Bachelor of Science in Architecture: Admissions

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the undergraduate degree programs in the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (MAPP) at the University of Maryland. All prospective students must apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. If you are interested in pursuing architecture as your major at the University of Maryland, make sure that you indicate this on your undergraduate admissions application. The Bachelor of Science degree is more restrictive than the Bachelor of Arts degree, and placement into this program depends on the degree placement review process that occurs during the student’s first studio course.

Undergraduate Admissions sponsors many events throughout the year for prospective students. We encourage you to visit campus! Explore opportunities for visiting Maryland on the Admissions website.  

Contact Undergraduate Admissions at applymaryland@umd.edu.

Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Architecture.

Application Requirements

Apply via the undergraduate admissions website.

 

All applicants must meet the University’s requirements for admission and are evaluated in a holistic review process. For a comprehensive list of the requirements for admission, please see the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website

Freshman and transfer applicants should select “architecture” as their intended major on the application.

A portfolio is not required for freshman applicants.

 


 

Preparation in High School

The undergraduate program in architecture is focused on both of the arts and the sciences. Applicants are typically strong in one or both of these areas. To prepare for this program, you should:

  • Pursue the highest level math classes you can in high school through senior year. AP Calculus is encouraged if offered.
  • Take physics in high school. AP Physics is encouraged if offered.
  • Take freehand drawing and art classes in any and all media. Computer drafting courses are not required.

High school students interested in majoring in architecture are encouraged to join us at the University of Maryland for our High School Summer Program, ARCH150: Discovering Architecture.

 

Degree Placement Review Process

In order for students to be placed in the degree that best suits their individual needs, skills, interests, and professional goals, there is a Degree Placement Review Process undertaken before junior year. This process will determine if a student follows the requirements for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor of Science degree is more restrictive than the Bachelor of Arts degree. If a student does not make it into the Bachelor of Science degree path, the student is automatically placed in the Bachelor of Arts.

 

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.

Degree Placement Review Process

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. 

Transfer Students

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.

Deadline

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.

Profile of Applicants

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.

 

 

 

Technology Requirements

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 PC laptop ~ $2,400.00 Total (Great for multi-purposes overall)

  • Processor: Intel Core i7 or greater

  • Memory (RAM): 16 GB - 32 GB DDR4

  • Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD or greater for Operating System and 1TB for data storage

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 or RTX2060 or greater

  • Extended warranty with accidental coverage.

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

KEEP IN MIND: Some coursework software are NOT compatible or supported on macOS such as AutoDesk Revit, NavisWorks and Lumion. A BootCamp partition must be configured for Windows OS so that those applications can be installed on top of Windows.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7.

  • Memory: 16GB - 32GB DDR4.

  • Hard Drive: 1TB SSD or greater.

  • GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6.

  • Apple Care is highly encouraged. 

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) 

 

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:

  • Adobe Photoshop

  • Adobe inDesign

  • Adobe Illustrator

 

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

  • Autodesk AutoCAD

  • Autodesk Revit

 

Microsoft Office– FREE through UMD TERPware program

Tuition and Fees

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

Contact MAPP School Admissions