Freshman FAQ

We offer undergraduate degrees in architecture and interior design. To be considered for admission, you must list architecture or interior design as your first-choice major. We do not review applications in which interior design or architecture is the second-choice major. The undergraduate programs offered by the SOA include:

• Bachelor of Science in Interior Design
• Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies
• Bachelor of Architecture
• Bachelor of Architecture / Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering*
• Bachelor of Architecture / Bachelor of Arts in Plan II

*Note: Students admitted to the Bachelor of Architecture + Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering dual degree program will complete degree requirements through the School of Architecture for the Bachelor of Architecture degree and the Cockrell School of Engineering for the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering degree. Applicants are strongly encouraged to also familiarize themselves with the Cockrell School of Engineering.

Visit the following external sites for thorough descriptions.

• Archiculture: a documentary film that explores the architectural studio
• Do You Want to Be an Architect?
• Cut and Paste Primer on Architecture School Part I 
• Cut and Paste Primer on Architecture School Part II
• Do You Want to Be An Architect, the College Years
• 100 years of Texas Architecture and Building

Our Bachelor of Architecture is consistently nationally ranked in the top 10 by DesignIntelligence. The most recent comparison of rankings is provided by Architectural Record. 

Read about the differences between architecture and interior design.

Read about architecture and architectural engineering.

There are three categories to pursue registration as an architect:  Education, Experience, and Examination. These requirements are often referred to as the “Three E's." Texas requires the following:

• Education [professional degree; NAAB-accredited Bachelor of Architecture]
• Experience [Architectural Experience Program]
• Examination [Architect Registration Examination]

Please see the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards [NCARB] website for the most up-to-date information. 

Becoming an interior designer involves enrollment in a college or university program followed by several years of professional experience, typically under the supervision of a qualified interior designer. There is also a qualifying exam. These requirements as known as the “Three E’s”:

• Education [professional degree; CIDA-accredited Bachelor of Science in Interior Design or NAAB-accredited Bachelor of Architecture]
• Experience [2 years of experience under a registered interior designer or architect]
• Examination [NCIDQ Examination]

Please see the National Council for Interior Design Qualification [NCIDQ] website for the most up-to-date information. 

Employment reports are available from the SOA's Career Services office.

The UT Austin Office of Admissions processes applications for freshman admission for the SOA. To be considered for admission, you must list architecture or interior design as your first-choice major. We do not review applications in which interior design or architecture is the second-choice major.

For your convenience, below is an abbreviated list of application requirements due by the December 1st deadline, as the SOA offers admission only for the fall semester. All applications are processed by the University's Office of Admissions, so their website and office are the best sources of information.

To be considered for admission to the SOA, you must list architecture or interior design as your first-choice major. We do not review applications that list interior design or architecture as the second-choice major.

• Common App application
• Required essay and short-answer items (note there is a required short-answer item specifically for the School of Architecture) 
• $75 non-refundable application fee [$90 for international applicants]
• High school transcript(s) + any college transcript(s)
• Student Information Form
• Upload three photographs
• SAT or ACT test scores [optional]
• Recommendation Letter(s) [optional]
• Expanded Resume [optional]

Major Specific Items for the School of Architecture:

In addition to submitting a complete application, freshman applicants must submit the following by the appropriate application deadline:

1. Short answer: Inherent in the design disciplines is the capacity to impact the world around us. What does the opportunity to develop such capacity mean to you and your approach to your college education? Please limit your response to 250-300 words.
2. Please provide and upload three images total that demonstrate your creativity. Then, describe how the three images are representative of how you see creativity as a way to describe, reflect on or change the world. Please limit your response to 50-75 words. The three images may all be of one option type or varied amongst the two following options: 
   • Option 1 – Either an original photograph or photographs from a camera, smart phone/mobile device.
   • Option 2 – Images of an original art or design project that you have produced and authored yourself.

*International applicants should be aware of additional admission requirements/information.

We do not require portfolios for freshman admissions, though supplemental uploads are allowed.

While the University of Texas at Austin does not require letters of recommendation, the SOA encourages you to include up to two letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, band directors, etc. The letters may give our faculty selection committee more information about you as a person and as a participant within a larger group; they do not necessarily have to mention architecture or interior design.
 
Your essay and short-answer items may demonstrate your understanding of what it is like to major in architecture or interior design, your creativity, or your personal observations of good design.

Major Specific Items for the School of Architecture:

In addition to submitting a complete application, freshman applicants must submit the following by the appropriate application deadline:

1. Short answer: Inherent in the design disciplines is the capacity to impact the world around us. What does the opportunity to develop such capacity mean to you and your approach to your college education? Please limit your response to 250-300 words.
2. Please provide and upload three images total that demonstrate your creativity. Then, describe how the three images are representative of how you see creativity as a way to describe, reflect on or change the world. Please limit your response to 50-75 words. The three images may all be of one option type or varied amongst the two following options: 
   • Option 1 – Either an original photograph or photographs from a camera, smart phone/mobile device.
   • Option 2 – Images of an original art or design project that you have produced and authored yourself.

The faculty admissions committee uses a holistic review and values

• Passion for architecture or interior design
• Comfort with ambiguity
• Self-motivation and creative problem solving
• Capabilities in making decisions
• ​Ability to collaborate or work in groups

The design-based education in architecture and interior design is an open-ended process, involving multiple iterations to reach a final design. You may discuss your interests in selecting a design-based major.

We do not have minimum admissions requirements but admitted students typically fall in the top quarter of their class, have a high school GPA of 3.0 or above, and have a high SAT or ACT test score.

The Office of Admissions maintains minimum high school course requirements for freshman application eligibility.  Refer to the Office of Admissions website for information on these course requirements. The SOA does not impose additional requirements.
 
Note: Prospective applicants with an interest in applying to the Bachelor of Architecture + Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering dual degree must also meet the requirements for admission to the Cockrell School of Engineering.

Unfortunately, for professional design-based degrees in architecture and interior design, attending community college first adds cost and time to the ultimate completion of the professional degrees. The most efficient means of attaining a professional undergraduate degree in architecture or interior design is to apply as a freshman to the SOA. 

No. If an applicant is not admitted into their first major choice within the SOA, they will not be accepted into another SOA major. Therefore, your first major choice must be one of the five programs offered by the SOA, and the second choice should be a major offered in another college or school at UT Austin.

The SOA enrolls approximately 330 undergraduate students and 370 graduate students. We admit approximately 120 students from approximately 1,000 freshman applicants. 

Please refer to the Texas One Stop website for the most current information regarding financial aid and scholarships.
 
All freshmen admitted to the SOA will be considered for SOA freshman scholarships. There is no separate application. Approximately 10% of admitted SOA freshmen will receive a scholarship offer directly from the SOA. Offers are sent from late February through late April, and are based on need and merit.

Currently enrolled School of Architecture students are eligible to apply for continuing scholarships during the spring semesters.

No. If you do not plan to enroll the semester to which you are admitted, you may apply again for the following fall. There is no guarantee you will be admitted again. You may lose your eligibility to apply a second time as a freshman; check with the Office of Admissions for the criteria to apply as a freshman or transfer. If you do not qualify to apply as a freshman, you must apply as a transfer applicant. Please see the eligibility rules for applying as a transfer applicant, and note that transfer applicants must be both in an architecture (or interior design) program at the school from which they are applying to transfer, and must submit a portfolio.

Yes, all incoming freshmen are required to attend one of the two School of Architecture summer orientation sessions.

Admitted students receive detailed information about the school’s Student Computer Policy as well as the updated hardware recommendations during Orientation. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you purchase your laptop after Orientation. You will be advised to obtain individual software as it becomes required in courses. The instructors will communicate software requirements and list them in the course syllabus. Students often obtain the software at no cost or reduced cost as a currently enrolled student in the School of Architecture.

The supply kit is a bundled package of items required for all students in the Architecture and Interior Design programs. Many of the items will continue to be used throughout the program. The supply kit is a one-time purchase at the beginning of the first semester, and the cost may range from $650-800, as the specific items in the kit can vary from year to year. You will receive the supply kit information on the first or second class day from the Visual Communication instructors. A local vendor provides a reduced-cost supply kit that is often more economical than individually purchasing each item, but you may choose where and how to purchase the supply kit items. Students who may be bringing supplies they already own can purchase any remaining items individually. We advise everyone to not bring supplies or purchase the supply kit until you obtain your individual studio key.

Please see the Texas Admissions residency information for details about determining, establishing, and reviewing Texas residency.

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Both calculus and physics are required for all architecture degrees. Physics is required for the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. Applicants may take high-level math courses and physics in high school.

For interior design applicants: Calculus is not required for the interior design degree, but students may opt to use calculus to fulfill the interior design math degree requirement. Interior design students have the option to use any math course that satisfies the core curriculum for math.
 
You may earn college-level course credit for calculus, physics, and math while in high school by taking certain exams, such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or SAT Subject exams or tests.

The University of Texas at Austin has a centralized Student Testing Services center that maintains credit by examination policies. You may find it helpful to also view the courses that fulfill Texas common core curriculum requirements as you are viewing the credit awarded for tests.