We’re excited to welcome you to our community of architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning students. Please review the following information, noting steps that should be taken prior to your orientation date.

Architecture and Landscape Architecture Students

In your first year at Ohio State, you will enroll in foundation courses, KNOW 2300 and KNOW 2310 before applying to the major of your preference. Major applications are reviewed at the end of each spring semester and summer term. The strongest candidates for the major typically earn grades of B+ or higher in the foundation courses and hold cumulative GPAs above a 3.3.

In addition to the foundation courses, pre-architecture students need to meet or demonstrate significant progress with math and physics requirements by the time of application to the major.

Please expect 3.5 to 4 years to complete either the Bachelor of Science in Architecture or Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture degree, regardless of the number of earned transfer credits. Both programs operate on a cohort model and the major courses are offered in a specific sequence.

City and Regional Planning

You will enter the major directly. No prerequisites are required. Plan for a period of 3 to 3.5 years to complete the Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning.

Now that you are admitted, what’s next?

Follow the "After you are admitted" steps highlighted by Undergraduate Admissions.

Steps include BuckeyeMail email account set up, FAFSA submission, acceptance fee payment, and review of your Transfer Credit Report. Be sure to also submit your final university transcript after completing final coursework at your current institution.

Once you pay your acceptance fee, you will receive information about Orientation.
Orientation is required and includes both Ohio State information and time to visit the Knowlton School and schedule your first semester of classes with the help of the Knowlton School Student Services Staff. New Ohio State students are not able to schedule classes for their first semester on their own.

Prepare for Orientation

For the best orientation experience, complete the following steps in advance of your orientation program date.

Complete your Financial Responsibility Statement via BuckeyeLink

Complete the Math Placement Test OR request a Math Transfer Credit Evaluation

If Math credits from your previous institution transferred to Ohio State as a direct equivalent to either Math 1131 or Math 1151, you do not need to do anything additional. If you earned credit for OSU’s Math 1148, you will likely enroll in Math 1118 during orientation. If the Math credits on your Transfer Credit Report appear as G000.xx, you are required to request a Math Transfer Credit Evaluation. Again, Math evaluations should be complete prior to your orientation date; plan accordingly.

Review your Degree Audit for your intended major

In the same way that you viewed your Transfer Credit Report, please also review your Degree Audit. This document shows you how your transferred credits apply to the curricular requirements for your specific degree program. Be aware that there is a difference between courses that are transferable to Ohio State and courses that are applicable to the requirements of the degree you seek.

Tips for running your Degree Audit: If your intended major is not yet set as the default, select the radio button next to "Run Selected Program." Choose "AHR - Architecture" as your School, "AHR" as your College and complete the Major and Degree fields. The program will populate automatically. In the Catalog Year field, select "Current Program." Plan to run your Degree Audit regularly during your time as a student; this is one of a number of resources that will help you monitor your degree progress. 

General (G000.xx) Transfer Credit Evaluation

Open the first section of the Degree Audit, titled "Transfer Credit: Coursework that appears here will not apply to any degree requirements." Credits listed in this section as G000.xx (General credit) must be further evaluated in order for the credit to apply toward a degree requirement. You will need to work directly though the designated Transfer Credit Coordinator in each academic area to determine an Ohio State course equivalency.

Special credit, designated as S000.xx, may require a curriculum petition in order for the course to apply to a degree requirement. Technical credit, designated as T000.xx, is unlikely to apply toward a degree requirement. Please note that architecture software courses typically appear as technical credit and do not apply toward degree requirements.

International Transfer Credit Evaluation
Students requesting an evaluation of international transfer credit (credit from an institution outside of the United States of America) must submit certified translations of their materials to receive an evaluation. Certified translations must be hard copies with official stamps/seals on each page of the documents. Detailed syllabi including name and author of text, contact information of instructor and institution, and a list of course topics is required. Non-certified documents will not be accepted.

Use Schedule Planner to begin to research course options and a possible schedule.

From the Enrollment Information box in BuckeyeLink, select Schedule Planner. Schedule Planner will open as a pop-up in a new window. Select the Columbus campus and then Undergraduate as your Academic Career. Select Add Course to explore course options by specific, known courses or search using attributes such as General Education. After you add a group of courses, select Generate Schedules to view various combinations. Schedule Planner is a tool that enables to you explore options before finalizing your schedule. You will officially schedule your classes during your orientation program.

More links and information

Definition of transfer credit types

Sending transcripts to Ohio State

Understanding your Math transfer credit

Academic Advising Partnership

Forming a strong partnership your academic advisor starts at orientation and extends throughout the duration of your undergraduate experience. Your advisor will help you understand the curriculum for your degree program, guide you in developing a course projection and help you weigh course selections. Your advisor will also provide suggestions for co-curricular involvement in order to support you as a whole student. Plan to meet with your advisor at least once a semester until you graduate. As a student, you accept on the responsibility of scheduling classes for future semesters and meeting university deadlines as related to the academic calendar.

Petition for advanced placement (Architecture and Landscape Architecture)

Transfer students who were previously enrolled in an undergraduate architecture or landscape architecture major program at a peer institution of higher learning may petition to be considered for advanced placement in Ohio State’s program at a level higher than the pre-major. Review advanced placement petition requirements to determine if you are a good candidate. Annual submission deadline is May 1 for autumn semester placement. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will it really take me 3.5 to 4 years to complete a degree in Architecture or Landscape Architecture even though I already have X credits?
A: Yes, the duration of the BSARCH and BSLA degrees are driven by the design studio sequences and the timing of entry into the major. Typically, design-based programs (not just ours) offer courses in a specific sequence. While there can be flexibility with your support courses (history, theory, and major electives or seminars in both programs; construction, structures, and systems in architecture) the heart of the curriculum is not flexible nor is it possible to double up on studio courses.

Q: Do you offer summer courses so that I can graduate early?
A: Knowlton offers a few summer courses, but for architecture or landscape architecture students summer enrollment will not alter your anticipated graduation date based on the sequence of studio courses. City and regional planning may offer one or two core courses as well as some major electives. Multiple Knowlton-led education abroad programs (open to all students) are offered in the first 4-week summer session. For students who transfer or change majors and have a number of unused credits, we suggest pursuing a minor or finding a local internship that will allow for a flexible work schedule during the academic year. Summer enrollment may be helpful for students looking to catch up on or complete General Education courses or for students who wish to lighten their credit hour load in future terms.

Q: Am I eligible to submit a petition for advanced placement to the architecture or landscape architecture programs?
A: You may be eligible to submit a petition if you can answer yes to the following questions. (1) Have you completed one or more full semester-length studios in an architecture or landscape architecture program at a comparable four or five-year institution? (2) Are your grades from your previous institution, both cumulatively and in individual architecture or landscape architecture courses, on par with Knowlton School standards? For instance, pre-major students who complete Knowlton School foundation courses are expected to achieve grades of B+ or higher and hold cumulative GPAs of 3.3 or above in order to be most competitive to enter the major sequences. (3) For the architecture program, have you completed at least one architecture history course? In addition, do you have credit for, minimally, a College Algebra level of Math (equivalent to Ohio State's Math 1148; credit for Math 1151 or 1131 will complete Math requirements) and a lab-based Physics course (equivalent to Ohio State's Physics 1200). Please note that advanced placement is rare, even if the above requirements are minimally met.

If you can answer "yes" to these questions, then please review our Petition for Advanced Placement Guidelines.

Q: My To Do List in Buckeye Link indicates that I need to take a foreign language placement exam.
A: Foreign language is not required for any Knowlton School degree program. Foreign language credits, however, may be applied toward General Education (GE) Option Options hours. New transfer students are not required to take the foreign language placement test but the To Do List item will remain by default.

Q: How is international transfer credit evaluated?
A: Students requesting an evaluation of international transfer credit (credit from an institution outside of the United States of America) must submit certified translations of their materials to receive an evaluation. Certified translations must be hard copies with official stamps/seals on each page of the documents. Detailed syllabi including name and author of text, contact information of instructor and institution, and a list of course topics is required. Non-certified documents will not be accepted.