The study plan for the Bachelor in Architectural Studies at IE University has been designed with the prestigious academic experience at its core, our academic faculty’s expert knowledge and research in each area, and the linkages between the University and the professional world.
The Bachelor in Architectural Studies aims to teach young ambitious individuals to build the proper skill set to become professionals capable of facing real-world challenges.
Through our hands-on teaching methodology, students from the Bachelor in Architectural Studies will find the perfect ideal balance between what is studied throughout their degree and the projects that are applied based on real-world scenarios.
This will aid them to develop profiles that are able to adapt to new trends happening now in the 21st century.
Your journey into the world of architecture begins as soon as you arrive on campus. A coordinated sequence of Design Studio and Graphic Communication courses will teach you a vocabulary of architectural operations, and the tools to represent them properly in architectural graphic language. You will also study the latest digital tools, and will ground your studies in a broader context with an introductory course in architecture history. In your applied math and physics coursework, you’ll prepare yourself for the structural and environmental calculations you will undertake later, and will come to understand the principles that underpin the technical component of architecture. In addition, you will have the chance to work on real-life projects by applying for one of our IEU Labs, like the d-Lab, which will allow you to participate in the design and construction of real projects near our campus in Segovia.
In your second year of study you will broaden your focus to include building technologies, with an introduction to the world of building construction, structures, and environmental technologies. You will also begin to address the city and the region in your introduction to Urban Studies coursework. All these concerns are synthesized in Design Studio, where you will explore how architectural elements and operations can create different experiences, and how architecture can accommodate-or even generate—new uses. You will also start the Experimentation and Design Entrepreneurship workshops, and develop your creativity by stepping outside the boundaries of architecture to work in photography, film, and site-specific art. In this year you will explore entrepreneurship and discover that it goes beyond starting your own studio.
Design Studio in third year deals with an exploration of building systems and materials, and also with the challenge of working within existing built contexts. You’ll strengthen this work by broadening your knowledge of structures and environmental technologies. In your Architecture History and Theory coursework, meanwhile, you will experience a global approach to architecture, with a survey of architecture across centuries and cultures. For the next two years, you will continue your practical experience by having the chance participate in our international internship program, and to work directly with leading architects and designers in the field.
In the fouth year, your studies will increasingly come to focus on the city as a central element of study. Design Studio will deal with collective housing in the urban context, and with the role of architecture on the scale of the broader territory. This work will be linked with real-world global challenges, as part of the IE Impact. Urban Management and Urban Strategies will complement this focus. During your fourth year you will also have a chance to learn the latest digital technologies and continue to deepen your understanding of building structures and foundations. In Architecture History, meanwhile, you will analyze, appreciate, and evaluate the development of modern architecture from the Enlightenment to the present day.
In your final year in the bachelor degree, you will begin by exploring the broad range of areas in which architects can apply their skills, through our unique one-class-at-a-time Alternative Practices sequence, in which students participate in a series of short design workshops, each focusing on a different area of expertise, such as Landscape and Environment, The City, Management and Entrepreneurship, and Design, or Digital Studies. In second semester, you will undertake a complex and comprehensive architectural project, with special emphasis on real-world challenges and building constraints. The second semester also features the Capstone Project, an individually-driven research project that serves as a culmination of your academic and intellectual experience. You will follow your own area of interest in architecture, and will work with a faculty advisor to develop research on that topic.
The unique learning journey of the Bachelor in Architectural Studies has been structured in 12 integrated learning blocks that will allow you to explore the management world in a progressive way.
From day one, you will be immersed in a learning journey designed to help you build your own path to success.
The Bachelor in Architectural Studies and Master in Architecture offered by the IE School of Architecture and Design at IE University, as well as the former Bachelor in Architecture are being assessed by the NAAB’s International Certification program.
“International Certification” identifies a program as comparable in educational outcomes in all significant aspects to a U.S.-based program and indicates that it provides an educational experience meeting acceptable standards, even though such program may differ in format or method of delivery. While International Certification is not accreditation, ICert recognition by the NAAB represents that a program of architecture has achieved the highest standard of quality assurance in professional architecture education.
The ICert process consists of three visits by a NAAB team to a program over a minimum of three years. A NAAB assessment team conducted a virtual visit to the IE School of Architecture and Design on 27–29 October 2020. The NAAB Board of Directors voted to advance the program to visit two, which took place in spring 2022. A decision on whether the program will receive the ICert designation is anticipated in 2024.
The following ICert documents are available for download:
IE School of Architecture and Design is the first Spanish academic institution to be accredited by Singapore, a country renowned for its innovative and vibrant approach to architecture. With this accreditation, our graduates will be able to work with the same footing as graduates from the two Singaporean schools of architecture and expand their global employment opportunities.
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IE University considers multiple language acquisition to be a key element of its educational model, leading to success in both work and study.
The Language Center at IEU is proud to offer students the possibility to study a wide range of languages, including French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and English. With such a large variety of options, our students are able to personalize their academic path to meet their future career plans and objectives.
The Language Center helps students develop their multilingual communicative skills to help them flourish in the international labor market.
In a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program, you study various subjects related to architecture, including:
These courses provide a comprehensive education in the principles, techniques, and knowledge necessary for a career in architecture.
Yes, studying architecture can be challenging. It requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, critical thinking, and dedication. The workload is often demanding, with long hours of design studio work, extensive research, and rigorous coursework. Architecture students must learn to manage their time effectively, handle complex design problems, and master various architectural software and tools. However, with passion, perseverance, and a strong work ethic, it is possible to succeed in studying architecture.
While architecture does involve some mathematical concepts, it is not primarily focused on math. Architecture encompasses a broad range of disciplines, including design, art, engineering, history, and social sciences. Math is used in architecture for tasks such as calculating structural loads, understanding proportions, and analyzing building systems. However, the emphasis in architecture is more on creativity, design thinking, spatial awareness, and problem-solving, rather than solely on mathematics.
In a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program, you learn a variety of subjects including architectural design, construction technology, building systems, structural analysis, architectural history, urban planning, sustainable design, and professional practice. The curriculum combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills, preparing you to design and create buildings that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and responsive to social, cultural, and environmental contexts.
A Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program typically takes five years to complete.
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Find out more about the entry requirements to come to IE University.
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