Bachelor of Science in Architecture

The Architecture Program offers a four-year undergraduate course of study leading to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture. This degree program is designed to provide students with comprehensive liberal education while delivering rigorous pre-professional study in architecture. Upon completion of the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree qualified students may apply to continue in the accredited Master of Architecture professional degree program.

The undergraduate program in architecture is designed to minimize the time required to complete the curriculum leading to the professional degree. Many students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Maryland continue in our Master of Architecture program or elect to pursue graduate studies at another institution. Many schools of architecture nationwide provide Master of Architecture programs that are compatible with our undergraduate degree (consult the NAAB directory of accredited programs in North America).

While the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree does emphasize architecture, some graduates of this program pursue graduate study in allied fields such as historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban planning, or real estate development. Because the undergraduate program in Architecture develops a wide range of practical skills and exposes students to diverse intellectual principles, graduates are able to compete effectively in many professional and academic arenas. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers in many professions, including the construction industry, engineering, public administration, business, law and higher education.

The first two years of the curriculum focus on developing a broad-based and well-rounded liberal education complemented by a selection of courses that incrementally introduce students to architecture. Students are exposed to the numerous resources of the University while gaining a better understanding of their own academic and career interests. The Architecture Program provides undergraduate advisors who work closely with each student to ensure that his or her career goals are being met and that appropriate academic opportunities are being pursued. The latter two years of the curriculum are centered on design studios, with complementary coursework in architectural history, theory, technology and visual media.

In a sense, when combined with the Master of Architecture (professional degree) the pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree can be viewed as analogous to pre-law or pre-med baccalaureates.

Profile of Applicants

Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree program are typically highly motivated individuals who have demonstrated proficiencies in the visual arts as well as in mathematics and sciences. Many undergraduates participate in the University Honors Program or College Park Scholars Program while enrolled in the University. Some of those who enroll in the program are directly admitted to Architecture from high school (www.lep.umd.edu), while others transfer into the major at the beginning of their junior year.

Accreditation information.