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
Lamprakos Joins MIT as Visiting Professor
Michele Lamprakos, photo courtesy of J.M. Ayala. University of Maryland Associate Professor of Architecture Michele Lamprakos will join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) School of Architecture and Planning as a Visiting Associate Professor for the 2026 fall semester.She will teach tw...View Article Details for Lamprakos Joins MIT as Visiting Professor 
A Second Career at UMD Offers an Unlikely ROI: Student Success
When Maria Day-Marshall was a little girl, she wanted to be exactly like her cousin. So when her cousin proclaimed she was going to be a lawyer when she grew up, Day-Marshall decided she would too. It's the kind of childhood plan that rarely carries into adulthood, but Day-Marshall’s did—through a M...View Article Details for A Second Career at UMD Offers an Unlikely ROI: Student Success 
This Alum Played to Win in the 42nd Season of Jeopardy!: Who is Derek Lombardi?
Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was the U.S. president who deemed Thanksgiving a national holiday? Luckily, Derek Lombardi M.C.P. ‘17 did; he stumbled on this fun fact cramming for his appearance on Jeopardy! this past June— one of three “Slumdog Millionaire moments” that inched the urban planner ...View Article Details for This Alum Played to Win in the 42nd Season of Jeopardy!: Who is Derek Lombardi?
Events
-
Affordable and Connected Communities 2026
This public event is hosted by the National Center for Smart GrowthDetails on the summit are found on NCSG's website. The National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) at the University of Maryland invites you to an exciting upcoming regional event, Affordable and Connected Communities: Transit, Developme...September 10, 2026September 10, 2026View Event Details for Affordable and Connected Communities 2026 -
Prospective Student Information Session (In-Person)
This event is open to the public.Join the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation for an in-person undergraduate student information session. Learn about our various programs, get questions answered and tour the building.September 18, 2026September 18, 2026View Event Details for Prospective Student Information Session (In-Person) -
MAPP First Look Fair
This event is open to the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (MAPP) CommunityExplore student organizations, clubs and other opportunities available to MAPP students at the First Look Fair.September 21, 2026September 21, 2026View Event Details for MAPP First Look Fair