Architectural Studies Pathways through a Major in Architectural Studies

Amherst students create a flexible, individualized course of study that may include, among other subjects, sustainable design, urban planning, and architectural history, theory, and criticism. Because this major is located firmly within the liberal arts, students can encounter the major by taking a wide variety of introductory courses in different fields.

They include those that focus on:

• design such as “The Language of Architecture”,  “Drawing I” and some intermediate design studio courses, or
• the history of architecture in varied cultures such as “Art and Architecture of South Asia”, “The Postcolonial City” and "Cityscapes", or
• the theory and history of housing and urban development such as “Housing, Urbanization, and Development”, or
• visual and spatial perception such as "SPACE" and "TIME".

Students with no previous experience in art or architectural studies are welcome to enroll in these courses.