Admission

Academic Only First Year Program

The BAC is pleased to invite students to consider participation in the college's optional Academic-Only Program (AOP) for their first year of studies.  The Academic-Only Program provides incoming students who choose this route an intensive foundation in the academic component of the BAC's concurrent curriculum, prior to beginning both academic and practice components in their second year of enrollment.  Students then engage in the full concurrent model for the remainder of their studies at the college.

AOP classes, held predominantly during the day, and augmented with advising and special practice-readiness events, prepare new students for the transition to concurrent education. Students with little or no design background acquire the skills and confidence necessary to enter the profession in entry-level drafting positions. Classes for the two semesters typically include: Studio; CAD 2-D; CAD 3-D; Freehand Drawing; Perspective Drawing; Orthogonal Drawing; Design Principles; Writing; and Mathematics, Physics or Structures. Academic-Only students usually enroll in 12 to 16 academic credits each semester, rather than the 9 to 10 academic credits taken by most students in the traditional, concurrent curriculum.

Many AOP students benefit from this intensive academic foundation year by:

  • Developing skills and confidence that allow for a smoother transition to employment in design firms;
  • Acquiring skills necessary to enter the practice curriculum (employment) at higher "practice" and pay levels;
  • Attaining an intensive foundation in design and other academic classes in order to excel in future academic and practice settings;
  • Potentially accelerating completion of the degree by 1 to 2 semesters

The Academic-Only Program is open to new students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, in all programs – architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and design studies.  Higher tuition for the Academic Only Program reflects both the higher number of credits AOP students earn and the increased contact time they have with faculty. 

For more information about the Academic-Only Program, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@the-bac.edu  or 617-585-0123.