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
Report Offers a Roadmap to Better Bus Access for Montgomery County Residents
A summer research project by urban studies and planning graduate student Emmanuel Boateng for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation has laid the groundwork for the county to improve pedestrian access to its extensive Ride On bus service by strengthening connectivity and conditions for p...View Article Details for Report Offers a Roadmap to Better Bus Access for Montgomery County Residents 
UMD Brings Home Victory at 2026 Maryland AIA Awards
A modern waterfront refuge, a second life for a stretch of abandoned Baltimore rowhouses, and a rustic mecca for distilled spirits in rural Montgomery County were just some of the Terp-designed projects to amass accolades at this year’s AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Awards. University of Marylan...View Article Details for UMD Brings Home Victory at 2026 Maryland AIA Awards 
“From Confined to Community”: UMD, Howard County, and Preservation Maryland Break Ground at Historic Ellicott City Jail Site
Dawn Jourdan, dean of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, joined Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, leaders from Preservation Maryland, and community stakeholders to break ground on the adaptive reuse of the county’s historic Ellicott City Jail.The ceremon...View Article Details for “From Confined to Community”: UMD, Howard County, and Preservation Maryland Break Ground at Historic Ellicott City Jail Site
Events
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NCSG Fall Colloquium Series
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
This colloquium series is open to the public. Join National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) students, staff and faculty every month during the academic semester to hear more about ongoing research from NCSG and our many partners. NCSG’s research colloquium is a dedicated space curated by NCSG’s Execu...
2026-09-17T12:00:002026-12-14T12:00:00View Event Details for NCSG Fall Colloquium Series -
Research | Practice Development Workshop Series
12 - 1 p.m.
These workshop series are open to the University of Maryland community. Faculty, researchers, staff and graduate students are all welcome!Fall 2026 R|P Workshops & Events:Writing Accountability Groups (WAG)Tuesday, September 22, 12 - 1 p.m. by zoomTara Burke will lead this presentation.RSVP for ...
2026-09-22T12:00:002026-11-17T12:00:00View Event Details for Research | Practice Development Workshop Series -
Architecture Lecture Series: Fall 2026
4 - 5:20 p.m.
Fall 2026 Architecture Lecture Series:September 23, 2026Johannes WidodoNational University of Singapore College of Design and EngineeringLearn more about Johannes Widodo's lecture. October 14, 2026Craig & Mimi Spangler Architecture Lecture: David T. FortinProfessor at University of Waterloo and ...
2026-09-23T12:00:002026-11-04T12:00:00View Event Details for Architecture Lecture Series: Fall 2026