Boston Architectural College

Architecture

The Master of Architecture (M. Arch) degree program is designed for students to ethically engage and enhance the world through good design. Professionally accredited by NAAB, it provides the education credential that is a required step in the path to licensure in most states. Graduate students complete a two-semester-long design thesis. The BAC offers onsite and online tracks, including a 2-year track for those with an undergraduate degree in a related field.

Architecture (B. Arch)

The Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) degree program provides opportunities to study, to build an identity, to see the world in a new way, to design, and to work in practice. The program prepares students for engagement with liberal studies and with advanced architecture. It is professionally accredited by NAAB and provides the education credential that is a required step in the path to licensure in most states. The hallmark of the degree is concurrent design practice and academic study.

Architecture (B.S. Arch)

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. Arch) is a pre-professional degree program. Successful completion of this nine-semester pre-professional degree can lead to entry into an accelerated Master of Architecture program. The hallmark of the degree is concurrent design practice and academic study, with students mastering structures and environmental systems while completing a two-semester design project that reflects their personal design values and methods.

Design Studies

The Master of Design Studies (MDS) degree program offers concentrations in Design for Human Health, Historic Preservation, Real Estate Development, and Sustainable Design. Each concentration requires successful completion of 33 academic credits, typically completed over four to five semesters, and culminates in a thesis project. The MDS programs are distance programs, with courses offered in low-residency/online and asynchronous online formats.

Design Studies

The Bachelor of Design Studies degree is a four-year, 120-credit program with the goal of creating design thinkers who are able to meet diverse challenges through in-depth investigation, critical analysis, and creative inquiry. Students focus their study with a major in either Sustainable Building Technology or Computational Design. The BDS is organized into three phases: Foundation, Integration, and Synthesis.

Digital Design and Visualization

The Digital Design and Visualization Certificate allows students to build expertise in design technologies and learn skills relevant to the evolving trends of current-day design practices. Graduates are equipped with the latest software applications and knowledge for use in the design technology work environment. The program requires the completion of four courses selected from the certificate curriculum and offers a Built Environment Modeling and Documentation track option.

Historic Preservation

The Historic Preservation Certificate is designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles of preservation practice through a series of online seminar courses taught by practicing professionals. Topics range from law and adaptive reuse to architectural history and placemaking. The program requires the completion of 9 credits, one 3-credit required course and 6 credits of electives, is fully online, and courses are taught at the graduate level.

Interior Architecture

The BIA is a four-year, first-professional degree that prepares students to become impactful interior designers. The curriculum emphasizes how people experience and inhabit space, focusing on human needs, spatial character, and functionality rather than aesthetics alone. Students integrate liberal studies coursework and accumulate at least 900 hours of professional practice. The CIDA-accredited program is structured in three segments: Foundation, Integration, and Synthesis.

Interior Architecture (MIA)

The MIA is a three-year, first-professional degree designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than interior design or interior architecture. The program equips students with the creative, technical, and professional skills needed to enter and excel in the interior design profession. Rooted in evidence-based and inclusive design principles, it is offered as both an on-campus program and a 100% online program, and requires 900 hours of professional experience.

Interior Architecture (MS)

The Master of Science in Interior Architecture is a post-professional graduate program in interior architecture. The 30-credit curriculum spans three segments and culminates in a thesis, allowing students to pursue advanced, focused inquiry in the interior design discipline through coursework in design strategies, human and social factors, and independent research.

Landscape Architecture

The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is a three-year graduate first-professional program comprising 84 academic credits and 400 practice hours with a landscape architecture focus on new urban landscapes and sustainable practices at a local, regional, and global scale. The program is composed of three segments, Foundation, Integration, and Synthesis, culminating in a comprehensive thesis. It is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB).

Landscape Architecture

The BLA degree is a four-year undergraduate first-professional program comprising 120 academic credits and 400 practice hours with a landscape architecture focus on new urban landscapes and sustainable practices at a local, regional, and global scale. The program is based on an interdisciplinary foundation experience and a balance of liberal studies courses, and is composed of three segments: Foundation, Integration, and Synthesis.

Landscapes and Ecological Systems

The Landscapes and Ecological Systems Certificate provides knowledge of plant systems and their ecological value; plant classification and identification; and ecological processes, patterns, and practices. An advanced studio format offers the tools to successfully select plant species for specific uses, lessons on sustainable applications, and the ability to produce meaningful spatial design concepts. Students choose three courses for a total of 9 credits.

Principles of Interior Design

The Principles of Interior Design Certificate delivers the building blocks of design practice, including knowledge of color, light, and materials, in a set of courses that guide the student to an understanding of the role these elements play in the creative process. Through hands-on exercises, students explore the balance of aesthetic and functional requirements in interior spaces. Students choose three courses for a total of 9 credits from the certificate curriculum.

Real Estate Development

The Real Estate Development Certificate introduces students to the fundamental concepts and skills needed to participate in real estate development. Students may also select courses in historic preservation, sustainable design, or community development to focus their studies. The program requires the completion of 9 credits, 6 credits of required courses and 3 credits of electives. An undergraduate degree is recommended but not required, and courses are taught at the graduate level.

Sustainable Design

The Sustainable Design Certificate provides knowledge and expertise in sustainable design and construction of the built environment that can lead to career advancement in a wide range of fields. The program requires the completion of six courses for a total of 9 credits and is fully online and open to students studying from anywhere in the world. An undergraduate degree is recommended but not required, and courses are taught at the graduate level.

Urban Landscapes

The Urban Landscapes Certificate explores landscape design issues in the urban environment and applies landscape urbanism principles to a variety of urban conditions. Students investigate and discover design opportunities through ecological studies, planning concepts, project assignments to design public and open space frameworks, and sustainable design policies at the local, urban, and regional scales. The certificate requires the completion of three courses for a total of 9 credits.