Catalogue 2009-10

• The Schools
• USC School of Architecture
  • Undergraduate Degrees
    • Bachelor of Architecture
    • Bachelor of Science, Architectural Studies
    • Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
    • Minors in Architecture
    • International and Other Programs
  • Graduate Programs
    • Master of Architecture
    • Master of Landscape Architecture
    • Master of Historic Preservation
    • Master of Building Science
    • Dual Degrees
    • Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture
  • Courses of Instruction
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Graduate Programs

The school offers interrelated graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, building science and historic preservation as well as two dual degree programs with the School of Policy, Planning, and Development.

Admission to Graduate Programs

Credentials for admission must include a complete record of all previous college or university work. The applicant must request the registrar of each college or university attended to forward two official transcripts of record directly to the Office of Admission.

Priority for admission and financial aid is given to applications that are complete by January 15. The university will continue to accept and consider applications submitted after January 15.

Following are the basic requirements for admission to the graduate programs:

1. the appropriate degree from an accredited college or university;
2. satisfactory scores on the verbal, analytical and quantitative portions of the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examinations;
3. intellectual promise and clear study intentions that indicate an ability to do acceptable graduate work;
4. a portfolio of design work*;
5. strong personal qualifications.

All students must speak and write English. Foreign students must demonstrate such ability by taking the TOEFL test before leaving their home countries, and, if necessary, by further tests upon arrival on campus.

International students may be required to enroll in American Language Institute (ALI) English courses, based on scores on the English Placement Tests. The cost of these additional courses is the responsibility of the student. In addition, international students should be aware that they may have to defer enrollment in some major courses because of the ALI courses, extending the number of semesters required to complete the program and increasing the overall tuition expense. International students are urged to read with care all information sent to them about English requirements and to take as many English language courses as possible prior to coming to the United States.

Correspondence with the dean or individual faculty members does not constitute admission to the Graduate School or to the School of Architecture. Only a letter from the Director of Admissions grants official admission.

Graduate Program Policies

Graduate students are expected to complete between 12 and 16 units per semester, spring and fall, depending on the program in which they are enrolled.

A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in a course to receive graduate credit. A grade point average of at least B (3.0) on all units attempted at USC toward a graduate degree is required for graduation. Course work taken on a pass/no pass basis cannot be applied toward a graduate degree. If a student does not meet these minimum grades the faculty member should meet with the student to provide timely advisory reviews.

Failure to complete program course work on schedule will result in the loss of financial awards from the School of Architecture and/or may result in suspension from the program upon recommendation from the program director and approval by the Dean of the School of Architecture and the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. Additional semesters may be taken to complete the thesis or directed design research when appropriate.

All appeals will be reviewed initially by the director(s) of the appropriate graduate program and then by a committee consisting of all graduate program directors (with the exception that design courses will be reviewed by the design review committee). Their recommendation(s) will be forwarded to the dean for consideration and action, and then forwarded to the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. All communications must be in writing.

Certificate in Building Science

Building science at USC recognizes that exemplary architecture requires a creative response to natural forces, based on informed good judgment in the areas of architectural technology. The Certificate in Building Science is intended as a supplementary credential for students enrolled in graduate course work in architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, urban planning or related disciplines, and also for practicing design and planning professionals with undergraduate or graduate degrees and related experience.

Course Requirements

Completion of the certificate requires a minimum of 16 units. Students must take three core courses. Electives in building science may be taken to complete the program requirements.

required courses		Units
Choose three of the following six courses:
ARCH 511	Building Systems, or
ARCH 611	Advanced Building Systems Integration	4
ARCH 513L	Seminar: Advanced Structures, or
ARCH 613L	Seminar: Structures Research	4
ARCH 515L	Seminar: Advanced Environmental Systems, or
ARCH 615L	Seminar: Environmental Systems Research	4
Elective(s) in Building Science		4

Sample Electives		Units
ARCH 507	Theories of Computer Technology	3
ARCH 519	Sustainability in the Environment: Infrastructures, Urban Landscapes, and Buildings	3
ARCH 590	Directed Research, or	1-12
One from the list of required courses that was not yet selected		4

Certificate in Historic Preservation

This program is directed at practicing professionals who wish to obtain an academic credential for their involvement in historic preservation projects and at graduate students who wish to obtain a complementary credential to a degree in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, public art administration, geography, anthropology or other related disciplines.

Course Requirements

Completion of the certificate requires 16 units, including ARCH 549 Fundamentals of Historic Preservation (4), ARCH 553 History of American Architecture and Urbanism (4), and either ARCH 550 Historic Preservation Management, Planning and Development (4) or ARCH 551 Conservation Methods and Materials (4). Students may choose to complete both ARCH 550 and ARCH 551. Elective choices (if needed) must be approved by the program director. Students are encouraged to consider courses within the School of Architecture that are related to their interests, but may also choose courses from other programs within the university.

Certificate in Landscape Architecture Studies

This program is intended to introduce at the graduate level the basic subjects inherent to the field of landscape architecture: plant materials suitable to urban conditions; urban utility and transportation systems in relation to topography, natural drainage and pathways; plant and wildlife communities; as well as inquiries about landscape infrastructure and ecology, and the history of human settlement in the evolution of urban landscapes. Southern California and Los Angeles provide an exceptionally valuable natural and sociocultural laboratory for landscape architecture studies.

Course Requirements

Completion of the certificate program requires a minimum of 16 units. Students must take four core courses and select 5 units of electives from the approved list approved by the director of the graduate landscape architecture program.

Core Courses		Units
ARCH 531	The Natural Landscape	3
ARCH 533	Urban Landscape Case Studies	2
ARCH 537	Urban Plant Ecology	3
ARCH 565	Global History of Landscape Architecture	3
Electives, as approved by director		5

Sample Electives		Units
ARCH 530	Landscape Architecture Practice	3
ARCH 532	Elements of the Urban Landscape	2
ARCH 534	Landscape Intervention: Construction Methods	3
ARCH 535	Landscape Reclaimation: Construction Materials	3
ARCH 536	Landscape Planning Process	4
ARCH 538	Urban Plant Ecology: California Plant Communities	3
ARCH 561	Architecture in the Urban Landscape: Projects and Places	2
ARCH 563	Architecture in the Urban Landscape: Comparative Theories	2
ARCH 566	Cross-Cultural Topics in Landscape Architecture History	3

Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate

This multidisciplinary certificate program is open to USC students pursuing graduate degrees in disciplines including anthropology, architecture, biology, chemistry, communication, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, geography, international relations, political science, public policy, sociology, urban planning and others. See Interdisciplinary Programs for course requirements.

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