Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
bsu.edu/cap
Architecture Building 104, 765-285-5861
Dean: Dave Ferguson
Interim Associate Dean: Tarek Mahfouz
The Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning, established by the Indiana Legislature in 1965, is dedicated to the development of professional competency in the functional, aesthetic, and humane design of the physical environment. The primary mission of the College is to offer undergraduate and graduate education programs of high quality in architecture, construction management, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning and the related subjects of historic preservation and urban design. The College stresses scholarly and creative activity as well as public service, including educational service to university students, professionals, and the general public.
The College enrolls approximately 950 students and has more than 100 faculty and professional staff members. Because members of the College faculty have a wide variety of educational and experiential backgrounds and expertise, they approach their work in different ways. The curricula stress dedication, leadership, initiative, and a strong commitment to creativity, technical skill, and social and professional responsibility.
The facilities feature extensive resources especially in the area of design, digital design, fabrication, and visualization. These resources are accessible to both students and faculty. The Architecture Library contains more than 27,000 volumes. The Drawings and Documents Archive maintains architectural, planning, and landscape architectural drawings and other materials documenting significant historic sites and structures in Indiana. Each student is assigned individual workspace in a studio. Additional facilities in the college include wood and metal shops, design build lab, virtual reality simulation lab, computer labs, laser cutters and 3D printing labs, KUKA Robotic Arm, CNC Router, Helidon, Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES), Design/Build Laboratory, and state of the art student-centered Robert G. Hunt Center for Construction Management. The presence of the College expands beyond campus to include maker spaces in Muncie MadJax and Muncie Makes Lab, as well as the new CAP:INDY, location within the 16Tech innovation district of Indianapolis. CAP:INDY also houses the newly created Center for Civic Design.
Graduate architecture programs currently offered at Ball State University consist of: a professional, accredited Master of Architecture 2-year track for students with a “pre-professional” undergraduate degree in architecture; an accredited Master of Architecture 3-year track for students with an undergraduate degree in any major; and, a MS in Historic Preservation. The two-year M.Arch is for students with a pre-professional undergraduate degree, that when earned sequentially with a 2-year professional masters program (4+2), comprise an accredited professional education in architecture resulting in an M.Arch degree. The pre-professional undergraduate degree on its own is not recognized as an accredited degree as required for professional licensure. Additionally, students with an undergraduate degree in fields of study other than architecture (i.e., they do not have a pre-professional architecture degree at the undergraduate level) can enter the professional, accredited Master of Architecture 3-year program track. This program track allows students in other disciplines to make the transition into architecture and achieve a professional, accredited graduate degree in architecture as is necessary for professional licensure. Both program tracks of the M.Arch. in the Department of Architecture are fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The next accreditation visit for the department of Architecture is 2021.
The Department of Landscape Architecture offers degrees accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB). The accredited graduate program Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) includes a first professional degree for career change candidates and a post-professional degree for graduates of accredited BLA programs. The next accreditation visit for MLA is 2022. The Department of Landscape Architecture also administers the Master of Urban Design program, a post-professional degree program.
The professional programs of the Department of Urban Planning are fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree offers two tracks. The standard path allows students from other fields to make the transition into urban planning with a 48 credit-hour program. The accelerated path, 36 credit-hour program, is for students coming from an undergraduate urban planning program accredited by the PAB. The next accreditation visit for the Department of Urban Planning and Development is 2020.
The Department of Construction Management and Interior Design offers a 100 percent online Master of Science (MS) or Master of Art (MA) in Interior Design. Both degrees are 33 credit hours. The MS degree prepares students for further study and research and/or a career in interior design. The MS degree is a great option for individuals who intend to continue their studies through a doctoral program, who wish to work in design research or interior design, or who plan to pursue teaching at a university. The MA degree culminates in a creative project and prepares students for a career in interior design. The MA degree is a great option for individuals seeking an advanced degree in interior design to strengthen critical thinking skills, theory, and research or who wish to advance in their interior design career.