We Build Better
Connections / Partnerships / Downtowns / Street Culture / Futures
The University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation combines world-class resources, hands-on interdisciplinary opportunities and close-knit learning environments—all just minutes from the energy and opportunity of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. We drive innovation in design, research and community engagement to build a better future.
Design Excellence
From stunning skylines to walkable neighborhoods, our students, faculty and alumni set the bar for creativity, impact and innovation.
World-Class Faculty
Learn from leaders. Our faculty are acclaimed scholars, award-winning practitioners and forward-thinkers shaping the future of the built environment.
Campus to Capitol
Just minutes from D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis, our students learn in a living laboratory of history, design and development—connecting them to the people and places shaping the future of the built environment.
Get to Know Us
By combining hands-on learning with groundbreaking research, we empower students and scholars to shape thriving, just and resilient places.
Undergraduate Programs
UMD’s undergraduate degrees in architecture and real estate development are interdisciplinary, engaging and give students the tools to shape the cities and communities of the future.
Graduate Programs
From designing city skylines to driving neighborhood revitalization, our competitive, professional graduate programs in architecture, planning, preservation and real estate prepare students for careers that shape vibrant, just places.
Research Centers & Institutes
Our research centers and institutes forward groundbreaking research within the built environment that advances dynamic, sustainable and just places.
Emily Wang and Valeria Castillo-Hernandez's project model for a camping ground and nature lodge designed for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Julio Miguel T. Alumbro won the Spring 2025 Thesis Prize Award for his project “The “Church” in the Diaspora.”
Deisy Valasquez's housing development for Antigua, Guatemala won the Fall 2024 Thesis Prize Award.
"The Jacquelynn Residences at Uptown Place," Master of Real Estate Development student, Jack Tintle's independent senior living development. Winner of the Fall 2024 Colvin capstone competition.
Historic preservation students designed a Zine for the sounds of Prince George’s County.
A model created by an ARCH403 Design Studio student for their final project, focusing on the design of an observatory at Monocacy Battlefield.
Student Work
See our students’ ideas come to life—bold designs, thoughtful planning and creative solutions shaping our communities. From concept to creation, explore the innovative work of our students across architecture, planning, preservation and real estate.
News
A Sacred Place, Designed to Last
When a procession of red ants made a run at the communion chalice during a balmy Sunday morning mass, Reverend Lauren Bloom knew she had a problem. The outdoor amphitheatre at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Eastport, Md.—a cherished spot for community festivals, support groups, and outdoor worship—had always been harmonious with its natural backdrop, a peaceful pocket on the church property frequented by animals and insects. But time, the elements (and in this case, the ants) were threatening that divine coexistence.View Article Details for A Sacred Place, Designed to Last 
Building for Belonging
Abby Chi’s grandfather is such a fixture at his community pool that many of the children taking swim lessons alongside his daily laps know him by name: Mister Hi. But Mister Hi isn’t his actual name.“It’s because he always waves hi,” laughs Chi, who used the anecdote, and her tight-knit relationship with her two sets of grandparents, as inspiration for her thesis: An adaptive reuse project that’s one part wellness facility for seniors, one part daycare, creating intergenerational opportunities for connection, teaching and learning, and friendship.View Article Details for Building for Belonging 
Divine Interventions: Terps Reimagine Struggling Churches’ Spaces
For the past few decades, the pews at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in New Carrollton, Md., have been slowly emptying. Weekly attendance at the once-thriving, multicultural congregation has dwindled to around three dozen. Frequent flooding of the sanctuary chapel has damaged its foundation and floors. Leadership could scrape together funds to fix the building, but would anyone be there to notice?View Article Details for Divine Interventions: Terps Reimagine Struggling Churches’ Spaces
Events
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First Generation Student Networking Event
This event is for the MAPP Community onlyFebruary 4, 2026February 4, 2026View Event Details for First Generation Student Networking Event -
PlaceHack 2026
This event is open to undergraduate students from the University of Maryland.February 6, 2026February 7, 2026View Event Details for PlaceHack 2026 -
Resume Workshop
This event is open to the MAPP Community onlyPrepare your resume ahead of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Career Fair. Get tips and tricks to have your resume ready to present to employers at the upcoming career fair.February 9, 2026February 9, 2026View Event Details for Resume Workshop