WELCOME TO MARYLAND'S ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM
At Maryland's Architecture Program, we are driven by a singular vision: to educate future architects and designers who will harness the power of design to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Our mission is to cultivate leaders who are not only skilled in the technical aspects of architecture but also equipped to use design as a tool for positive, transformative change. Through critical thinking, purposeful design, and global collaboration, our graduates are prepared to lead the way toward a more sustainable, just, and equitable world.
Our commitment to excellence extends far beyond the classroom. In addition to rigorous academic coursework, we offer students opportunities to engage with real-world projects across the globe. From working with local communities, to exploring diverse architectural practices abroad, we ensure that our students are prepared to lead with confidence and creativity.We also offer multiple pathways for architecture degree completion including a STEM designated Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, and a Master of Architecture.
Our Initiatives
As part of our mission to nurture leaders with a global perspective, with the help of a global board including visionary architectural leaders from partner institutions around the world, we have developed several initiatives that foster collaboration, broaden perspectives, and deepen our students' understanding of architecture’s global impact:
- Lecture Series: We bring top practitioners and educators from around the world to speak to our students and drop into studios. These lectures help students expand their vision and gain leadership insights from influential architects who are shaping the future of the built environment.
- Entrepreneurship Collaborations: In partnership with architectural firms and organizations in the Washington, DC area, we encourage entrepreneurial thinking among our students. Through internships, mentorships, scholarships, and collaborative projects, students develop the leadership skills needed to drive innovation and business growth in the architecture field. Each year we host ArchiNova, an entrepreneurial competition for architecture students, in order to foster new ideas and grow these partnerships.
- Healthy Program Initiative: We believe that leadership starts with self-care. Our health and wellness program includes listening sessions and student support systems to ensure that every student has the resources they need to lead both academically and personally, fostering well-rounded, resilient leaders.
- Mentorship Program: This program connects students with experienced architects, designers, and fellow students regionally, nationally and globally. It gives our students the leadership tools they need to excel in the international arena, learning from professionals who have shaped design at a global scale.
- Student Organizations: The Architecture program hosts a plethora of active student organizations that engage in community building, problem solving, and classroom extension. Organizations such as the American Institute of Architecture Students, LGBTQIA+ Design Collective, and the Alpha Rho Chi professional fraternity help to cultivate a culture of collaboration, communication, and offer opportunities for leadership experiences as students pursue their degrees alongside one-another.
- Global Classrooms: These collaborative, multi-country workshops bring together students from Maryland with peers in countries like India, Egypt, Uganda, Jamaica, and Pakistan. Through these sessions, students tackle real-world problems, gaining leadership experience while learning how design practices vary around the world.
- Education Abroad Programs: Our semester-long and short-term study abroad programs offer students the chance to immerse themselves in different architectural traditions. These global experiences empower students to thrive in diverse environments, from Scandinavia to Cuba to India and beyond.
- Real-Time Projects with Local Communities: We partner with local communities on design projects that address both contemporary and historical challenges. With the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program, Architecture students provide high quality, low-cost assistance to local governments while creating an active and valuable real-world learning experience. Through these real-time projects, students develop leadership skills by directly impacting the places and people they serve.
The Impact of Our Graduates
Our graduates are some of the best-trained and most influential leaders in the architecture field. They are making a tangible impact at regional, national, and international levels, proving the power of good design to drive change.
Our alumni are leading top-tier design firms, spearheading urban planning initiatives, and shaping policies that affect communities worldwide. Many of our graduates are at the forefront of sustainability efforts, pushing the envelope on green building practices and socially responsible design. Others serve as leaders in government, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations where they apply their expertise to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
From designing landmark projects in major cities to leading restoration efforts in culturally significant locations, our graduates have proven that architecture is not just about buildings. At the University of Maryland, architecture is about leadership and impact. Alumni continue to inspire future generations of architects by demonstrating what it means to lead with vision, integrity, and purpose.
Our Commitment to Leadership
At Maryland's Architecture Program, we are dedicated to shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Our approach emphasizes leadership at every stage of a student’s journey, from the classroom to global initiatives and hands-on community projects. We encourage students to embrace design as a means to lead change, whether that’s in their careers, their communities, or the world.
We invite you to join us on this exciting journey toward a better, more sustainable world. At Maryland’s Architecture Program, you will not only gain the skills to design buildings—you will become part of a dynamic group of leaders who are shaping the world of tomorrow.