About the Department

Brief history of the department

The Department of Architecture was established as a distinct academic unit in 1982 when it became a department in the newly created Faculty of Environmental Design and Management.  Prior to this time, it was a programme in the Department of Environmental Planning Design and Management (EPDM) in the Faculty of Technology for six years.
Since 1977 when the programme was established, over 1000 graduates have been produced.  The current programme is the 3rd in the line of curriculum development that has aimed at producing high skilled architects capable of responding to a society in rapid transition.  The new programme has maintained the tradition of a two-tier system leading to the award of B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees which grant exemption from the Part I and Part II of the NIA professional practice examination.  The four-year Bachelor of Science degree is organized as the general Arts and Science background to the discipline which leads to the more focused professional training offered in the two-year Master of Science (Architecture) (M.Sc.) programme.

Philosophy and objectives of degree programme

The B.Sc. (Hons) Architecture and M. Sc. Programmes are designed as the first and second parts of a comprehensive programme leading to the first professional degree, which is registrable in Nigeria.

The goal is to produce not only highly skilled architects, but also professionals who are able to relate their skills to their cultural environment. The programme is founded upon the principle that architectural problems are defined and solutions evolved from a contextual approach, including all the attendant social, cultural and economic factors.

The specific objectives are:

• To train students to acquire competence in design as individuals and as members of a design team;
• To prepare students for work in all areas of the architectural profession;
• To train students to solve environmental design problems through systematic approaches;
• To develop the knowledge base and intellectual skills of the students to attend to those cultural factors which are essential to the creation of Architecture.

The strategies for achieving these objectives are related to the teaching approaches at lectures, tutorials, practicals, and the intensive studio approach with high levels of interaction time. The broader issues of the profession are also approached through direct teaching and the compulsory industrial work experience organized within the middle two years of the first degree. In addition there is a break between the two parts of the programme, which is intended for youth service but is untimely an unsupervised period of industrial training and exposure to the wider practice.

Admission requirements

Admission to Part I

Admission to Part I is by the examination organized by the Joint and Matriculation Board (JAMB). To be eligible for admission, candidates must have at least five credits (in not more than 2 sittings) in the Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or its equivalent in

English Language, Mathematics, Physics and two other subjects from Fine Arts or Technical Drawing, Economics, Geography, Chemistry, Biology or Agricultural Science.

Candidates writing JAMB entrance examination must select Mathematics and English Language as compulsory and any two subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, and Technical Drawing.

Admission with Exemption from Part I

(a)   Candidates for direct entry to Part II should have:

(i)    General Certificate of Education or its equivalent with Passes at Advanced level (2 sittings at the most) in Mathematics, Physics and any other subject.  In addition, candidates must satisfy the general entry requirements for admission to Part I with respect to the Senior Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent.

(ii)    Satisfied the general entry requirements of the University.

(b)    Candidates who hold the Ordinary National Diploma (OND/ND) in Architecture or the Higher National Diploma(HND) in Architecture, with an Upper Credit will be considered for direct entry admission to Part II provided they  satisfy the general entry requirements for admission on Part I with respect to the Senior Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent.

(c)    Under special circumstances, it may be possible to admit candidates from other Universities or equivalent institutions to appropriate levels of the programme in Part II based on pairing of courses.  Such cases will be treated on merit provided they are also adjudged to have satisfied the general University entry requirements.

 

Requirements for the award of B.Sc. (Hons) Architecture

To be eligible for a B.Sc. (Architecture) degree, a candidate must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 160 effective units including.

1. 12 Units of Special Electives selected from the approved University courses (except those offered in the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management).
2. 37 Units at Part I level (or exemption thereof in case of a direct entry).
3. At least 109 course units in Parts II to IV
4. Approved Industrial Work Experience (SIWES) must be satisfactorily completed at the ends of Parts II and III. This practical training should be carried out either in an approved professional office (private practice) or in a firm (public or private) having a relevant and acceptable technological level.
5. Candidates may select more than the minimum number of Units provided that prior approval is obtained from the Head of Department.