College of the Canyons Program Profile

High School, Reentry & for additional skills training.

The COC Architecture program currently utilizes two lecture/lab classrooms which were outfitted to support the HyFlex teaching modality with state-of-the-art tracking web cameras and wireless microphones, all of which are easily controlled from the Instructor Station. These classrooms (24-seats in one and 35-seats in the other) have computer terminals and/or laptops for each student loaded with CAD/BIM and Building Energy Modeling software. College of the Canyons also supports a robust and innovative Makerspace which is utilized by the Architecture program with laser-cutting, 3D printing, and full service wood shop.

The Canyons Architecture program is successful because of experienced, dedicated faculty and our on-going educational collaborations with industry partners and trade organizations, which include faculty involvement with the U.S. Green Building Council, the Santa Clarita Environmental Education Consortium (SCEEC), and the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA). Likewise, our program benefits substantially from semi-annual meetings of our Industry Advisory Board. These are all important contributors to the program’s comprehensive curricular offerings which allow us to serve industry needs and for the institution to serve an ever more diverse student population.

The Canyons Architecture program has strong industry ties to architectural firms and A/E/C employers throughout Santa Clarita and our larger northern Los Angeles County service area. The Architecture program supports an Industry Advisory Board comprised of over 40 industry professionals, subject matter experts, academic partners, employers, and alumni. The Industry Advisory Board has been very helpful in providing effective feedback on the program’s direction and helping to guide the curriculum towards job-skills and sustainable design with emphasis on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and LEED. Industry Advisory Committee members also assist with identifying local internship opportunities.

Although our program does not provide formal job placement services, the College of the Canyons Career Services office assists students (free of charge) with finding employment including resume writing/review, job searches, workshops, interview practice, etc. Additionally, we work closely with local industry to develop and offer internships. Our department coordinates a LinkedIn Group where current internship and employment opportunities from industry are posted for students and alumni.

There is not an institution-set standard for job placement rate for our program at this time. Based on data culled from the LinkedIn Group coordinated by the department, 43 students/alumni of the 70 in the group are currently engaged in employment specifically related to the Architecture & Interior Design
profession (approx. 62% placement rate) an increase from 2020-21 due to our program’s on-going job networking and placement efforts. Note that transfer placement is largely based on the quality of the student’s portfolio which needs to demonstrate the student’s ability to use a variety of software, including BIM and photorealistic rendering programs like Revit as well as AutoCAD, SketchUp, and/or Rhino.

Articulation agreements currently exist with the Bachelor of Architecture programs at:
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – https://assist.org/transfer/report/26540810
• Cal Poly Pomona – https://assist.org/transfer/report/26455820
• Woodbury University – https://www.dropbox.com/s/zoidlg2js9vzrqz/Architecture%20Articulation%20- %20Woodbury%20and%20COC.pdf?dl=0

Our program is currently developing a proposal to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Architecture degree (Fall 2024 launch tentative)

Program Link: www.canyons.edu/academics/architecture