Graduate Courses: College of Architecture

In addition to the courses listed below, certain upper level undergraduate courses may be taken for elective credit in the Master of Architecture curriculum. Consult the Undergraduate Catalog for listing of undergraduate courses.

Courses: Architecture (ARCH)

6198:6298:6398:6498:6598:6698: Special Problems
Cr.1-6. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

6130: Topics in Computer Aided Design
Cr. 1. (1-0). Topics in computer aided design.

6201: Main Systems Integration I
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor. Seminar on topics relevant to studio (ARCH 6401). Information and exchange of ideas on projects, decision processes, and evaluations with faculty and outside experts.

6202: Main Systems Integration II
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor. Seminar on topics relevant to studio (ARCH 6402). Information and exchange of ideas on projects, decision processes, and evaluations with faculty and outside experts.

6203: Spacecraft and Habitat Design I
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor. Seminar on topics relevant to studio (ARCH 6403). Information and exchange of ideas on projects, decision processes, and evaluations with faculty and outside experts.

6204: Spacecraft and Habitat Design II
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor. Seminar on topics relevant to studio (ARCH 6404). Information and exchange of ideas on projects, decision processes, and evaluations with faculty and outside experts.

6251: Contemporary Architectural Theory in Practice
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6451 or approval of instructor. Discussion of contemporary architectural theory including modernism, post-modernism, deconstructivism, and chaos theory. Current lectures and lecturers on architecture in Houston are used as a resource. May be repeated once for credit.

6301:Architectural Communication I
Cr. 3. (1-6). Graphic, verbal and written communication as media of architectural thought.

6302: Architectural Communication II
Cr. 3. (1-6). Techniques of visual communication for architecture.

6320: Technology I
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: Architecture graduate standing.  Foundation level building science.

6321: Design of Construction Details
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604. The theory and practice of developing architectural details.

6324: High Rise Structures
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6327 or equivalent. Structural design concepts and systems for tall buildings.

6325: Conceptual Structural Systems Cr. 3. (2-3). Introduction to concepts of structural systems and how they work.

6326: Conceptual Environmental Systems
Cr. 3. (3-0). Introduction to concepts of environmental systems in architecture including comfort, climate, passive systems, site, lighting, electrical , daylighting, and mechanical systems.

6327: Quantitative Structural Systems
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6325. Numeric methods of determining wood, concrete, and steel structures.

6328: Quantitative Environmental Systems
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6326. Numeric method of: climate analysis; passive and active heating, cooling, and lighting; and acoustics.

6329: Building Systems Integration
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisites: ARCH 6327, ARCH 6328, and ARCH 6366. Architectural and technical integration of traditional and innovative building systems.

6330: Introduction to Computer Applications in Architecture Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: None. Basic computer terminology and application software for microcomputer applications in architecture.

6331: Computer Aided Design in Architecture
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: None. Introduction to basic computer-aided design concepts, terminology and microcomputer applications.

6332: Architecture CAD Office Management
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6330 or 6331 or equivalent. Management techniques in a computer aided design (CAD) architecture office including scheduling and customizing CAD systems.

6333: Advanced Applications in Computer Aided Design in Architecture
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6330 or 6331 or equivalent. Advanced techniques in computer aided modeling and visualization.

6335: Computer Visualization for Architecture Applications
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6333 or equivalent. Advanced techniques in computer-aided visualization of architectural models, including computer animation.

6338: Graphic Realization in Design
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6331; ARCH 6601 or consent of instructor. Integration of digital and manual graphic tools with verbal presentation to communicate design.

6340:6341: Architectural History Survey I and II
Cr. 3 per semester. (2-3). Prerequisite: graduate standing. Survey of the history of eastern and western architecture and art from Egypt to 1500 in the first semester and from 1500 to the present in the second semester, with attention to cultural, philosophical and technical forces that influence them.

6342: Shape of the City: Critical Perspectives on American Urbanism
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. Readings from Henry James, Jane Jacobs, J.B. Jackson, Reyner Banham and others about American cities as topographical, cultural and social phenomena, with analytical writing projects on Houston.

6343: Latin American Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341 or equivalent. Exploration of the development and significance of Latin American architecture. Study of Pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern built environments with an emphasis on mapping the creation and transfer of culture.

6345: 20th Century American Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341 or equivalent. History of American 20th century architecture, defined by change introduced with modernism, but also the fundamental continuity of central architectural themes that have characterized the American experience since its inception.

6346: Technology 2
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6320.  Intermediate level building science including site specific case studies.

6347: Evolution of Architectural Interiors
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. The eveolution of interior architectural spaces through the contributions of architects, designers, decorators, industrial designers, and editors. The house as a design laboratory and the integrated interior.

6348: Technology 3
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6346.  Intermediate to advanced level building science focusing on structural issues and systems including qualitative measures.

6349: Technology 4
Cr. 3. (3-0).  Prerequisites: ARCH 6348.  Intermediate to advanced level building science focusing on environmental systems, sustainability and site scale issues.

6351: Readings and Criticism in Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6450;6451. Critical writing based on selected reading in architecture.

6352: Wright, Mies, Corbusier
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. Search for the truth studying Wright, Mies, and Corbusier from the perspective of historic precedents, as well as observing the effect of their work of architecture.

6353: Studies in Postmodern Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6450;6451. The theory and development of architectural design of the most recent times. Studies in architectural pluralism since 1950.

6354: The Culture of Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341 or equivalent. An investigation of how architects learn, think, and work in our own time and times past. Special emphasis is given to the Modern Movement and its critics and to the thought and production of influential architects and theorists including Alberti, Palladio, Ruskin, Viollet-le-Duc, Gaudet, Loos, Le Corbusier and Venturi, and Scott Brown.

6355: Houston Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341 or equivalent. Survey of Houston architecture, past and present.

6356: City as Palimpsest: Paris
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. Parisian architecture and urban development from the Roman period to the present via the metaphor of the palimpsest.

6359: Modern Architecture and Urbanism
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341 or equivalent. Study and analysis of works (built and un-built), themes, protagonists, and writings on modern architecture, urbanism, and design after 1945.

6360: Practice of Architecture
Cr. 3. (3-0). Case studies and analysis of issues facing the profession: ethics, morality, intent, criticism, liability, etc. The intent is to approach office practice through issues rather than through documents; and exploration of the present and future mission of the profession.

6361: Methods of Land Development
Cr. 3. (3-0).

6363: Histories and Theories of Modern Architecture (1890-1980)
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. Analysis of the changing theories of modernity and modernism, criticism, and historiography promoted by architects, critics, and historians from the 1890's to the 1980's.

6364: Architecture Theory/Making
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. An investigation of major 20th century architectural theories and their relationship to design and built works giving particular attention to the period from WWII to the present.

6366: Materials and Methods of Construction
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6325, ARCH 6326. Materials and methods of construction, including construction systems, advanced and emerging technologies, scheduling, and budgeting.

6370: Methods of Research
Cr. 3. (3-0). Analysis, synthesis and evaluation (weighing and scoring); programming, research management, communication, modeling; establishing goals, objectives and criteria and designing a strategy.

6373: Urban Environments
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. An examination of the social, economic, cultural, and political development of cities including the diverse needs, values, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures and individuals and the implication of this diveristy for the societal roles and responsibilites of architects.

6375: Capitalism, Arch and the City
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6340; ARCH 6341. Exploration of economic determinants of urban form throughout history with emphasis on American land development practices.

6376: Urban Determinants
Cr. 3. (3-0). Economic, political, social and physical factors that become the design determinants of urban environments.

6377: Housing Issues
Cr. 3. (3-0). Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the development and design of the housing sector.

6378: Methods of Historic Preservation
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6450 and ARCH 6451, or equivalent or permission of the instructor. Theory, methods of research, and practice of the preservation of historic buildings and resources.

6380: Architecture Plus Film
Cr. 3. (3-0). Concurrent enrollment in or completion of ARCH 6603. Exploration of the cross-fertilization between architecture and film. Investigation of the nature of filmic and virtual space versus physical space.

6393: Master's Project Preparation, Programming and Research
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604 or Level III admission. Preparation of Master's Project proposal, project program, and associated research.

6397: Selected Topics
Cr. 3. (3-0). Topics vary. May be repeated for credit with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.

6401: Space Systems Tech Studio I
Cr. 4. (2-6). Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor; concurrent enrollment in ARCH 6201. Research and design explorations in space systems using interdisciplinary problem-solving approaches and methodologies.

6402: Space Systems Tech Studio II
Cr. 4. (2-6). Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor; concurrent enrollment in ARCH 6202. Continuation of research and design explorations in space systems in ARCH 6401.

6403: Mission Planning and Analysis I
Cr. 4. (2-6). Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor; concurrent enrollment in ARCH 6203. Research and design of habitable facilities in space. Emphasis is on individual student contribution to, and participation in, a planning team.

6404: Mission Planning and Analysis II
Cr. 4. (2-6). Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Space Architecture or consent of instructor; concurrent enrollment in ARCH 6204. Continuation of ARCH 6203 research and design of habitable facilities in space.

6405: Advanced Design and Analysis
Cr. 4. (2-6). Prerequisites: ARCH 6403 and ARCH 6404. Continuation of work developed in ARCH 6403 and ARCH 6404. Advanced design of habitable facilities in space.

6593: Internship
Cr. 5. Students will be directed toward private or public organizations involved with the practice of architecture and/or urban design. Activities of interns will be monitored by faculty in charge of the intership program.

6600: Architecture Design Studio I
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: Level I entrance. Introduction to architecture and basic design concepts through a series of projects that develop individual cognitive design tools and skills.

6601: Architecture Design Studio II
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6600. Further development of cognitive design tools and skills. Introduction to organizational structures with problems of growth, change, aggregation, and metamorphosis at various scales.

6602: Architecture Design/Build Workshop
Cr. 6. (1-15). Prerequisite: ARCH 6601. Design and construction of a site specific climate-influenced building project.

6603: Architecture Design Studio III
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6602 or acceptance into Level II.  A series of design projects exploring content/construction/context applying various tools of architectural investigation from concepts to execution.

6604: Architecture Design Studio IV
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6603. Design projects that comprehensively explore and develop an architectural program within a specific site context.

6698: Special Problems
Cr. 6. Prerequisite: approval of Director of Graduate Studies and instructor.

7371: Land Use/Planning Methods
Cr. 3. (3-0). Overview of the nature of current land use planning, legislative guidelines, social, economics, and political obligations, and the urban designers and architect's contribution.

7373: Urban Planning Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Federal, state, and municipal laws and regulations which shape and influence the physical character of urban environment.

7380: Man-Systems Integration
Cr. 3. (3-3). Integration of human and machine requirements, primarily applications in space and other extreme environments.

7381: Space Systems Technologies
Cr. 3. (2-3). Survey of and investigations of extreme environment technologies concentrating on applications in space.

7393: Reseach in Computer Aided Design in Architecture
Cr. 3. (2-3). Prerequisite: ARCH 6333 and 6335 or equivalent. Independent research in the application of computer aided design in architecture.

7599: Master's Thesis
Cr. 5. (2-9). Prerequisite: Completion of the Level II curriculum, with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Students may undertake a thesis directed towards adding to the general body knowledge of architecture.

7600: Architecture Design Studio V
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604 or acceptance into Level III. Design studio in which actual or hypothetical projects with interdisciplinary bases are undertaken with faculty as project coordinators. Alternatively, students may choose to pursue independent design studies. The selection of a topic for independent study must be approved by the Level III Coordinator.

7601: Architecture Design Studio VI
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604 or acceptance into Level III. Continuation of a project undertaken in ARCH 7600, or another advanced design topic approved by the Level III Coordinator.

7602: Master's Project
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: architecture major. Students may undertake an independent final projected directed toward adding to the general body of knowledge in architecture, with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

7603: Master's Project
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604 or Level III admission. Independent final project directed toward adding to the general body of knowledge in architecture. Requires approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. May be repeated for credit.

7610: Master's Project: Space Architecture
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: space architecture major. Students may undertake an independent final project directed toward adding to the general body of knowledge in space architecture, with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

7699: Master's Thesis
Cr. 6. (4-6). Prerequisite: ARCH 6604 or Level III admission. Independent thesis directed toward adding to the general body of knowledge in architecture. Requires approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. May be repeated for credit.

Catalog Publish Date: January 14, 2013
This Page Last Updated: November 2, 2012