Clemson University
School of Architecture
Clemson's School of Architecture aims to be a premier producer of transformational architectural leadership, shaping the environment of the 21st century for a better future. Clemson's School of Architecture is an interconnected, geographically distributed community of teachers and learners, dedicated to:
Educating future architects, through rigorous and expansive design education, with local and global understandings of firmness, commodity and delight;
Generating knowledge to address the great challenges of the time, like health care, ecology, and an increasingly digital society, through innovative, interdisciplinary research, practice and scholarship;
Advocating for the improvement of built, natural and social environments, through design activism, public service and public education.
Setting
One of the country's most selective public research universities, Clemson University serves a uniquely driven and highly accomplished student body.
Clemson is the land grant institution of South Carolina with more than 28,000 students in over 200 degree programs. Founded in 1889, Clemson remains committed to world-class teaching, research and a high quality of life. 92 percent of seniors say they'd pick Clemson again if they had it to do over. Clemson's retention and graduation rates rank among the highest in the country for public universities.
Located in the Upstate of South Carolina, the city of Clemson provides a small college-town setting on the shores of Lake Hartwell, near both the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the metropolitan areas of Greenville-Spartanburg, SC; Asheville and Charlotte, NC; and Atlanta, GA.
The research, outreach and entrepreneurial projects led by Clemson's faculty and students are driving economic development and improving quality of life in South Carolina and far beyond.
School Philosophy
Clemson's School of Architecture likes and promotes big, beautiful, innovative, theoretical ideas, but has an equally strong proclivity for making and doing, for actively engaging with real people and places, and with the critical issues of our time. For more than 100 years there remain some powerful consistencies in this school, with its southern roots + global reach.
• We are innovators. We incorporate visionary ideals into our work, and are engaged with the critical issues of our time.
• We are global citizens. Our graduates have a cultivated understanding of global issues, and are prepared for design leadership, having experienced a geographically rich and distributed Fluid Campus.
• We work hard, together. Our faculty and students are engaged and collegial, a family that shares and supports its members, excited about its work and passionate about making a difference.
• We are a design program. We value the conceptual and the technical. We like to get our hands dirty, have a strong appreciation for making and doing, and a determined entrepreneurial spirit.
• We value our reputation. Our program is widely acknowledged as a high-quality program and an educational value, in exceptional facilities, with graduates who are top performers.
Programs
Clemson University and the School of Architecture are committed to teaching, research, and service. For more than 100 years, Clemson has been a leader in architectural education focused on serving the state of South Carolina and the professions engaged with designing the built environment. We have undergraduate and graduate programs recognized among the short list of "America's Best" – the most admired and most hired-from programs – by Design Intelligence magazine. The School of Architecture has unique programs, locations, and initiatives that provide an academically comprehensive community for students, faculty, and staff.
The School of Architecture provides a rich selection of degree offerings focused on the built environment. We offer undergraduate degrees in both architecture and landscape architecture. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in architecture provides a strong foundation in architectural studies. It prepares students to pursue numerous career paths while preparing them for graduate studies in architecture and other related fields. The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) degree is the first professional degree that provides students with an undergraduate path to professional licensure in landscape architecture. The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) have multiple plans of study to suit students coming from a diverse array of undergraduate disciplines and experiences. A two-year (60 credit hour) path is available and attracts participants who hold undergraduate degrees within their field of study from institutions across the United States and worldwide. A three-year (90 credit hour) plan of study is also offered, drawing participants with backgrounds ranging from architecture and landscape architecture to the humanities to the sciences and more. The M.Arch and the MLA degrees are professionally accredited and meet professional licensure requirements. In parallel to the M.Arch degree, the School of Architecture offers an M.Arch in Architecture + Health. This unique graduate offering prepares students to enter the field of architecture with specialized knowledge of the healthcare industry. The School of Architecture provides a Master of Science in Historic Preservation degree. The Master of Science in Historic Preservation (MSHP) degree is a two-year (60 credit hour) plan of study. MSHP students gain expertise in the documentation, preservation, and stewardship of historic resources. Students in the MSHP program gain expertise in urban resilience strategies focused on health, infrastructure, environment, economy, leadership and strategy. Additionally, the School of Architecture offers a Master of Resilient Urban Design (MRUD) program, which is a one-year (36 credit hour) program located in Charleston. The School also offers a Master of City and Regional Planning program, which is a two-year (48 credit hour) program. As the only graduate planning program in South Carolina, the program plays a pivotal role in the development of the planning profession in the state and region. All graduate programs have affiliated faculty contributing to the School of Architecture's postgraduate Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment (DBE). Students in the DBE program work with affiliate faculty in their chosen field of study and are provided opportunities for research and teaching. The collection of undergraduate and graduate programs in the School of Architecture offers comprehensive studies in the built environment, providing entry points of study for all levels of post-secondary students.
The School of Architecture operates a unique model of education we call the Fluid Campus.™ All undergraduate students are required to study for one semester in a fluid campus location, and all graduate architecture and landscape architecture students are allowed to study at a fluid campus during their time at Clemson. We operate three fluid campus locations in Genoa, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Charleston, in the low country. Each location provides a unique urban, social, and ecological context for students to study and understand. The opportunity to design in a global context prepares our students for 21st-century practice while providing a life-changing experience.
Clemson University is an R1 Carnegie Classification institution, the highest ranking for research institutions. The School of Architecture operates research institutes and centers that facilitate faculty and student research. The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing (CHFD+T) uses interdisciplinary design research to improve healthcare environments through better architecture and building design. Graduate and postgraduate students work alongside faculty to study the relationship between the physical healthcare environment and clinical outcomes. The Community Research + Design Center (CR+DC) works with community stakeholders to promote effective procedures and policies in the built environment. Students and faculty engage in applied research through community engagement and design-build projects that promote a strong economy and quality of life. The Institute for Intelligent Materials, Systems and Environments (iMSE) researches digital and human-machine solutions to better understand shifts occurring in the design and occupation of the built environment. Students and faculty work with new technology and seek solutions for rapid changes in industry and practice. Additionally, School of Architecture faculty and students participate in the Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D). The WU+D is a multidisciplinary research institute for foresters, architects, engineers, and building construction scientists seeking design advancement in wood-based construction materials. With a robust collection of research institutes and centers along with the associated faculty and facilities, the School of Architecture maintains the highest level of research for the built environment.
A common focus of all the School of Architecture programs is to fulfill the University's land-grant mission by engaging with the state's citizens to improve the built environment. We also work to maintain a supportive, collegial atmosphere that encourages productivity and innovation. Our enthusiasm for design and our pride in our work is best experienced in person. We welcome you to visit us at Lee Hall and to meet our exceptional faculty and students.
of Focus
1.Digital Fabrication & Technology
2. Materials and Construction Community Design
3. Building Technologies
4. Historic Preservation
5. Public Health
6. Community Design
7. History | Theory | Criticism
8. Resilience
9. Cross-Cultural Contexts > Human Experiences
10. Digital Design & Visualization
11. Sustainability & High-Performance Built Environments
Opportunities
Co-Op / Work Placement
Cross-disciplinary experience
IPAL
Teaching / Research assistantships
Summer Program
Study Abroad
Facilities
Large-format Printer
Laser Cutter
Woodshop
3D Printing
Metalshop
CNC Milling
Fabrication Lab
Robotics Lab
Policies
Transfer Policies
We are so glad you decided to join the Clemson Family! Your situation is very unique as a transfer student. Some of you may have a very short timeline to get everything situated before your classes start, and we are here to help you along the way.
This page: (https://www.clemson.edu/
