Pre-Professional Degrees (Undergraduate):
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (known as either B.A. or A.B in Arch):  The Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree is a Liberal Arts degree that typically focuses upon architecture as a humanistic discipline.  B.A. programs tend to focus upon the "art of architecture."  These types of programs often provide preparation for students in the areas of architectural history, theory and in some cases design.  B.A. programs are ideal programs for building a strong liberal educational foundation for students who may or may not continue on to professional programs in architecture. 

Bachelor of Arts programs in architecture tend to have less stringent requirements for the sciences, technology and mathematics than do Bachelor of Science programs in Architecture.  Consequently, these graduates of these types of programs often have longer stays in professional graduate programs than their colleagues in B. S. programs.  However, care should be taken not to dismiss the academic value of B.A. degrees, some of the nationsí most prestigious schools offer only the B.A. degree in Architecture at the undergraduate level.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. in Arch):  The Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree is an undergraduate course of study that integrates liberal and technical educational objectives.  B.S. programs in Architecture typically address architecture as both ìartî and ìscience.î  These types of programs are intended to provide students with an intensive exposure to architecture as a preparation for a professional masters degree.  Students will typically enroll in an intensive liberal educational curriculum during their initial two years of undergraduate education followed by an intensive pre-professional program during their junior and senior years.  Bachelor of Science programs provide much of the same career and educational flexibility of the Bachelor of Arts degree. 

Students with a B.S. in architecture may elect to enroll in a Master of Architecture degree program upon graduation, or they may select graduate study in another field.  Many Master of Architecture programs are designed to permit candidates who hold a B.S. in Architecture to complete their degree requirements in as little as two years, while Bachelor of Arts candidates are typically required to complete an additional year of study.  The University of Maryland offers a four year Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture.  For more information call: (301) 405-6284.