History of Art and Architecture

Architecture Concentration Update

The architecture concentration is open for current concentrators, currently enrolled interested students, and prospective concentrators admitted to the University in Fall 2024. Starting in Fall 2025, the department will no longer offer this concentration as an option for incoming first-year students.

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Architecture Concentration Update

Architecture Concentration Sunset

After intensive discussion and careful thought, the Department of the History of Art and Architecture (HIAA) has decided to sunset the architecture concentration beginning with the class matriculating in Fall 2025. The concentration will continue to be available to current concentrators, interested students currently enrolled at Brown, and students matriculating at Brown in Fall 2024.

The department is committed to ensuring that all current students are able to complete the architecture concentration. Courses will continue to be offered according to our established course sequence. Students are advised to ensure that they complete their required architecture concentration courses prior to the final dates when these courses will be offered by HIAA. View a summary of the curriculum phase-out plan below.

The decision to sunset this concentration – an expansion of HIAA’s humanities core designed to offer interested students the opportunity to deepen their introduction to the study of architecture – was not an easy one. While the concentration has been popular, it has also experienced significant challenges – most importantly a growing misalignment between the core humanities mission of HIAA and the pre-professional orientation of the concentration.

HIAA has always provided preparation for individuals who are interested in architectural studies—we did so even before this concentration was piloted in 2016, and we will continue to provide that preparation in other ways. Future students who are interested in architectural studies will be able to take courses in architectural history within HIAA’s concentration in art and architectural history. The department will also continue to offer one introductory-level architectural design studio course as part of its roster of courses. Some art and architectural history courses at HIAA incorporate practice components, and students interested in architectural design should take these courses.

Students interested in graduate study in architecture and related disciplines are encouraged to meet with HIAA’s Director of Undergraduate Study (DUS) who will suggest relevant courses in the history of art and the history of architecture as well as coursework at Brown and RISD in urban studies, environmental studies, design engineering, visual arts, and theater and performing arts. The DUS can also direct students to HIAA faculty with experience advising students who pursued graduate work in architecture and related disciplines.

Please contact the Chair of the department at hiaachair@brown.edu.