Metadata
Title
Visual Studies, BA: Architecture Practice and Technology
Category
undergraduate
UUID
a8e7ee2f255248519ba80f4a0bb212a2
Source URL
https://catalog.upenn.edu/undergraduate/programs/visual-studies-architecture-pra...
Parent URL
https://catalog.upenn.edu/undergraduate/programs/
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T07:18:32+00:00
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Visual Studies, BA: Architecture Practice and Technology

Source: https://catalog.upenn.edu/undergraduate/programs/visual-studies-architecture-practice-technology-ba/ Parent: https://catalog.upenn.edu/undergraduate/programs/

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Visual Studies, BA: Architecture Practice and Technology

Visual Studies at the University of Pennsylvania prepares students to forge innovative connections across the disciplines that study vision and images. Students acquire a critical awareness of seeing and the problems and possibilities for investigating, thinking, and writing about seeing in the 21st century. Fundamentally interdisciplinary, the Visual Studies Program partners with the Departments of Philosophy, Psychology, History of Art, Fine Arts, and Architecture. Students may also find interest in Penn Programs such as Cinema Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies or outside of the School of Arts and Sciences in the Annenberg School of Communication, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Sector C enables students to develop skills in the making of art ranging from the two- and three-dimensional to digital and time-based media, and includes both fine arts and architecture tracks.

The minimum total course units for graduation in this major is 36. Double majors may entail more course units.

For more information: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/visual-studies

For information about the General Education requirements, please visit the College of Arts & Sciences Curriculum page.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Course Units |

| --- | --- | --- | | College General Education Requirements and Free Electives | | | | Foundational Approaches + Sectors1 + Free Electives | | 20 | | Major Requirements | | | | Stage 1 - Core Courses | | | | | Eye, Mind, and Image | 1 | | | Form and Meaning | 1 | | or  | 3 Dimensions: Time and Space | | | Stage 2 - Core Courses | | | | | What is Visual Studies? | 1 | | Select 2 course units in each Sector: | | | | A. Philosophy and Science of Seeing: 2 | | 2 | | | Perception | | | or NRSC 2217/PSYC 2240/VLST 2170 | Visual Neuroscience | | | | Research Experience in Perception | | | or  | What is an Image? | | | Select one of the following: | | | | | Aesthetics | | | | Introduction to Philosophy of Mind | | | | Philosophy and Visual Perception | | | | Philosophy and Visual Perception | | | | Philosophy of Perception | | | B. Art and the Culture of Seeing: | | 2 | | | Renaissance to the Present | | | or  | American Art | | | or  | Modern Art: Picasso to Pollock | | | Select one of the following: | | | | ARTH 1030/EALC 0100/VLST 2330 | Art and Civilization in East Asia | | | | Art of Global Asia | | | | Introduction to Visual Culture of the Islamic World | | | C. Architecture Practice and Technology: | | | | | Introduction to Architecture | 1 | | | Design Fundamentals I | 1.5 | | Stage 3 - Architecture Practice and Technology Concentration Requirements 3 | | | | | | | | | Design Fundamentals II (required) | 1.5 | | Select 3 course units of Electives in Architecture Practice/Technology with: Attribute AVAP | | 3 | | Select 1 course unit of an Elective in Philosophy/Science or Art/Culture of Seeing with the following Attributes: | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | Stage 4 - Capstone Course | | | | | Senior Project | 0.5 | | | Senior Project | 0.5 | | Total Course Units | | 36 |

1 : You may count no more than one course toward both a major and a sector requirement. For Exceptions, check the Policy Statement.

2 : Important -  Check for pre-requisites on PSYC and some FNAR courses.

3 : Four courses (4.5 course units) in your concentration and one course (1 course unit) from another sector. (No Stage 2 courses may be double-counted in Stage 3).

Honors

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.70 in the major.


The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.