Bachelor of Science in Architecture: Admissions

In order to determine the degree placement of each student (B.A. or B.S.), current students and incoming transfer students need to apply through the Degree Placement Review Process.

Current UMD Students:

All students admitted to the Architecture program prior to Degree Placement Review Process are Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A.) students. During students’ sophomore Spring semester (while enrolled in ARCH400), students can elect to submit an application to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S.) degree.

Transfer Students:

All transfer students who come into the Architecture program prior to the Degree Placement Review start as Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A.) students. If a student has taken the proper equivalent prerequisite coursework, students may elect to apply for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S.) degree during the Spring semester, for the following Fall. 

All transfer students must be admitted by the University of Maryland, in addition to the Architecture program requirements. University admissions information can be found on the University's website.

B.S. Application Documents:

Students must submit the documents outlined on the BS ARCH Application Cover Sheet, including the cover sheet page, unofficial transcript, resume, essay, portfolio and optional letter of circumstance. Portfolio requirements can be found in this document: BS ARCH Portfolio Requirements.

This evaluation of this application will determine the student's degree placement. This decision is based on academic performance, portfolio evaluation, professional aspirations and skill levels, as evaluated by Architecture program faculty.

For Fall 2024, the deadline to apply for the Bachelor of Science is April 12, 2024. Please fill out this form before the deadline to be considered. 

All transfer students who gain admission into the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation will be placed onto the Bachelor of Arts track. 

All transfer applicants should list Architecture Bachelor of Art as your intended major on the application.

To be considered for the Bachelor of Science track, students must participate in the Degree Placement Process. Please read the section entitled Degree Placement Process to learn more.

Pre-Transfer

The Pre-Transfer Advising program provides support to prospective transfer students from two-year and four-year schools before they apply to the University of Maryland to complete an undergraduate degree. Students are encouraged to use pre-transfer advising services to assess their readiness to transfer and estimate their time to degree completion. To sign up for a pre-transfer advising appointment, please visit: https://www.pretransferadvising.umd.edu/.

Transfer Credits

The transfer credit evaluation process usually begins for newly admitted students two weeks after you receive your admission letter. To learn more about this process, please visit the Transfer Credit Services website.

Transfer courses that have already been evaluated can be found in the Transfer Database. If you would like to request an evaluation of a course(s) not appearing in the database, simply send an email to transfercredit@umd.edu with your name, UID (if you are a current student), name of the institution where the course was taken, the course ID and course title at the transfer institution, along with a detailed course syllabus.

Transfer Student Requirements

Go to the Undergraduate Admissions website for transfer application requirements.

Deadline

All transfer deadlines to the University of Maryland can be found at: www.admissions.umd.edu/apply/ApplicationDeadlines.php

Prerequisites and Recommended Courses

• 1 English Composition course (equivalent to ENGL101)

• 1 Calculus course (equivalent to either MATH120 or MATH140)

• 1 Physics course with lab (equivalent to PHYS121)

• At least 2 Introductory Architecture courses (equivalent to ARCH171 and ARCH200/300)

• 2 History of Architecture courses (equivalent to ARCH225 and ARCH226)

Degree Placement Review Process Transfer Students:
All transfer students who come into the Architecture program prior to the Degree Placement Review start as Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.A.) students. If a student has taken the proper equivalent prerequisite coursework, students may elect to apply for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S.) degree during the Spring semester, for the following Fall. 

All transfer students must be admitted by the University of Maryland, in addition to the Architecture program requirements. University admissions information can be found on the University's website.

Please see details in “Degree Placement Review Process” accordion above for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture application process.

Fall Application Deadlines:

U.S. and International Freshmen:

     Early Action: November 1
     Regular Deadline: January 20

U.S. and International Transfer:

     Early Action: March 1
     Regular Deadline: June 1

Spring Application Deadlines:

U.S. Freshmen:

     Early Action: December 1

International Freshmen & Transfer:

     Early Action & Regular Deadline: August 1

U.S. Transfer:

     Early Action: August 1
     Regular Deadline: November 15

Additional information can be found on UMD’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply by the early action deadline.

Applicants to the architecture program are typically highly motivated individuals who have demonstrated proficiency in the visual arts, as well as mathematics and science. Many of our students are admitted to and participate in the University Honors Program, the College Park Scholars Program, or the Gemstone Honors Program, while enrolled at the university.

Get a sneak peak of student life with these short videos featuring Salam, JT, and Jake below.

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation requires that all students studying architecture purchase a laptop computer. Specific requirements for students studying architecture are listed below for both hardware and software. In addition to these requirements, many students also purchase monitors so that they can expand their digital workspace. 

We provide the following technical specifications to define the baseline requirements. Many software applications are available to all matriculated students.  We recommend you check the following website to see a complete list, https://terpware.umd.edu/. A list of required and recommended software is listed below. Please take advantage of student discounts for software.

Preferred Hardware Specifications

VR-Ready/Gaming PC/Laptop ~ $2,400.00 (Great for multi-purposes overall)

• Processor: Intel Core i7 or greater
• Memory (RAM): 16 GB - 32 GB DDR4
• Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD for Operating System and 1TB for data storage
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX3060 or greater
• Extended warranty with accidental coverage.

MacBook Pro (16 inch model) ~ $2,700.00 (Great for graphic design, not for VR or modeling)

Many students also purchase monitors so that they can expand their digital workspace. Additional external storage and peripherals are recommended for workability and backup purposes.

• External monitor 27-inch 4K monitor or larger
• University-provided cloud storage (Google Drive and/or Box) 

KEEP IN MIND: Some coursework software are NOT compatible or supported on macOS such as AutoDesk Revit, NavisWorks and Lumion. A separate software called Parallels Desktop and a Windows 11 license must be purchased and installed to get your Apple device working with aforementioned software.

Software– Approximately $ 244.00 Total

The following are the required software applications for architecture students:

Adobe Creative Suite (or Adobe Creative Cloud) -- FREE through UMD TERPware program (https://terpware.umd.edu/Windows/Title/1971):

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe inDesign
• Adobe Illustrator

Autodesk – FREE through Autodesk Education portal (https://www.autodesk.com/education/home):

• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Autodesk Revit

Microsoft Office 365 – FREE through UMD TERPware program (https://terpware.umd.edu/Windows/Title/3107):

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel

Other specialized programs - Subscription or License is required:

• Rhinoceros (through www.creationengine.com, $195)
• SketchUp Pro (through www.creationengine.com, $49)

For current tuition and fees, please visit the Student Financial Services and Cashiering website.