The Architecture and Construction Management Dual Degree program is designed for students who want education in both the design and construction disciplines. By pursing the degrees simultaneously, students are able to obtain a BS in Construction Management degree and a BA in Architectural Studies with just three additional quarters of study.
The Dual Degree prepares students to pursue professional graduate degree programs in architecture, construction management, or facilities management. The additional degree is also valuable for graduates who are seeking supervisory or managerial positions at government agencies, consulting firms, general contractors or homebuilders that require an understanding of architectural design and problem solving, or at architectural, design, or planning firms that need expertise in project planning and management, scheduling, cost estimating and materials. Dual Degree majors are an outstanding match for companies and organizations who need someone to manage projects with architects and builders.
The Dual Degree curriculum is a blend of the Architecture and Construction Management programs. Students begin as Architectural Studies majors and then apply to the Construction Management Department in the spring of their junior year. Students typically study the entire Architecture curriculum, taking CM classes as electives, then spend their last year of study in the CM Department.
To prepare for Architectural Studies, students must take 17 credits of architectural prerequisites including three quarters of architectural history and two drawing classes to help students prepare a portfolio they will need for admission in addition to 73 credits devoted to satisfying the University of Washington’s general education requirements. Dual Degree applicants do not need to take Construction Management prerequisites.
The upper division curriculum for the Dual Degree program totals 225 credits and requires three years of study. The Architectural Studies coursework provides students with a firm foundation in the historical, theoretical, technological, and environmental forces that influence architectural design. Architectural design studios provide students with the opportunity to synthesize their knowledge and skills through design projects undertaken in an intensive studio environment. The Construction Management curriculum includes structural analysis and design, construction methods and materials, mechanical and electrical systems, safety, estimating, project planning and control, project management, and business and management electives. Dual degree students are required to take a summer internship in their fifth year.
Architectural Studies students have the option of taking coursework in Rome at the UW’s Rome Center in autumn of their fourth year of study.