Final Evaluation for Graduating B. Arch and BA Students

At the conclusion of the undergraduate program, all students receive individualized guidance through an assessment event called the Final Evaluation. The culminating studio project is typically reviewed for the assessment. For B. Arch students, this will be the ARH 498 or ARH 550 project. For BA students, this will be the ARH 450 project.

Please refer to the Final Evaluation Rubric at links below that describes the Program Learning Outcomes. Students should strive to achieve the majority of the outcomes in their respective final studio projects.

Final Evaluation Rubric for B Arch Students

Final Evaluation Rubric for BA Students

In accordance with WSCUC accreditation recommendation, graduating students are required to complete a Self-Assessment Survey as part of the Final Evaluation.

B. Arch students completing ARH 498 an ARH 550 should take this survey.

BA students completing ARH 450 should take this survey.

Students will receive guidance as they transition to the profession or to a graduate school. Resume and Portfolio (or Work Samples) should be uploaded to the LMS for feedback. Please refer to this Conceptboard for advice on compiling a Portfolio or Work Samples. Do’s and don’ts, as well as examples of Resume, Portfolio, and Work Samples, are on the Conceptboard.

ARH 510 Thesis Studio

The first semester of the two-semester thesis year will establish a theoretical framework upon which the architectural proposal will be finalized in the second semester. Targeted and in-depth research of urban systems, site history and conditions, precedents, user groups will fuel the development of an informed critique of existing conditions. Through the process of formulating hypotheses and then testing them within urban and architectural design responses, a clear and thoughtful thesis statement will be crafted. The thesis statement will continue to evolve throughout the semester as the testing of hypothesis reveals more refined design directions.

At the conclusion of the first thesis semester, initial responses to situations found on the site, social and cultural contexts, and relevant contemporary issues will be tested within a specific architectural proposal communicated in the form of schematic plans, sections, and models.

The deliverables for the first semester of the thesis year will include thoroughly cited research documentation, observations that instigate urban and architectural responses, explorations of urban system interventions, architectural intent in the form of drawings and models, and the thesis statement.

Please refer to the B Arch Final Evaluation Rubric to guide your research and investigation in ARH 510.

ARH_510_Deliverables_List_2023-08-25

Thesis work must cite all referenced information, including precedent images, maps, graphs, charts, etc. Please follow the instructions provided in ARH_Citation_Standards

Thesis statements should be organized using this document as a resource PORT_Design_Thesis_Statement

ARH 550 Thesis Studio

The second semester of the thesis year will build on the research and the initial testing of the hypothesis of the first semester. Having identified a position within the framework articulated by the thesis statement, the ideas will inform the spatial and material qualities of an architectural proposal. This translation process must be evident and robust. The goal is to define the scope of work narrow enough to develop an architectural proposal that is well-resolved. The claim made by the thesis statement is to be tested by the agency of a specific architectural proposal to act as a catalyst within the site context.

Shifting across scales, the testing of the hypothesis is to lead to an in-depth investigation of building systems, components, and building materiality that reinforce the thesis intent.

To this end, the deliverables for the second and final semester of the thesis year will include a list of drawings and models that typically describe an architectural proposal. Additionally, the thesis project is to include documentation that explains how a chosen building system is integrated with the architectural proposal.

Please refer to the B Arch Final Evaluation Rubric to guide your work in ARH 550.

ARH_550_Deliverables_List_2023-08-24

Upload all files to Brightspace:

Written or verbal statement conveying your plans after graduation
Resume
Portfolio or Work Samples
ARH 550 Final Presentation

Please refer to this Conceptboard for advice on compiling a Portfolio or Work Samples. Do’s and don’ts, as well as examples of Resume, Portfolio, and Work Samples, are on the Conceptboard.

ARH 498 Collaborative Project: Community Based Design

Students in the B Arch degree path have the option to choose the Community Based Design track for their 5th year to collaboratively design and fabricate full-scale installations for a community in the Bay Area. Two semesters of ARH 498 are required. Under the guidance of faculty, students will create documentation of the design and fabrication process in a portfolio book format. Please upload this book to the LMS for your Final Evaluation. In addition, please upload your resume and portfolio or work samples.

In a written statement (or in an audio recording), please convey your plans after graduation. Let us know whether you will be job searching, applying to graduate school, etc. Understanding your plans will help us better support your transition.

Review the B Arch Final Evaluation Rubric for reference.

Upload all files to the LMS:

Written or verbal statement conveying your plans after graduation
Resume
Portfolio or Work Samples
ARH 498 Book

Please refer to this Conceptboard for advice on compiling a Portfolio or Work Samples. Do’s and don’ts, as well as examples of Resume, Portfolio, and Work Samples, are on the Conceptboard.

ARH 450 Studio 8 Integrated Design: Housing

Students in the BA degree path concluding ARH 450 should upload a resume and a portfolio (or work samples) to the LMS for the Final Evaluation.

Upload all files to the LMS:

Written or verbal statement conveying your plans after graduation
Resume
Portfolio or Work Samples

Please review the BA Final Evaluation Rubric for reference.

Please refer to this Conceptboard for advice on compiling a Portfolio or Work Samples. Do’s and don’ts, as well as examples of Resume, Portfolio, and Work Samples, are on the Conceptboard.