Bachelor of Architecture

Program Code: Bachelor of Architecture-BARCH

This is a draft edition of the 2026-2027 catalog. Information is subject to change.

This program has special admission requirements. Please visit the program website for specific admission advising. 

This program has been granted initial candidacy status for accreditation through the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) as of May 24, 2024.

Note: This degree/certificate leads to professional licensure in Nevada. Licensing requirements vary by state/territory and relocating could impact whether you will meet eligibility requirements for licensure. If you do not live in Nevada and/or do not intend to seek employment in Nevada, then your application for admittance will be under review to determine eligibility for licensure in your state prior to acceptance into the program. Please visit our Professional Licensure Programs page for full details on the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. 
 

Program Description

The Bachelor of Architecture (in candidacy) is the minimum degree recognized by the Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design (NSBAIDRD) to become a Registered Architect in the State of Nevada. It prepares students to design innovative, environmentally responsible, and culturally grounded architectural projects with a focus on the high desert and alpine regions of the American West. This five-year, studio-based curriculum integrates design, technology, history, theory, and professional practice, emphasizing responses to extreme climates, ecological stewardship, and the social and cultural narratives of mountain and desert communities. Through hands-on making, digital modeling, field research, and community-based projects, students develop the skills to address the challenges of building architecture in fragile environments. The program culminates in a comprehensive thesis, synthesizing regional identity within the global architectural discourse.

Architecture Career Map

Recommended Course Schedule

Plan of Study Grid
1st semesterUnits
AAD 100 Introduction to Architectural Design 3
AAE 180 Introduction to Design Principles 6
ENG 101
or ENG 100
or ENG 113
 Composition I 1
or Composition Enhanced
or Composition I for International and Multilingual Students
 3
MATH 124 College Algebra 3
 Semester Total15
2nd semester
AAE 280 Design Foundations II 6
AAD 201 History of the Built Environment 3
AAD 223 Graphic Software for Arch, Const, Dsgnr, Planners 3
US & Nevada Constitutions 3
 Semester Total15
3rd semester
AAE 282 Design Foundations III 6
AAD 268 3-D Presentation Graphics 3
ENG 102
or ENG 114
 Composition II
or Composition II For International and Multilingual Students
 3
PHYS 100 Introductory Physics 3
 Semester Total15
4th semester
AAE 283 Design Foundation IV 6
AAD 232 Bioclimatic Design 3
AAD 203 History, Theory, and Culture - Architecture of the 20th and 21st Century 3
Fine Arts 3
 Semester Total15
5th semester
AAD 350 Design Studio I 6
ABS 321 Construction Technologies I 3
ABS 331 Environmental Control Systems I 3
ABS 341 Structures for Architects I 3
 Semester Total15
6th semester
AAD 351 Design Studio II 6
ABS 323 Advanced Construction Technologies 3
ABS 332 Environmental Control Systems II 3
AAD 325 Construction Documentation 3
 Semester Total15
7th semester
AAD 452 Integrated Design Studio I 6
AAD 461 Urban Theory and Design I 3
AAD 410 Professional Practice for B. Arch. I 3
Science 2 3
 Semester Total15
8th semester
AAD 453 Integrated Design Studio II 6
AAD 462 Urban Theory and Design II 3
AAD 413 Professional Practice For B. Arch. II 3
Electives: Choose electives that apply toward your bachelor's degree. 3
 Semester Total15
Fifth Year
1st semester
AAD 455 Thesis Design Studio I 6
AAD 480 Thesis (Research) 3
Electives: Choose electives that apply toward your bachelor's degree. 6
 Semester Total15
2nd semester
AAD 475 Thesis (Integration) 3
AAD 485 Thesis Design Studio II 6
Electives: Choose electives that apply toward your bachelor's degree. 6
 Semester Total15
 Total Units150

Important Statement from the National Architectural Accrediting Board

 
In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.  
 
Truckee Meadows Community College's school of architecture offers the following NAAB accredited degree program:
 
Bachelor of Architecture, 150 credits.
The next accreditation site visit will occur in 2025.
 
 The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program expects to achieve initial accreditation within six years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented. In order to meet the education requirement, set forth by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, an applicant for an NCARB Certificate must hold a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the NAAB; the degree must have been awarded not more than two years prior to initial accreditation. However, meeting the education requirement for the NCARB Certificate may not be equivalent to meeting the education requirement for registration in a specific jurisdiction. Please contact NCARB for more information.
 
Truckee Meadows Community College's school of architecture was granted initial candidacy status for the following professional degree program in architecture: 
 
Bachelor of Architecture, 150 credits.
 
Year candidacy awarded: 2024
Next visit: Continuation of Candidacy, 2025
Projected year to achieve initial accreditation: 2028
Earliest graduation date projected to meet NCARB education requirement: 2028

Program Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Architecture Degree students must:

  1. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (see requirements for graduation.)
  2. Satisfy General Education requirements for Bachelor's degrees.
  3. Complete 150 units in total. 
    • 30 Units of upper-division units must be completed at TMCC.
  4. Have no financial or library obligation to the college.
General Education Requirements 2
English3-6
Including ENG 102 or ENG 114 1
Fine Arts3
Humanities3
Required:
AAD 201
History of the Built Environment
Mathematics3
Required:
MATH 124
College Algebra (Or higher)
Science 6
Required:
PHYS 100
Introductory Physics
or PHYS 151
 General Physics I
Social Science3
Recommended: Select a course that satisfies both Social Science and U.S. and NV Constitutions requirement.
Additional College Requirements
Diversity 3(3)
Required:
AAD 201
History of the Built Environment
U.S. and Nevada Constitutions 3(3)
Degree Requirements
AAE 180Introduction to Design Principles6
AAD 100Introduction to Architectural Design3
AAE 280Design Foundations II6
AAD 223Graphic Software for Arch, Const, Dsgnr, Planners3
AAE 282Design Foundations III6
AAE 283Design Foundation IV6
AAD 2683-D Presentation Graphics3
AAD 232Bioclimatic Design3
AAD 203History, Theory, and Culture - Architecture of the 20th and 21st Century3
AAD 350Design Studio I6
ABS 321Construction Technologies I3
ABS 331Environmental Control Systems I3
ABS 341Structures for Architects I3
AAD 351Design Studio II6
ABS 332Environmental Control Systems II3
ABS 323Advanced Construction Technologies3
AAD 325Construction Documentation3
AAD 452Integrated Design Studio I6
AAD 461Urban Theory and Design I3
AAD 410Professional Practice for B. Arch. I3
AAD 453Integrated Design Studio II6
AAD 462Urban Theory and Design II3
AAD 413Professional Practice For B. Arch. II3
AAD 455Thesis Design Studio I6
AAD 480Thesis (Research)3
AAD 485Thesis Design Studio II6
AAD 475Thesis (Integration)3
Electives 415
Total Units150
1

If you place into ENG 102 or ENG 114, the additional 3 required units will become elective credit.

2

See the approved General Education page for a complete of courses. 

3

May also be used to satisfy another General Education, Degree/Emphasis, or Elective requirement.

4

Any approved university transfer course will fulfill the elective units. Check TMCC course descriptions for transfer status to a baccalaureate degree of arts within the universities in the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).

Note: If you know your major, print the NSHE Transfer Agreements online. Major requirements will satisfy elective units.

Program Outcomes

Students completing this degree will:

PSLO1: Analyze cultural, ecological, and climatic factors of high desert and alpine regions to inform contextually responsive architectural design.

PSLO2: Integrate architectural theory, technical systems, and sustainable design strategies into innovative solutions for extreme and fragile environments.

PSLO3: Demonstrate advanced skills in design communication, including drawing, modeling, prototyping, and presentation, to effectively convey complex architectural ideas.

PSLO4: Synthesize research, design, and technical proficiency into a comprehensive thesis project that reflects regional identity while engaging global architectural discourse.