Bachelor of Science in Architecture
The Architecture Program offers a four-year undergraduate course of study leading to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture.
This degree program is designed to provide students with comprehensive
liberal education while delivering rigorous pre-professional study in
architecture. Upon completion of the degree requirements for the
Bachelor of Science degree qualified students may continue in the
accredited Master of Architecture professional degree program.
The undergraduate program in architecture is designed to minimize the time required to complete the curriculum leading to the professional degree. Many students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Maryland continue in our Master of Architecture program or elect to pursue graduate studies at another institution. Many schools of architecture nation-wide provide Master of Architecture programs that are compatible with our undergraduate degree (consult the NAAB directory of accredited programs in North America).
While the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree does emphasize architecture, some graduates of this program pursue graduate study in allied fields such as historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban planning, or real estate development. Because the undergraduate program in Architecture develops a wide range of practical skills and exposes students to diverse intellectual principles, graduates are able to compete effectively in many professional and academic arenas. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers in almost any conceivable profession including the construction industry, engineering, public administration, business, law, and higher education.
The first two years of the curriculum focus on developing a broad-based and well-rounded liberal education complemented by a selection of courses that incrementally introduce students to architecture. In this curricular structure, students are exposed to the numerous resources of the University while gaining a better understanding of their own academic and career interests. The Architecture Program provides undergraduate advisors who work closely with each student to ensure that their career goals are being met and that appropriate academic opportunities are being pursued. The later two years of the curriculum focus on a studio-based curriculum that includes architectural history, theory, technology, and visual media courses, giving students educational experiences that prepare them for professional education. In a sense, when combined with the Master of Architecture (professional degree) the pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree can be viewed analogous to pre-law or pre-med baccalaureates.
Profile of Applicants
Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree program
are typically highly motivated individuals who have demonstrated
academic proficiencies in the visual arts as well as in mathematics and
sciences. Many undergraduates participate in the University Honors Program or College Park Scholars Program
while enrolled in the University. Some of those who enroll in the
program are directly admitted to Architecture from high school (see: www.lep.umd.edu), while others transfer into the major during their Junior year in the University
Curriculum
Curriculum for directly admitted students and potential transfer students during the first two years of college.
ACCREDITATION