A Professional Bachelor of Architecture (B-Arch) degree was approved at a meeting of the Utah Valley University Board of Trustees on November 29, 2018. University officials anticipate a high demand for this new design degree to meet a critical employment shortage in the building design industry. The new Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year degree set to begin in Fall 2019. Housed in the College of Engineering and Technology, the new Bachelor of Architecture degree joins the recent addition of three new engineering degrees UVU began offering in the 2018 academic year.

“The new Bachelor of Architecture program will be a great addition,” said Saeed Moaveni, Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. “This new program is a unique opportunity for the architecture students to interact with civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and construction management students and learn that they need to work closely together to complete a project – a preparation so desperately needed in today’s working environment. We also expect the new architectural program to have interactions with our digital media and cyber security programs.”

With upper division coursework, students are immersed in an inter-disciplinary approach to architectural design utilizing a mixture of course offerings from the School of Arts, Construction Management, and the Engineering Disciplines. Throughout the program students will have opportunity to obtain important credentials such as a certificate in Classical Architecture through the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Credential. The new degree program is designed to meet the accreditation requirements of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Students are encouraged to work in the industry and log requisite hours for architectural licensure. Upon graduation students will be eligible to take the State of Utah architectural licensing exams and become registered architects. The new program also allows the learning to be more focused and have greater impact in the community, especially as UVU students become engaged through internships and local employment.

UVU’s College of Engineering and Technology (E&T) is a diversified, dynamic, award-winning college offering over 100 degrees and certificates across ten departments.