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School of Architecture

Heather Flood

Dean

 

 The Woodbury University School of Architecture has a clear mission: to prepare students for the future of practice. We do this by offering a broad range of degrees that address the needs, values, and potentials for the built environment. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that, upon graduation, students take leadership roles in the profession. To be a leader, however, requires more than skill and knowledge. It also requires directed vision and the belief that good design can improve the human condition.

Our undergraduate and graduate programs include Architecture, Interior Design, Applied Computer Science Media Arts, Computer Science Design Computation, Construction Management, and Sustainable Practices. Each program infuses technical ability with ethical inquiry to prepare students to affect positive change. We educate our students as entrepreneurs, citizen designers, and cultural builders equally committed to professional practice, theoretical discourse, social equity, and formal and technological inquiry. Our faculty is comprised of practitioners and academics, actively building, writing, and working across Southern California and beyond.

Woodbury School of Architecture approaches education multidimensionally, teaching a range of methodologies to help students develop their own unique creative voices while recognizing the importance of professional conventions and best practices. Embedded in our curriculum is the ethos that diverse points of view lead to innovative design solutions. We introduce students to collaborative working methods, and we equip them with advanced technical abilities so they can lead in professional environments upon graduation. 

All School of Architecture programs are designated as STEM degrees. International students enrolled in these programs can now apply for 24-month extensions of their post-completion Optional Practice Training (OPT) for a total of 36 months.

The Woodbury School of Architecture offers the following degree programs:

  • 5-year, National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)-accredited Bachelor of Architecture
  • 4-year, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)- and National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)-accredited, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design
  • 4-year, Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science–Media Arts
  • 4-year, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Design Computation
  • 4-year, Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Practices
  • 4-year, Bachelor of Science in Construction Management
  • 3-year, NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture with possible advanced standing
  • Master of Interior Design with two- and three-year track options
  • 1-year postgraduate Master of Science in Architecture

Mission

Woodbury School of Architecture prepares graduates for leadership positions in the architecture, design, and construction industries. Our innovative teaching methods, interdisciplinary curriculum, and applied research practices equip students with the skills and knowledge to transform the built environment through sustainable, equitable, and technical design solutions.

Vision

Woodbury School of Architecture affirms the power of design to transforms the built environment. We tackle complex problems through inter-disciplinary curriculum and collaborative learning and teaching opportunities. We foster an open exchange of ideas where advanced technology and ethical inquiry inform innovative design solutions. 

Goals

The School of Architecture community works together to support the following goals:

  • Fostering excellence in teaching and learning while transforming students into ethical, articulate design innovators prepared to lead in a world of accelerating technological and social change.
  • Creating an arena of ideas to foster diverse values.
  • Developing programs to produce graduates who affirm the power of design to address the pressing issues of our time.
  • Enriching the student experience through immersive learning in research environments.
  • Engaging with professional communities to expand the influence and agency of our disciplines.
  • Supporting students via philanthropic activities that help ensure equity and inclusion.

Location

LOS ANGELES

7500 N. Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91504 818.252.5121

Situated on the Burbank/Los Angeles border, the school continually draws from and responds to the urgent and often conflicting demands of the region. The Burbank campus takes full advantage of the University’s academic offerings, student support services, comprehensive library, and residential campus life. At the same time, it offers specialized facilities, including a wood/metal shop, a materials resource library, a digital fabrication lab, computing facilities, a render farm, and studio spaces with 24/7 access. The School of Architecture occupies several buildings on campus, including a 15,000-square foot studio building built in 2009.

Institutes

Woodbury School of Architecture’s research centers and institutes form a dynamic network that works in conjunction with undergraduate and graduate education to provide public programming to the broader Southern California architecture and design communities.

Agency for Civic Engagement

The vision of the Agency for Civic Engagement (ACE) at Woodbury University is to empower students to improve under-resourced communities using their developing architecture, design, business, and interdisciplinary skills. ACE connects students and faculty with non-profit and governmental organizations dedicated to helping these communities. Students work collaboratively across Woodbury’s disciplines to combine their skills and test their fields of study on real projects for the public good. Projects include architectural design/build works where students create small tactical structures; business plans for organizations; graphic design, including wayfinding signage and logos; films and videos promoting a message; journalistic and creative writing; and other services.

Julius Shulman Institute

Named for the renowned architectural photographer, the Julius Shulman Institute (JSI) provides programs that promote appreciation and understanding of the built environment, particularly as mediated by photography. Focused on Shulman’s enduring involvement in the principles of modernism, the JSI’s mission is informed by Shulman’s sense of social responsibility and his passion for teaching. This mission is carried out through public programming, educational outreach, and research opportunities.

Study Away

Woodbury School of Architecture Study Away Program provides students and faculty with transformative global learning experiences that are academically rigorous, professionally expansive, and personally engaging. Programs are designed to enhance multicultural competencies, socio-political exchanges, and planetary consciousness in an increasingly interconnected world.

Our Study Away Program is committed to inspiring a transformative experience for students and faculty, equipping them with the confidence and intelligence to navigate an ever-changing global landscape. We envision establishing long-term institutional relationships and short-term expeditions in order to provide students with profound international learning experiences that are affordable, safe, and accessible.

Career Development & Outreach

A dedicated School of Architecture Career & Outreach center offers a variety of programs, services, and resources to assist students in exploring careers and securing internships. Staff work individually with students to develop successful internship search strategies and help students connect with employers through internship postings, résumé collections, on- and off-campus interview opportunities, alumni connections, and employer outreach.

Work Experience for International Students (CPT)

ARCH 358

Open to all students in the School of Architecture, ARCH 358 allows international students to gain practical experience in fields directly related to their degree program. The work may be for an architectural or design firm or for an employer whose work is directly related to those fields. Students must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) through their international student advisor in order to obtain temporary authorization to work.

Pre-requisite: Students must have a confirmed offer of employment at an architecture or design firm approved by the Architecture or Interior Architecture department before applying for CPT. Each student should check with the international student advisor prior to enrolling in this course.

Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL)

Woodbury School of Architecture offers a path where students in our professional architecture programs (BArch and MArch) can complete architectural licensure requirements while completing their degree. This new path to licensure prepares highly qualified architects while substantially reducing the time to become a licensed architect.

Woodbury’s IPAL program incorporates time to complete the experience requirement for licensure during summers and a co-op year, as well as time to take the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) before graduating. The IPAL initiative is offered for both our undergraduate (BArch) and graduate (MArch) programs, and on both campuses.

Learning and Teaching Culture Policy

The Learning and Teaching Culture Policy describes norms and expectations for student and faculty conduct in the School of Architecture; it is distributed on the first day of studio each semester. The policy is reviewed and revised annually. For all studio policies, see the Student Handbook.

Digital Literacy Requirements

The School of Architecture requires its graduates to be digitally literate. Aspects include:

  • Proficiency and professionalism in email communication as demonstrated through regular communication with school administration and course instructors.
  • Proficiency in online research as demonstrated through successful completion or transfer of appropriate coursework as determined by each department. Proficiency is also demonstrated at all studio levels and in all history/theory courses through bibliographic documentation of database use and citation of web-based sources.
  • Proficiency in digital writing and desktop publishing tools as demonstrated at all studio levels through research assignments and essays, portfolios, and drawings/panels produced for presentation or digital submission.
  • Proficiency with digital design tools as demonstrated at all studio levels, in transfer portfolios, and in final studio work.

Computer Requirements

The study of architecture, interior design, applied computer science–media arts, computer science design computation, sustainable practices, and construction management requires an investment in technology, from basic analog tools to cutting-edge computational devices. Upon admission, students will be provided with a recommended purchase list that outlines the incoming resource expectations; students should expect additions to those lists each semester. These purchases constitute a substantial, but cumulative, investment toward becoming a practicing professional. Students should anticipate spending a minimum of $2,000 in initial setup and at least $500 each additional term.

Archiving

The University reserves the right to retain student work for archival purposes. The School of Architecture is required by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) to maintain a current archive of student work demonstrating that its curriculum engages student performance criteria established by these and other collateral organizations. Archived student work may be used for assessment and accreditation purposes and to support future educational pursuits.

Faculty

 

Woodbury School of Architecture faculty members are accomplished, passionate educators who embody diverse interests and strengths. Professional practice and critical understanding of contemporary design inquiry enable our instructors to infuse academic studies with leading-edge expertise in their disciplines. Combining theory with invaluable learning experiences from outside of the classroom, they prepare students to be articulate, critical thinkers, and innovative and ethical practitioners.

 

APPLIED COMPUTER SCIENCE—MEDIA ARTS FULL-TIME FACULTY

 

Arash Soleimani, Associate Professor, PhD, Clemson University

Echo Theohar, MFA, Fine Art with emphasis in Art + Technology, University of California, Santa Barbara

ARCHITECTURE FULL-TIME FACULTY

Jeanine Centuori, Professor, MArch, Cranbrook Academy of Art

Mark Ericson, Professor, MArch, Southern California Institute of Architecture

Anthony Fontenot, Professor, PhD, Princeton University

Aaron Gensler, Associate Professor, MArch, Cornell University

Matthew Gillis, Visiting Associate Professor, MArch, University of California Los Angeles

Cody Miner, Visiting Assistant Professor, MArch, Southern California Institute of Architecture

Eric W. Olsen, Professor, MArch, Harvard University

Parsa Rezaee, Interim Faculty, MArch, Woodbury University

Gerard Smulevich, Professor, MArch, University of California, Los Angeles

Joshua Stein, Professor, MArch,University of California, Los Angeles

 

EMERITUS FACULTY

 

Jay Nickels, Los Angeles, BArch, University of Southern California

 

Ewan Branda, Los Angeles, PhD, University of California Los Angeles

 

Hector M. Perez, San Diego, MS, Architecture Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FULL-TIME FACULTY

Kishani De Silva, Associate Professor, MSc in Major Programme Management, University of Oxford

 

DESIGN COMPUTATION FULL-TIME FACULTY

Arash Soleimani, Associate Professor PhD, Clemson University

 

INTERIOR DESIGN FULL-TIME FACULTY

Christoph Korner, Professor, MArch, University of California, Los Angeles

Heather Scott Peterson, Professor MArch, Southern California Institute of Architecture

Randy Stauffer, Professor, MArch, University of California, Berkeley

 

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES FULL-TIME FACULTY

Emily Bills, Interim Faculty, PhD, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University