Architecture-Design-and-Built-Environment - Architecture

The teaching of Architecture employs a progressive strategy to achieve the following broad objectives:

• To create and maintain a positive educational environment that promotes learning and personal development;
• To deliver high-quality architectural education, through a developed curriculum and syllabus with inherent flexibility and freedom of selecting different fields of specialization;
• To adopt progressive learning methods which lead to developed knowledge and acquired skills, ensured through adequate delivery and testing processes at each stage of study;
• To provide students with a comprehensive basis of awareness, knowledge, understanding, and aptitude, through covering a wide spectrum of theoretical and practical studies in such fields as Environment, Art, Culture, Technology, Sociology, and Economy; and
• To implement an ongoing process of monitoring and development of performance, driven by the emphasis on future advances, within the domain of architecture as well as related disciplines.
  

To be accepted for an undergraduate degree, applicants must:

• Hold the official Lebanese Secondary School Certificate in a branch relevant to the chosen undergraduate field of specialization, or an official equivalent;
• Successfully pass an entrance exam to measure the level of proficiency in English Language (or provide evidence of English Language abilities such as TOEFL, ILETS…), and an aptitude test (thinking skills, technical and architectural skills), as well as attend a Personal Interview.
  

The Faculty offers the Bachelor Degree in Architecture in a five-year cumulative program (10 semesters). After the fifth year, the undergraduate student is a qualified architect and eligible to practice professionally with the following abilities and skills:

• Full understanding of all architectural and engineering concepts and practices.
• Knowledge of the evolving nature of the profession, and the rapidly changing conditions in which architects currently practice, and in which the traditional expertise, capacities and authority are increasingly being challenged.
• Understanding of modern and contemporary architectural theories that explain the latest philosophies by well-known architects and the local architecture in order to preserve the local identity.
• Use of several skills, necessary to their professional practice like: career development, continuing education and life learning, multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary tasks (esp. administration and operation management); marketing: exploring contextual dynamics and micro-economics complementary activities and ancillary duties, technological awareness, self-driven training and capabilities, engineering and development of new materials, computer software, construction methods, resource efficiency, sharing and transfer of technologies, and heritage management: formulation of policies and practicable approaches.
  

Many graduates will take up a career in private practice or government. Many become specialists in heritage, sustainable design or commercial projects. However, because an architect’s skills and training are so broad, there are also many opportunities outside the mainstream of architectural practice. An architect may practice:

Architectural design; Development of execution drawings; Project management; Construction management; Site supervision; Interior design; Building renovation; Urban planning, Urban design and Landscaping.

* A total of 12 credits is required as General University Requirements; 5 credits are selected from the University Mandatory Courses list including ARAB 001 (2Cr.), ENGL 001 (2Cr.), BLAW 001 (1Cr.) and another 7 credits are selected from the University Elective Courses list + ICDL.

The undergraduate curriculum for the degree of Bachelor in Architecture consists of 170 credit hours + ICDL. However, University Requirements have a total of 12 credits which leaves 158 credits for Architecture courses. Architecture courses thus form a total of 93% of the required courses for graduation.

The total credit hours of design studio and supporting courses are 118 out of 158, thus constituting 75% of the total Architecture credit hours. This total number of design studio credit hours is formed of Design Studio Courses.

Design Supporting Courses are calculated in different percentages according to their effective relevance to design studio courses.