The School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation brings diverse individuals together into an educational community dedicated to the creation and stewardship of the built and cultural environments. We prepare students for leadership in professional practice, service and individual creative pursuits.

We achieve this through multidisciplinary educational programs set within a collegial environment guided by the principles of inquiry, conscience and tolerance espoused by the University's namesake, Roger Williams.

The School exists to prepare students from many backgrounds and experiences for a variety of roles within a global society, with its continuing need for educated citizens who have the knowledge, skills and commitment to improve our surroundings.

Educational Philosophy

The School is committed to balance between creation and conservation, aesthetic and technical pursuits, national and international perspectives, individual exploration and community involvement, classroom and lifelong learning.

We work to achieve this balance through a variety of teaching situations - studios, lectures, seminars, internships, study abroad, field work, tutorials, public forums, required community service - which engage students, faculty, and those active in the field in close relationships.

We serve a continuum of student groups, building from a core of undergraduate and professional degree programs to include K-12, High School and Career Discovery, post-professional and continuing education opportunities.  The Bachelor of Science in Architecture/Master of Architecture dual degree sequence was introduced in 2001. The School extends itself most fully as a center for the study of architecture, art and historic preservation by bringing people together around topics and works of international significance in public events, professional conferences and community-generated initiatives.

We view the worlds of knowledge and experience as open-ended. Education in the School therefore encourages the complementary pursuits of learning and practice, reflection and action, of accessibility and flexibility; along with a sense of perspective, adaptation, and transcendence. The skills which best serve these values incorporate intuition, critical thinking and problem solving; as well as abilities with spoken, written, graphic and spatial media. In a world of continuous technological change, which presents challenges to established cultures, these timeless values and skills endure. They exist as relevant tools for contemporary life and practice, and as a means toward advancing the cause of a humane and civilized environment for all.