The cardinal principle upon which the University of Uyo was founded is to impart knowledge and learning to men, women of all races without any distinction on the grounds of race, religion or political beliefs.

It is this principle that is enshrined in the University Law, states and ordinances, and each faculty and/or department is expected to uphold these laws.
In the context of the challenges and complexities we face in our contemporary society, there is need to provide students with the necessary information and knowledge with which to creatively and fruitfully face these challenges.

It is for this reason that this departmental student’s handbook is produced. The information contained therein is to act as guide and should be treated as such by the students. It is student’s companion, to avoid students understand the general philosophy and mechanism of the department. It is also expected that student’s strife to live by the standards highlighted in it and make offered to apply it.

That way they will be able to live in “the spirit and tradition of University life.”

HISTORY OF THE PROGRAMME
The Department of Architecture, University of Uyo came into existence following the establishment of the Faculty of environmental Studies in the 1995/96 school year. Together with four other Departments (Fine and Industrial Arts, Land Surveying, Quantity Surveying and Urban and Regional Planning).

It forms the nucleus of the Faculty. Estate Management and Building Departments were later added to the Faculty in the 1996/1997 and 2000/2001 school year respectively.
Right from the onset, the Department of Architecture adopted the two-tier (B.Sc., M. Sc.) degree programme, putting emphasis on the theoretical content at the B.Sc. level and the professional qualification at the Master of Science (M.Sc.)
The Department also adopted the courses credit unit system right from inception. This system require a lot of administrative work on students’ registration and examination. It also allows flexibility for elective courses from other Departments and Faculties.

The choice of this system was with the understanding that the creative work of the Architect is an expression of his inner being and the socio-cultural values of his time. His work is therefore a mirror or reflection the society.

The Department of Architecture University of Uyo was thus established bearing these nations in mind.
The Department has since its inception made progress and attained stability in certain areas namely: course structure appointment of qualified staff and student intake. For example, the student intake into the first year has risen from 4 students in 1995/1996 school year to about 189 in 2005/2006. The staff strength has also risen from 3 academic and 1 non teaching staff to 14 academic, 3 technical and 2 non teaching staff in 2000/2001 session. Course structure for the Department has also been drawn taking into account the peculiarities of the course.

However, the Department is not unmindful of the economic recession nationwide the inadequate forum for professional practice in the country. Consequently, the Department is constrained to limit admission into the first year to forty or fifty students at the moment.
PHILOSOPHY
Architecture is an interdisciplinary field of study, which furthers the application of aesthetics, socio-cultural economic, scientific and technological principles to solve variety of environmental design problems. The programme attempts to provide a broad education in Architectural theory and design with supporting courses drawn from environmental control systems, properties of materials, construction technology, historical influences, arts and social sciences. The emphasis is to produce architects capable of understanding society’s needs for shelter and translate their needs into comfortably build environment, which should be able to satisfy the social, cultural and economic aspirations of society in the local, regional and national context.
AIM
The primary aim of establishing the Department of Architecture here in University of Uyo was to realize the dream of attaining the highest level of qualitative education for the teaming population of Akwa Ibom State. The vision was that of producing for the state administrators, bureaucrats and architects of the highest caliber. It was to speed up technological and infrastructural development of the south-south geopolitical region in particular and the nation of as whole.
OBJECTIVES
In establishing the Department of Architecture here in Uyo, the following were set out as the main objective:
i. To equip students with basic skills that will enable them contribute positively and in clarifying and solving the ever increasing complicate problem pertaining to the built environment.
ii. To foster creativity, understanding of the social, economic and technical content as well as the needs of the clients and users of built environment.
iii. To prepare students for the pursuit of various careers in architecture and assume position of leadership in public institutions and private organizations.
iv. To promulgate new knowledge by expanding research and scholarly activities among both students and staff.
The programme seeks to train high-quality professional capable of understanding and solving complex environmental problems. It aims also at developing a creative approach to understanding and providing solutions to design problems with the motivation to seek new solutions to the issues and challenges facing a country with rich cultural heritage like Nigeria.
The programme further attempts to ginger the student understanding of the physical, social economic and technological context of design and stresses the cultural relevance of architecture through the incorporation of research and design modules. It seeks to produce good designers who are sensitive to the rich social and cultural environment within which they design, taping from the rich traditional resources in the region, at the same time, being technologically competent to grapple with demands and needs of a complex modern society.