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
UMD Brings Home Victory at 2026 AIA Potomac Valley Awards
An elegantly angular, timber-constructed housing project that addresses Montgomery County, MD’s “missing middle” took first place in AIA Potomac Valley’s Student Design Awards, kicking off a parade of UMD accolades that swept the student design category this year.Timber Point, designed by Olivia Gar...View Article Details for UMD Brings Home Victory at 2026 AIA Potomac Valley Awards 
Sparking a State of Green Go-Getters
Tucked away on a quiet residential street, Mount Rainier’s community garden beckons like a botanical buffet. Hardworking honeybees and monarch butterflies tend to plots of eggplant and tomatoes, steering clear of the preschoolers clutching fresh-picked green beans in their pudgy fists. Photo: Jele...View Article Details for Sparking a State of Green Go-Getters 
$525K Gift Will Launch New Interdisciplinary Studio Course
Kenn Jones' two University of Maryland degrees set the stage for a successful career in architecture. But 10 years into practice, Jones ’86, M.Arch. ’89 went off-script. He served as a U.S. diplomat in Lebanon, built curriculums for kindergarteners and college students (including an interdisciplinar...View Article Details for $525K Gift Will Launch New Interdisciplinary Studio Course
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