Architectural Studies and Design, BS (Boston) < Northeastern University Academic Catalog

The combined major in architectural studies and design integrates the study of architecture with the practice of understanding humans, their surrounding contexts and systems, and designing alternative futures. Students pursue a flexible curriculum focused on key contemporary topics related to the built environment to actively pursue meaningful goals with a holistic and integrative approach to understanding principles and systems of perception, communication, and action.

Students are offered several options for the study of design: experience design, a holistic and integrative approach that focuses on the quality of the human experience in concrete situations; graphic design, the integration of text and image to communicate critical concepts; information design, the visualization and physicalization of data to enhance human understanding of complex knowledge; or interaction design, the creation of navigable interfaces and systems that allow audiences to take an active role to achieve meaningful goals.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

NUpath attributes Engaging with the Natural and Designed World (ND), Exploring Creative Expression and Innovation (EI), Interpreting Culture (IC), Analyzing and Using Data (AD), and Engaging Differences and Diversity (DD) are met through the major course requirements.

In order to graduate, students must complete Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ) and Ethical Reasoning (ER) in their electives.

*Note: Students who wish to be eligible for the two-year Master of Architecture degree should take the following courses: Architectonic Systems (ARCH 2240), Architecture, Infrastructure, and the City (ARCH 3170), Structural Systems (ARCH 5230), along with calculus and physics.

Architectural Studies Courses

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
ARCH 1110	Fundamental Architectural Representation	4
ARCH 1120	Fundamental Architectural Design	6
ARCH 1310 and ARCH 1311	Buildings and Cities, A Global History and Recitation for ARCH 1310	4
ARCH 2130	Site, Space, Program	6
ARCH 2260	Introduction to Building Systems	4
ARCH 3450	Advanced Architectural Communication	4
Architecture History Elective
Students must complete at least one ARCH 2300-level history course.		4
Electives
Complete two of the following:		8
ARCH 1450	Understanding Design
ARCH 2140	Urban Housing
ARCH 2370	Topics in Architectural History
Any second ARCH 2300-level history course
ARCH 3351	Architecture Topics Abroad: Theory
ARCH 3352	Architecture Topics Abroad: Drawing
ARCH 3370	Advanced Topics in Architectural History
ARCH 4850	Urban and Architectural History Abroad
ARCH 5310	Design Tactics and Operations

Design Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Art + Design Fundamentals
ARTF 1220	Elements of Visual Composition (with optional ARTF 1221)	2
Art + Design Fundamentals Elective
Complete 6 semester hours of the following:		6
ARTF 1200	Representational Drawing
ARTF 1210	Abstract Drawing
ARTF 1230 and ARTF 1231	Making with Form and Materials and Making with Form and Materials Tools
ARTF 1240 and ARTF 1241	Making with Video, Sound, and Animation and Making with Video, Sound, and Animation Tools
ARTF 1250 and ARTF 1251	Designing Interactive Experiences and Designing Interactive Experiences Tools
Design Required
ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002	Design Perspectives: An Introduction to Design in the World and Seminar for Design Perspectives	4
ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271	Design: Process + Practices and Studio for Design: Process + Practices	4
ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291	Typographic Systems and Studio for Typographic Systems	4
Design Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTG courses as long as prerequisites have been met and courses have not been used to fulfill other requirements of the program. ¹		4
Art + Design History Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTH courses. ARTH 1001 Visual Intelligence and ARTH 1002 Seminar in Visual Intelligence is recommended to fulfill this requirement.		4
Art + Design Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTD, ARTE, ARTG, ARTH, ARTS, or GAME courses as long as prerequisites have been met.		4
If ARTG 5000 Topics in Design (or any other topics course in the subjects listed above) is completed more than once, the additional completions may be allowed toward the electives.
Degree Capstone Project
ARTG 4550	Design Degree Project	4

¹: Successful completion of both Prototyping with Code (ARTG 2262) and Lab for Lab for ARTG 2262 (ARTG 2263) may satisfy this requirement.

Design Option

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following options:		8
Creative Fabrication
ARTG 2810	Creative Fabrication Design Principles
ARTG 3810	Topics in Creative Fabrication Inquiry
Experience Design Option
ARTG 3462	Experience Design Principles
ARTG 3464	Topics In Experience Design Inquiry
Graphic Design Option
ARTG 2252	Graphic Design Principles
ARTG 3452	Topics In Graphic Design Inquiry
Information Design Option
ARTG 2242	Information Design Principles
ARTG 3444	Topics in Information Design Inquiry
Interaction Design Option
ARTG 2400	Interaction Design Principles (with optional ARTG 2401)
ARTG 3400	Topics In Interaction Design Inquiry

Integrative Requirement

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
The following course is already required in the major:
ARTG 4550	Design Degree Project

Major Credit Requirement

Complete 84 semester hours for the major.

Program Requirement

132 total semester hours required

Sample Plan of Study

Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer Session B/Fall

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
ARCH 1310 and ARCH 1311	4	ARCH 1110	4	ARTF elective	2	Vacation
ARTF 1000 or ARCH 1000	1	ARCH 1120	6	ARTF elective	2
ARTF 1220 (with optional ARTF 1221)	2	ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271	4	Elective	4
ARTF elective	2	ARCH history elective	4
ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002	4	EEAM 2000	1
ENGW 1111	4
	17		19		8		0
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
ARCH 2130	6	ARCH 2340 and ARCH 2341	4	Elective	4	Co-op	0
ARCH 2260	4	ARCH 3450	4	Elective	4
ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291	4	ARTH elective	4
ARCH elective	4	Design option level 1	4
	18		16		8		0
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
Co-op	0	ARCH elective	4	Elective	4	Co-op	0
ENGW 3314 or 3302 (online)	4	A+D elective	4	Elective	4
		Design option level 2	4
		Elective	4
	4		16		8		0
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
Co-op	0	ARTG 4550	4
Elective (online)	4	ARCH elective	4
		Design elective	4
		Elective	4
	4		16
Total Hours: 134

Academic Catalog 2026-2027

Architectural Studies and Design, BS (Boston)