We Build Better
Connections / Partnerships / Downtowns / Street Culture / Futures
The University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation combines world-class resources, hands-on interdisciplinary opportunities and close-knit learning environments—all just minutes from the energy and opportunity of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. We drive innovation in design, research and community engagement to build a better future.
Design Excellence
From stunning skylines to walkable neighborhoods, our students, faculty and alumni set the bar for creativity, impact and innovation.
World-Class Faculty
Learn from leaders. Our faculty are acclaimed scholars, award-winning practitioners and forward-thinkers shaping the future of the built environment.
Campus to Capitol
Just minutes from D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis, our students learn in a living laboratory of history, design and development—connecting them to the people and places shaping the future of the built environment.
Get to Know Us
By combining hands-on learning with groundbreaking research, we empower students and scholars to shape thriving, just and resilient places.
Undergraduate Programs
UMD’s undergraduate degrees in architecture and real estate development are interdisciplinary, engaging and give students the tools to shape the cities and communities of the future.
Graduate Programs
From designing city skylines to driving neighborhood revitalization, our competitive, professional graduate programs in architecture, planning, preservation and real estate prepare students for careers that shape vibrant, just places.
Research Centers & Institutes
Our research centers and institutes forward groundbreaking research within the built environment that advances dynamic, sustainable and just places.
Emily Wang and Valeria Castillo-Hernandez's project model for a camping ground and nature lodge designed for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Julio Miguel T. Alumbro won the Spring 2025 Thesis Prize Award for his project “The “Church” in the Diaspora.”
Deisy Valasquez's housing development for Antigua, Guatemala won the Fall 2024 Thesis Prize Award.
"The Jacquelynn Residences at Uptown Place," Master of Real Estate Development student, Jack Tintle's independent senior living development. Winner of the Fall 2024 Colvin capstone competition.
Historic preservation students designed a Zine for the sounds of Prince George’s County.
A model created by an ARCH403 Design Studio student for their final project, focusing on the design of an observatory at Monocacy Battlefield.
Student Work
See our students’ ideas come to life—bold designs, thoughtful planning and creative solutions shaping our communities. From concept to creation, explore the innovative work of our students across architecture, planning, preservation and real estate.
News
Madlen Simon Establishes First Faculty-Led, Need-Based Academic Scholarship
During her term as associate dean of academic affairs, Professor Madlen Simon saw first hand the financial challenges that students navigate on their path to a college degree. But it was a routine phone call in 2020 to a student who hadn’t registered for classes that demonstrated just how quickly they can lose their footing.View Article Details for Madlen Simon Establishes First Faculty-Led, Need-Based Academic Scholarship 
UMD Solidifies Sweep in National Concrete Competition
A proposal for modular, living-learning “innovation villages” on the northeast corner of University of Maryland’s campus cemented a victory for two University of Maryland undergraduates in a national design contest.View Article Details for UMD Solidifies Sweep in National Concrete Competition 
Faculty Honored With Independent Scholarship, Research and Creativity Awards
This article was originally published in Maryland Today. Written by By Silvana Montañola M.A. ’23View Article Details for Faculty Honored With Independent Scholarship, Research and Creativity Awards
Events
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Architecture Lecture Series + Events: Spring 2026
February 25, 2026KEA DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR LECTURE 4 - 5:20 p.m. | AuditoriumAlan RicksFounding Principal + Co-Executive Director,MASS Design GroupFebruary 25, 2026April 22, 2026View Event Details for Architecture Lecture Series + Events: Spring 2026 -
Women's History Month Panel
This event is open to the public.March 27, 2026March 27, 2026View Event Details for Women's History Month Panel -
Perfect the Proposal Video Pitch
Join Tara Burke from the Research & Practice Development Office for an information session on the growing role of video pitches in proposal applications, including:April 7, 2026April 7, 2026View Event Details for Perfect the Proposal Video Pitch