New IU Architecture Program To Focus On Columbus City

Indiana University (IU) Bloomington is planning to offer a Master of Architecture degree program through its recently established campus, the School of Art and Design, beginning fall 2018. The new IU architecture program was presented by IU Provost Lauren Robel on Mar. 2017.

The city where the new IU architecture program will be focused on, Columbus, features major architecture and buildings designs. Its prestige in the architecture world was initiated in the mid-twentieth century by J. Irwin Miller, the CEO of diesel engine producer Cummins Incorporated. Miller offered to fund architect fees for new public buildings as long as the architects were enlisted in one the companies he endorsed, which he eventually extended to other nonprofits, according to Indiana Daily Student.

The new IU architecture program seems fitting to the Bicentennial Strategic Plan, which aims to co-create an educational platform that meets students' aspirations, as well as to help fill up the Indiana's workforce gap. In fact, the employment rate of architecture is expected to rise more than 20 percent in the next five years.

According to the Indiana University Bloomington, an initial class of about 20 students is expected for new IU architecture program. It will be developed in collaboration with the Columbus community, which includes the Columbus Architectural Archives and the Institute for Coalition Building of the Columbus Education Coalition.

Principles of art and design, and a robust background education in coalition building and community partnership will be provided to students under the new IU architecture program. The program will also provide a strong international access to seminars, courses, exhibitions and other learning opportunities through the School of Art and Design.

Meanwhile, IU President Michael McRobbie seems happy with the future prospects of the new IU architecture program. "The addition of the new Master of Architecture degree program, together with the new program in intelligent systems engineering, will contribute enormously to IU's efforts to create and sustain a culture of 'building and making' on our Bloomington campus," he said.