Columbia Architecture Program

The Shape of Two Cities: New York - Paris 

This certificate program offered by the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) is for undergraduate students and recent graduates from U.S.-based colleges and universities. The program's goals are to introduce the fields of architecture, planning, and preservation; encourage their exploration in the contexts of history, theory, and practice; and identify and analyze their relationships, especially in regard to the making of cities. The in-depth course of study is suited to students without previous academic experience in design who are interested in architecture, planning, or preservation as a career; students in the liberal arts who are interested in approaching urban and historical issues from an architectural and urban planning perspective; as well as students with previous design experience who would like to develop additional studio skills in preparation for application to graduate school. All classes are conducted in English. The program offers a two-semester curriculum that immerses participants in the rich physical and intellectual urban environments of New York and Paris. Instruction draws on the resources of Columbia University and its faculty, and the architectural communities of New York and Paris. During the first semester, students live and study in New York and enjoy the resources of Columbia University and GSAPP. The second semester is spent living in Paris and studying at Reid Hall.