WELCOME TO THE LSU SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Architects are problem solvers and artists, creators and scientists. From individual buildings and sites to large building complexes and city and regional planning, they create structures and environments that enhance the way we live and work. Becoming an architect involves a sensitivity to beauty in forms and materials and an understanding of the relationship between people and their surroundings. To work as an architect, you need an undergraduate or graduate degree, followed by work experience and a professional examination.

The LSU School of Architecture immerses you in the study of architecture as cultural communication. You develop a solid foundation of traditional design, hand building and drawing skills, as well as a learning to use computer and technological resources. The program also involves learning about important related topics such as management, humanities, technology, computer and graphic communication, and incorporating them into your work. As you work through the program, you learn to incorporate new skills and concepts as your projects evolve from ideas to finished designs.

The standards are high and the program is demanding. Faculty members expect excellence. You will be challenged to go beyond the minimum standards to explore design and experiment with risks in your own creations.

The School of Architecture offers Bachelor’s and Master’s professional degrees. The bachelor’s degree is a five-year program. The length of the master’s degree program depends on your undergraduate background and your particular area of interest. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has accredited both the Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees offered by the School of Architecture.

The School has received national and international recognition for its work. Design Intelligence’s national survey ranks the program as the number one architecture school in Louisiana and one of the top ten in the southeast. You will find faculty involved in both historic preservation and community design studies, exhibiting an appreciation and understanding of the past, and the imagination and forward-thinking required for addressing the changing needs of modern communities.

When you come to the School of Architecture, you benefit from the resources of a large state school and the close-knit feel of a smaller program. Classes have a student faculty ratio of 20:1 during the first two years, and 15:1 in upper level classes. The school has approximately 250 students, with 90 students officially accepted in the program after year two. You will find yourself surrounded by a community of familiar faces, where you can learn, create and grow together. Many of our students come from LSU, with an increasing number of students in the Gulf Region choosing the College of Art + Design's School of Architecture over other regional programs. The school is also working to develop a more diverse student body and faculty.

Our faculty has a passion for design and for teaching, challenging every student to fully develop their talents and creative perspective. Small classes allow for individual attention, as well as the opportunity to ask questions, challenge ideas and discuss complicated concepts. Faculty members are guides and mentors, developing relationships that last long after graduation.

The School of Architecture has a record of collaborative investigations with philosophy, anthropology, geography, landscape architecture, business and social work. Our faculty and students have an appreciation for other fields and frequently work on cross-disciplinary teams in creating and executing designs.

Southern Louisiana is a unique and inspiring place for the study of architecture. Relying on the range of urban and rural landscapes of Louisiana and the lower Mississippi Delta Region, our undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize inquiries into the role of design and architecture as it relates to the structure and perception of a city. Through understanding and preservation of historic buildings, sites and urban districts, students learn how to protect historic elements as a community progresses into the future.