Italy: Florence and Tuscany
This program immerses you in the architectural, landscape, urban, artistic, and cultural traditions of Florence and Tuscany—foundations of many disciplines today. Most coursework happens in situ, directly in the buildings, gardens and piazzas you’re studying, with learning that blends readings, lectures, and, most importantly, hands-on observation, documentation and analysis.
See the World—Change Your View
It began in 1971 with a four-week, three-continent adventure led by brand-new faculty and a world-famous architect—and we haven’t stopped exploring. At the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, study abroad is more than a trip; it’s a cornerstone of your education. One semester you might be sketching in the piazzas of Florence, Italy— the next, tracing history at India’s world heritage sites or soaking in the fast-paced energy of Kyoto, Japan.
The Fabrication Lab—affectionately known as the Fab Lab—is where vision meets craftsmanship. Here, students and faculty transform ideas into precise three-dimensional models of urban sites, landscapes, buildings, and building components. The Fab Lab spans two spaces: the Machine Shop and the Laser/3D Print Lab. The Machine shop is dedicated to crafting model components from materials like wood, plastics and composites using both traditional woodworking tools and advanced CNC machinery.
Design studio is a collaborative teaching-and-learning environment and the heart of the architecture program. Located on the ground floor of the architecture building, it comprises assigned desk space for third- and fourth-year undergraduates and graduate students to conduct individual design work, as well as ample flexible space for group work. In studio, you’ll work side-by-side with peers, practicing faculty, and industry mentors to master the fundamentals of building design, site analysis, urban design, and sustainable building materials and methods.
The school’s heart is the Great Space, a 118-foot, two story atrium and a hub of activity. The Great Space accommodates lectures and critiques, but is flexible enough to also be used for a variety of schoolwide events: symposiums, celebrations, career fairs, parties, thesis reviews, frisbee matches and the Beaux Arts Ball. Its floors have been adorned with student art and once, the gridded streets of Manhattan.
Jump into our sandbox! From a 24/7 student workspace that fosters collaboration and friendship, to high-tech, model-making makerspaces, we’ve got what you need to dream and design big.
The Real Estate Club:
The Real Estate Club at the University of Maryland allows members to explore the wealth building opportunities of real estate through the education of market conditions, financing, investing, rehabbing, management, and developing. Members have the opportunity to hear from real estate professionals and partake in site visits.
The Student Planning Association (SPA) is for students pursuing a Master of Community Planning (M.C.P.) in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at UMD. It promotes student involvement in the planning program and profession, fostering social and intellectual interactions among students, faculty, staff and alumni.
SPA Activities:
The Historic Preservation Organization (HiPO) provides students who are working towards any historic preservation degree or interested in the field of historic preservation with opportunities to further engage the preservation community at the University of Maryland and beyond. Founded in 2004, this student-run organization offers lectures, site visits and social events that connect Maryland students to current preservation issues, job opportunities, and the great group of people that make up the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Maryland.
Alpha Rho Chi (APX)
APX is the national fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. Its brotherhood unites men and women for the purpose of fellowship and lifelong friendships and mutual interest in professional development. This is exemplified by the fraternity's motto: Fidelitas, Amor et Artesor, "Fidelity and Love of the Arts."