The College of Architecture and Urban Studies offers fifteen related programs of study: undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture, industrial design, building construction, and landscape architecture; undergraduate programs in public and urban affairs and environmental policy and planning; graduate degrees in public administration, public and international affairs, and urban and regional planning; and Ph.D. programs in public administration and policy and environmental design and planning. These programs share a common purpose each is concerned with the social, political, economic and design processes which together bring order, vitality, and form to our surroundings. Each program treats parallel general educational and professional dimensions of study of design, planning, policy, and management.
Research and outreach programs supplement instructional efforts and are carried out through college centers and laboratories. Specialized study centers offer students and faculty members opportunities for concentrated investigations in such areas as History and Theory of Architecture, Metropolitan Studies, Information Technology, Computer-Aided Design, and Public Policy and Management.
The Environmental Systems Laboratory and Research and Development Facility are also available to faculty members and students for the conduct of research, in-depth investigations of environmental systems, prototype development, and industrial and product design.
The college virtual environments laboratory and other computer facilities make available a wide range of computing and graphic equipment in support of the instructional and research programs of the college.
The Art and Architecture Library, a branch of the University Libraries, is located in Cowgill Hall and houses more than 60,000 volumes, 200 periodicals and 65,000 architectural slides. The college also provides media facilities VTR systems, photographic, darkroom, print making, ceramic, and cinematographic space and equipment.
The college's Washington-Alexandria Center provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to spend one or more semesters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area examining the range of design and planning problems found in large urban centers. The Research in Representation and Architectural Education stream of the college Ph.D. program in Environmental Design and Planning is also located at the center. In addition to classes, studios, and curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the center offers research and continuing education opportunities for students, faculty members, and alumni, and facilitates participation in the rich educational and cultural opportunities of the Washington, D.C. area.
The Europe Studio, based at the university's Center for European Studies and Architecture in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, provides undergraduate and graduate study opportunities. Studios, seminars, and organized travel are offered for students and alumni. The college also sponsors an array of additional study abroad opportunities including study-travel programs in Europe, Cuba, and Latin America.
Students who wish to combine degree options within the college or with related disciplines within the university should contact the major department regarding special undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
Transfer students are urged to write or visit their prospective department heads regarding professional course requirements. A design core program in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, offered in the summer, is required for Virginia Tech students wishing to change colleges and majors and for students transferring from other colleges.
Virginia Tech -- Undergraduate Catalog, 2002-2004
Last update: August 2002
URL: http://www.vt.edu/academics/ugcat/ucCAUS.html