The school is recognized nationally for admission to the bar in all Canadian provinces. The primary aim of the School of Architecture is to educate students who plan to become professional architects. First established in 1961, the school was part of the Technical University of Nova Scotia until 1997, when TUNS amalgamated with Dalhousie University. The school contributes to the discipline of architecture at a national and international level through its students and faculty. Architectural design is the central activity for the professional architecture program it focuses on the creative study of buildings and cities.
Architecture is related to the fine arts, the humanities and the technologies.
While at Dalhousie, students investigate historical and contemporary buildings in Canada and abroad and respond through the design of new architectural projects. Students develop their artistic skill, their knowledge of history and technology, their social and cultural awareness, and their critical imagination as they pursue the undergraduate program's core studies and the graduate program's elective studies and design thesis. About half of the architecture students are from the Atlantic region, while the remainder are attracted from across Canada and abroad. Many different undergraduate fields provide an effective basis for architectural and planning studies. Similarly, architectural studies provide an excellent foundation for careers in a variety of design-related fields.