Department Mission Statement

To serve as a leading national and international, studio-centered program in the art and science of architecture, which is responsive to the most important social, environmental, technological, and cultural challenges of the twenty-first century. To achieve excellence in teaching, research, design, outreach, advising, and service to society.

In support of this mission, our aim is to:

• Educate undergraduate and graduate students in the discipline of architecture and to prepare them for a life of creative engagement and personal fulfillment in the practice of architecture and related fields.
• Encourage the production of exemplary works of architectural design, theory, critical analysis, and research in a studio-centered learning environment. 
• Increase the cultural, religious, ethnic, and gender diversity in the student body, the faculty and in the curricular subject matter. 
• Provide an educational environment that encourages the cross-fertilization of knowledge from all of the arts and sciences, where students and teachers are motivated to participate in the most urgent contemporary social, cultural, and environmental issues.
• Educate in the areas of ethical behavior, critical thinking, life-long learning, and service to society.
• Develop a teaching/learning environment that encourages collaboration and teamwork, as well as individual research and creative activity.
• Serve the regional area, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the international community by increasing public awareness of architecture.