research)
Specialization Courses
All majors are asked to complement their work with a thematic unit (three courses) called the "specialization." Each student develops a specific specialization that broadens their architectural studies in one of the following areas or combination of areas: History, Society, Environment, Global, Design, Media, and Technology. Courses may be taken from across various departments. All majors, in consultation with their advisers, will develop a short (100 word) description of their specialization and advisers will approve their course selections. Students can request and develop other areas of specialization with adviser approval.
Graduation Requirements
The major also requires that students submit a portfolio and a writing sample before graduation. The design portfolio includes representative work from all design studios and the writing sample is a paper or essay from a senior level architecture or architecture-related course. Final submissions are archived in the department, the portfolios are displayed at the end of the year show, and both are used to award graduation honors.

Please Note:

Before each semester begins, our department reviews all available undergraduate courses and publishes a list of approved classes that fulfill the requirements for the architecture major and minor. These lists, known as our 'Program Planning Lists,' are typically released during our program planning meetings, and uploaded to this page on our website. If you have any questions about using these lists, please schedule an appointment with one of our faculty advisors.

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The Major in the History and Theory of Architecture

The History and Theory of Architecture major emphasizes research and writing in Architectural History. This program of study is only open to Barnard College students. Columbia College and General Studies students who are interested in majoring in architectural history should contact the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University.  

The History and Theory of Architecture major consists of 14 courses, distributed as follows:

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Course List

Code	Title	Points
Studio Courses
1-2 studio courses, to be taken one per semester:
ARCH UN1020	INTRO ARCH DESIGN＆VIS CULTURE
ARCH UN2101	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: SYSTEMS AND MATERIALS
ARCH UN2103	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: ENVIRONMENTS AND MEDIATIONS
Lecture, Seminar, and Workshop Courses*
7-8 lecture, seminar, and workshop courses:
ARCH UN3117	MOD ARCHITECTURE IN THE WORLD
Architectural Elective: History
Architectural Elective: Society, Environment, and the Global
Architectural Elective: Design, Media, and Technology
3 to 4 Architectural Electives - any lecture, seminar, or workshop offered by the Architecture Department or an approved course from a related department
*Note: Studios, Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops must total to 9 courses
Specialization
3 courses for the specialization:
Each student develops a specialization that broadens the reach of their architectural studies and supports their thesis. All majors, in consultation with their advisers, will develop a short (100 word) description of their specialization and advisers will approve their course selections.
Senior Courses*
2 courses for the senior course requirement:
ARCH UN3901	SENIOR SEMINAR
ARCH UN3997	INDEPENDENT STUDY
All senior History and Theory of Architecture majors are required to enroll in one semester of Senior Seminar and to write a thesis which can be done through enrolling in Independent Study (ARCH UN3997 or ARCH UN3998). Please consult with your major adviser for planning your thesis.

Please Note:

Before each semester begins, our department reviews all available undergraduate courses and publishes a list of approved classes that fulfill the requirements for the architecture major and minor. These lists, known as our 'Program Planning Lists,' are typically released during our program planning meetings and uploaded to this page on our website. If you have any questions about using these lists, please schedule an appointment with one of our faculty advisors.

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The Minor in Architecture

The minor in Architecture is open to Barnard College students, Columbia College students, General Studies students, and SEAS students at Columbia University.

The Architecture minor consists of five courses, structured as follows:

Course List

Code	Title	Points
Studio Courses
Students must complete at least one of the following studio courses and may apply up to three toward the minor:
ARCH UN1020	INTRO ARCH DESIGN＆VIS CULTURE
ARCH UN2101	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: SYSTEMS AND MATERIALS
ARCH UN2103	ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: ENVIRONMENTS AND MEDIATIONS
Lecture, Seminar, and Workshop Courses*
Students must complete the following lecture course:
ARCH UN3117	MOD ARCHITECTURE IN THE WORLD
The remaining courses for the minor (a minimum of one, or up to three, depending on the total number of studio courses completed) may include any lecture, seminar, or workshop offered by the Architecture Department or an approved course from a related department, as listed in our program planning list.

Academic Year 2026-2027 Courses

Most architecture courses have a restriction on online enrollment (meaning that you will automatically appear on the wait list when you try to register online) and require an application in order to be admitted. Links to our applications are available on our website. For a complete list of courses across the university that have been approved to fulfill various architecture major and minor requirements, please refer to our Program Planning List. For any questions, please sign up for a faculty advising appointment.  

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Fall 2026 Courses

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Spring 2026 Courses

The course schedule listed below may be subject to change. Please revisit this page and the online Directory of Classes in November to confirm our spring course information. 

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