USC ARCHPh.DUSC M.ARCHUSC M.BSUSC M.LAUSC M.HP

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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

MASTER OF bUIldIng SCIEnCE

MASTER OF lAndSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

MASTER OF HISTORIC PRESERVATIOn

PHd In ARCHITECTURE

Ph.D

HBSM.LAHP

Under the vision of Dean Qingyun Ma and the directorship of Gail Peter Borden the Masters Programs in Architecture have

been redesigned as two of the most innovative and experimental programs anywhere in the world. By bringing together

several of the most renowned and progressive faculty, the programs aim to set new standards for postgraduate education

internationally. The USC School of Architecture offers both a professional Master of Architecture degree program [MArch +2]

and a post-professional Master of Advanced Architecture degree program [MArch PP].

The School occupies a key position in design pedagogy in the global design community, the Pacific Rim, and Los

Angeles in particular. The programs draw their inspiration from the energy and dynamism of the city of Los Angeles itself.

This city is a complex laboratory of urban life, a melting pot of different cultures with an astonishingly rich ethnic diversity.

The city is a dystopian/utopian mix of rich and poor, privileged and underprivileged, a range of contested territories and

ever evolving ethnic geographies. Blessed by a benign climate, and yet ever at risk from earthquakes and other natural or

manmade disasters, it is a city that has learnt to take environmental and ecological questions seriously. Above all, Los

Angeles is a highly original and experimental city that has consistently challenged preconceptions and served as an

incubator for new ideas and practices. The USC Masters Programs in Architecture are based in the transformative power

of advanced concepts and strategies, which are tested every day in the laboratory of Los Angeles. By locating our design

research within the unpredictable, problematic and resistant environment of reality, we actively confront culture, site and

construction in preparation for practice in the contemporary city.

The need exists for a new generation of prepared individuals to bring appropriate technology to the design of a sustainable

environment. Building Science at the USC School of Architecture recognizes that exemplary architecture requires an understanding

of and innovative response to natural forces. The integration of the study of building sciences with an understanding of current

practice and development of new tools and technologies creates synergistic and holistic architectural design that satisfies

informed performative goals.

An architect uses creativity and critical thinking to design the built environment considering constraints from economy,

sociology, ecology and other realms. A scientist uses reasoning and observation to investigate principles affecting a process.

Creativity and discovery are traits to be revealed in each of our students and the goal of the program is to draw these out of the

students in a symbiotic learning environment that makes them stronger architects or consultants informing design.

The complex interplay of environmental, structural, and material issues with human needs and global problems is a rich field

for study. The environment and evolving technologies impacting buildings we design have a huge impact on those issues in return.

21st century issues affecting building environments include changing energy needs and sources, the growth of urban density,

and solutions for adapting our aging inefficient buildings. Every decision we make has consequences. In the USC MBS program

we study these decisions and consequences in order to design a better future.

Discover how nature and culture combine to create dynamic

urban environments as a Master of Landscape Architecture

student at the USC School of Architecture. USC offers an

international laboratory for the study of place in an extraor-

dinary natural landscape, at the center of an unparalleled

multi-cultural region, within the context of a great urban

university. Los Angeles opens the extremes and the in-betweens

of urban conditions and of landscape architecture possibilities.

Thus, the study of landscape architecture at USC has a

particular focus on urban place making, environmental

stewardship, and innovation in landscape technologies.

At USC, the MLA Program focuses on understanding

environmental ethics, aesthetics, and social and cultural

needs within the context of design in urban metropoli. Our

pedagogical framework embraces critical approaches to

place making and urban ecology, focusing on how to work

with complex and impacted landscapes.

The Historic Preservation programs at the USC School of Architecture are designed to introduce students to the

documentation, interpretation, and conservation of historic structures, landscapes, and communities in the United States

and Southern California.

The University of Southern Californias location in Los Angeles provides students with an ideal opportunity to explore

new approaches to the critical examination and conservation of resources and landscapes of the second half of the twentieth

century, as well as the complex histories of the wide-ranging, but often-overlooked communities and cultures that have

made the city one of the most ethnically diverse in the world. Its position on the Pacific Rim also places the program in

close contact with emerging fields of conservation in Asia and Latin America. Ongoing research and conservation of some

of the regions architectural masterworks (Frank Lloyd Wrights Freeman House and Greene and Greenes Gamble House)

provide opportunities for hands-on study.

The interdisciplinary environment of the School of Architecture offers a unique opportunity for crafting a holistic

approach to the critical examination of heritage conservation. Students can include study in the areas of Architecture,

Building Science, and Landscape Architecture to stretch the boundaries of current historic preservation practice and

integrate the knowledge of each of these fields.

The USC Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Architecture seeks to

meet the rapidly growing demand for leaders in environmental

design research by addressing serious challenges and global

implications.

Our students are exceptionally well prepared to structure

and communicate ideas and to make scholarly contributions

to the built environment discipline. The faculty guide students

through a rigorous and highly demanding program of advanced

study and original research, maintaining a commitment to the

highest standards of academic achievement.

The Ph.D. program encourages an attitude towards study

that former USC President Steven B. Sample referred to as

breadth with depth. Students are expected to have a broad

education, skills and experience. A community of scholars

from diverse locations and cultures provide a rich setting for

learning. We actively seek candidates from around the world.

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

MASTER OF BUILDInG SCIEnCE

MASTER OF LAnDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

MASTER OF HISTORIC PRESERVATIOn

PHD In ARCHITECTURE

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PROgRAM PHIlOSPHY

The need exists for a new generation of design profes-

sionals, prepared to bring appropriate technology to

the design of a sustainable environment.

PROgRAM REQUIREMEnTS

The two-year program is for students with a background

in architecture, engineering, physics, math or related degrees.

RESEARCH+STUdY AREAS

Studies are centered around thesis research, supported

by seminars and electives from architecture, engineering

and related fields. Students are guided through their

study by three faculty advisors. Areas include:

Building envelope studies

Building information modeling

Computer aided architectural design

Computer applications in architecture

Design in response to natural forces

Energy analysis simulation and measurement

Lighting design and natural lighting

Seismic sustainability

Structural systems, materials and optimization

Sustainability in the environment

Zero net energy buildings

WHY STUdY lAndSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AT THE UnIVERSITY OF SOUTHERn CAlIFORnIA?

Landscape Architecture is thought about and taught as both a natural and

urban phenomenon: integral to the quality of human experience, essential for

reclaiming degraded places in cities throughout the world, necessary for

sustaining all of nature. Design professionals must be able to design projects

that are themselves, evocative, and that repair and enhance their contexts.

Graduate Landscape Architecture studies at USC are based on the knowledge

and skills to engage complex issues and to undertake ambitious explorations.

Graduates are prepared for leadership opportunities in professional practice

as well as in higher education.

Landscape Architecture studies at USC are about place making - a funda-

mentally collaborative responsibility that require leadership from professionals

across the entire domain of planning and design. Thus, we create seamless

relationships between programs, students, and faculty engaged in Architecture,

Landscape Architecture, Preservation, Building Science, and Planning

studies. In this regard, we emphasize intense, highly identifiable core studies

in related disciplines whose boundaries are permeable and overlapping.

Our emphasis is on urban landscapes and on the responsibility of design

professions to create the qualities and meanings of our urban futures.

Landscape planning and design must attend to places and projects at every

scale from the garden to the region. Critical contributions must be made

toward reclamation of degraded natural systems and places. Further

significant progress must be made towards assuring a next generation of

design professionals who create evocative design projects that repair and

enhance their contexts. Nothing less than this will address the opportunities

and challenges of our cities.

Los Angeles is a world center for arts and culture; it is where new and

open adventures begin.

The Master of Landscape Architecture Program at USC encompasses

three distinct curricula:

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE FIRST PROFESSIOnAl dEgREE

The Professional MArch program is a 2 year NAAB accredited degree

intended for individuals who have completed a pre-professional

undergraduate major in Architecture.

This program draws upon the tradition of inspired experimental

architectural design in Los Angeles, typified by two of its most

distinguished graduates, Pritzker Prize laureates Frank Gehry and

Thom Mayne. The first level of the program is dedicated to introducing

the essential knowledge and skills required for the NAAB accredited

degree. The final level builds upon this background in a more experi-

mental and explorative fashion, drawing on the resources and inspira-

tion of Los Angeles itself. Firmly rooted in an investigative mode of

critical professional practice, the aim of every graduate from the USC

Master of Architecture Program is to prepare for the challenges of

the 21st century.

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE POST-PROFESSIOnAl dEgREE

The Post-Professional MArch program is a 1.5 year d egree

intended for individuals who have completed a 5 year undergraduate

professional degree in Architecture.

This program is dedicated to cutting edge research and experi-

mentation, and seeks to explore in a highly innovative fashion the

cultural and technological landscapes of Los Angeles. Through its

range of experimental Labs, the program is structured around the

themes of inventive fabrication processes and material investigations,

hi-tech Californian industries such as film and gaming, and the

complex cultural intensity of Los Angeles. The program also draws

on innovative research undertaken across the USC campus in Cinematic

Arts, Interactive Media, Engineering, Computer Science, Astronautical

Engineering and Neuroscience.

http://arch.usc.edu

FIRST PROFESSIONAL MLA (+3 Curriculum)

A three-year curriculum for students entering with prior degrees in non-design

disciplines. The First Professional Degree curriculum is accredited by the

Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board.

FIRST PROFESSIONAL MLA WITH ADVANCED STANDING (+2 Curriculum)

A two-year curriculum for students who possess an undergraduate degree in

architecture, or another design discipline, with the exception of landscape

architecture. The First Professional Degree curriculum is accredited by the

Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board.

POST-PROFESSIONAL MLA WITH ADVANCED STANDING (+1.5 Curriculum)

A one-and-a-half year curriculum for students who already possess an

undergraduate degree in landscape architecture. The post-professional (PP)

curriculum is not subject to accreditation since admitted students already

possess an accredited degree or the equivalent.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES AND DUAL DEGREES

Studies in the Master of Landscape Architecture Program can be combined

with the following graduate certificates and/or dual degrees.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Graduate Certificate in Architecture and Urbanism

Graduate Certificate in Building Science

Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation

THE DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM: MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE/

MASTER OF PLANNING

Preparation for a public or private sector career in urban design, landscape

architecture, and planning, or preparation for doctoral studies; five-semester,

66-unit degree program requires a BLA degree or equivalent.

MASTER OF HISTORIC PRESERVATIOn dEgREE

This two-year program consists of 48 units of study, including

electives which may be taken anywhere within the university,

and the completion of a masters thesis. Under the guidance of

the program director, students are encouraged to develop an

area of concentration through their choice of electives and

thesis topic. This concentration may focus on architectural or

cultural history, the conservation and rehabilitation of historic

sites and landscapes, issues associated with building science

and technology, or other areas of inquiry appropriate to the field.

Upon completion of their study at USC, students will be

conversant with the principles of historic preservation practice,

including the standards and guidelines that apply to the

designation, conservation, financing, and development of

historic preservation projects. In addition, students will acquire

a fundamental knowledge of American and Southern California

architectural history. Students in the program may also choose

to obtain a Graduate Certificate in Architecture and Urbanism,

Building Science or Landscape Architecture.

USC PH.d. ARCHOriginally established in 1965 as a Doctor of Building Science (DBS)

degree, the University now offers the Doctor of Philosophy in Archi-

tecture (Ph.D.) degree.

The USC School of Architecture has long-established strengths in

integrated design, the building sciences, performative environments,

landscape architecture, digital methods and historic preservation.

Faade Tectonics and the Building Envelope

Deep Sustainability

Digital Theory, Media, and Methods

Solar Access and Natural Forces Design

Seismic and Lateral Force Design

Landscape Urbanism

Fabric and Membrane Structures

Digital Fabrication, CAD/CAM

Performative Architecture

Lighting / Daylighting / Glare

Building Information Modeling

Historic Structures Technology and Preservation

Integrated Architectural Technology

The program is structured around intensive seminars and an individu-

alized program of study. Students will gain a fundamental knowledge

base and advanced analytical and research methods skills. Students

are expected to master a defined field of scholarship that constitutes

a foundation for critical inquiry required by research. Graduate

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIES

For working professionals and graduate students, with the exception of

students enrolled in the MLA Program, to acquire understanding of core issues

and knowledge; 16-unit program requires graduate standing and certificate

program admission.

ASSOCIATED CENTERS AND INSTITUTES

USCs Center for Sustainable Cities

The Center for Sustainable Cities (CSC) is an Organized Research Unit (ORU)

housed in the USC School of Policy Planning and Development. Established

about 10 years ago, the Center fosters multidisciplinary sustainability research

with an emphasis on sustainability challenges of metropolitan areas. With its

interdisciplinary faculty, strengths in urban planning, real estate development,

transportation, and metropolitan governance, and its rich funded research

portfolio, SPPD provides an ideal home for CSC.

USCs Spatial Sciences Institute

The USC Spatial Sciences Institute was established in July 2010 to promote

spatial thinking, analysis, modeling and visualization and thereby help to

build excellence in research, teaching and outreach across the entire univer-

sity. This effort stretches from the fundamental spatial sciences (parts of

computer science, geography and psychology) to those in academic fields

and application domains that can usefully adopt and apply the geospatial

technologies and underlying scientific concepts (civil engineers, earth

scientists, epidemiologists, historians, landscape architects, planners, etc.).

http://arch.usc.edu

FInAnCIAl AId

Departmental Merit Based Awards, Graduate Research positions

and Class Assistant opportunities are available.

JOb OPPORTUnITIES

The program prepares students for technical coordination

leadership roles. Graduates have found challenging jobs and

rapid advances in architecture, engineering, education and

government.

THE FACUlTY

USCs architecture technology faculty includes design and

research professionals of national and international prominence

in both academia and practice. Southern California contains a

wealth of expertise in architecture and engineering consultants,

but also entertainment, aerospace, computing and other

specialties. Faculty from Architectural Design, Landscape

Architecture, Historic Preservation, Structural Engineering,

Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials

Engineering, Sustainable Cities, Real Estate, Planning and Public

Policy and Religion have participated on Thesis Committees to

enhance and align with student thesis studies.

http://arch.usc.edu

gRAdUATE CERTIFICATE In HISTORIC PRESERVATIOn

The Historic Preservation Certificate program consists of

sixteen units of course work and is intended as a supplementary

credential for students enrolled in graduate programs in

Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Building Science, Urban

Planning, or related disciplines. It is also available to practicing

preservation, design, and planning professionals in the community.

SUMMER SHORT COURSES In HISTORIC PRESERVATIOn

The Summer Short Courses in Historic Preservation offer

classes and field trips during the summer. They are taught by a

team of practicing professionals in fields ranging from conser-

vation and engineering to economics and law. Studies include

visits to historic sites, such as the Gamble and Freeman Houses,

the laboratories of the Getty Conservation Institute, and current

rehabilitation projects.

http://arch.usc.edu

Certificate programs offer students the opportunity to establish

additional areas of expertise. After completion of a core set of required

and elective coursework, the program of study culminates in the

development of a dissertation of original scholarly research guided

by a faculty team. The Doctor of Philosophy is awarded to students

who complete a substantial dissertation of original research that adds

new knowledge to the field.

Ph.D. candidates are colleagues of the faculty and are expected to

contribute to and foster the intellectual community of the USC School

of Architecture. Candidates will be prepared to function in research,

academic and professional environments as university faculty,

consultants, professionals, and scientific researchers. Faculty and

students are held to the highest standards of academic excellence

and environmental ethics to help create the quality of experience

expected at one of the worlds finest universities. The program is

designed to be completed in three years (72 units). Advanced

standing is available for well-qualified candidates. Merit Based Awards

are available. All applicants are automatically reviewed for financial

aid, and all students receive substantial assistance in the form of

scholarships and research aid.

Please contact the Chair of the Ph.D. Program with your questions.

http://arch.usc.edu