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WHY UTSOA?

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture has a long and historic legacy in providing next-generation leadership for design and planning education. Always cognizant of our role as stewards of the built environment, we meld principle and practice to foster innovation while remaining always grounded in serving our communities.

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AT A GLANCE, UTSOA IS:

  • A diverse and vibrant community with a broad range of expertise and interest in the disciplines of the built environment
  • Shaped by award-winning faculty experience in both academic and professional realms
  • Grounded in the Austin region and the state of Texas, with international reach and consequence
  • Committed to interdisciplinary teaching and research, both within the School of Architecture and across the university
A group of 16 people stand spaced apart on dry grass in front of a large brick and metal industrial building under a blue sky.
Two people wearing glasses smile while looking at a laptop on a cluttered desk in a bright office with large windows and architectural drawings on the wall.

OUR STUDENTS GET HIRED

Rankings by DesignIntelligence by size group

#1 “Most Hired From,” Architecture
#3 “Most Hired From,” Interior Design
#4 “Most Hired From,” Landscape Architecture

DESIGNING & PLANNING FOR A GLOBAL WORLD

UTSOA encourages first-hand experiences of diverse peoples, places, and cultures so that we might better engage the world in which we live. Educational travel experiences can be integrated into degree plans in several ways including, but not limited to, the following:

STUDIO MEXICO 

Offered every other spring, students take a nine-day trip to Mexico to visit the site of their semester’s design project, as well as other places of significance. 

ADVANCED STUDIOS & PRACTICUMS

Advanced Studios and Planning Practicums also offer brief, unique opportunities to travel domestically and abroad. Recent international field trips have included site visits to Brazil, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Japan, Iceland, Portugal, and Spain, among others.

PROFESSIONAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Professional Residency Program [PRP] offers upper-level architecture students a unique opportunity to expand their education through work experience in the architectural profession. Participating firms are located around the United States and the world.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS

The School of Architecture also has a number of scholarships available to support student independent research travel. Applications for independent research travel are accepted twice each year for travel within the academic year.

SHORT-TERM FACULTY-LED MAYMESTER & SUMMER PROGRAMS

Maymester and Summer Faculty-led Programs are six to nine-week study abroad programs led by one or more UT faculty members. Some programs are administered by Texas Global while others are administered by a college or department.

A group of people cheerfully walk up a colorful, narrow street lined with potted plants on the wall. Some are laughing and smiling, and the atmosphere appears lively and friendly.

WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD

Here, we are committed to preparing our students for life outside our halls. Recently, one of the most influential and widely-cited program rankings in architecture education, DesignIntelligence, ranked three of our design disciplines as among the “Most Hired From” programs in the country: Architecture at #1, Interior Design at #3, and Landscape Architecture at #4, within our size group. Our Community & Regional Planning program is also ranked as one of the top 15 planning programs in the nation.

Within our classrooms and design studios, this is accomplished by incorporating true interdisciplinarity into the school’s curriculum, engaging students in research and large-scale experiential projects, and offering them the opportunity to travel and explore their relationship to the built environment in various ways. 

Outside the classroom, our Career Services office provides students with guidance and connects students to the professional community. Our Professional Residency Program (PRP) also offers opportunities for architecture students to enhance their education through work experience in the profession, while also receiving course credit. 

A large room with several pairs of people sitting across from each other at tables, engaged in conversation; the setting appears to be a professional networking or interview event.
Two men work on a detailed architectural scale model of a city, placing tall building models among blue and white structures, representing an urban planning or design project.
People walk along a lakeside boardwalk with a view of a modern city skyline, tall buildings, and lush trees under a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds.

LIFE IN AUSTIN

Imagine a city bursting with energy and an entrepreneurial spirit. Add a vibrant creative scene, a thriving economy, enviable weather, natural beauty, and underline it with an open-minded sense of community—and you’ve got Austin, Texas. 

Located just north of downtown, The University of Texas at Austin sits in the heart of one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, offering UTSOA students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in a rapidly growing and changing built environment.  

MUSIC, ARTS, AND CULTURE

Widely recognized as a major cultural center, Austin is perhaps best known for its live music scene, but Austin is also home to many museums, art galleries, and theaters. 

OUTDOOR RECREATION

From the spring-fed waters of Barton Springs Pool, to the 12+ miles of trails within the Barton Springs Greenbelt,  Austin is the perfect city for an active lifestyle. 

FOOD, DRINK, AND NIGHTLIFE

Everyone knows Austin’s reputation as a music town, but these days Austin is just as renowned for our culinary scene, which offers everything from food trucks to fine dining.

NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND CAMPUS

Austin is home to many unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct character and amenities. For many students, proximity to campus is a primary consideration.

FOLLOW US

  • Instagram Post
    This semester, British designers, researchers, and studio partners Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby joined us for a week-long workshop with students titled "Designing for a World of Many Worlds." <br>
    @utsoa

    This semester, British designers, researchers, and studio partners Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby joined us for a week-long workshop with students titled "Designing for a World of Many Worlds."

  • Instagram Post
    Five studios. 62 students. One collaborative exhibition showcasing the evolving landscape of Montopolis. <br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.
    @utsoa

    Five studios. 62 students. One collaborative exhibition showcasing the evolving landscape of Montopolis.
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  • Instagram Post
    Join us on March 2 to hear architect and urbanist Paola Viganò's lecture, "Rethinking the project of space: A book, an atlas, and a couple of projects." <br>
    @utsoa

    Join us on March 2 to hear architect and urbanist Paola Viganò's lecture, "Rethinking the project of space: A book, an atlas, and a couple of projects."

  • Instagram Post
    On Feb. 25, editor Sue Ann Kahn joins us for a conversation with Professor Kevin Alter. Kahn is the daughter of Louis I. Kahn. For over three decades, she's advocated for the preservation and restoration of her father’s architecture. <br>
    @utsoa

    On Feb. 25, editor Sue Ann Kahn joins us for a conversation with Professor Kevin Alter. Kahn is the daughter of Louis I. Kahn. For over three decades, she's advocated for the preservation and restoration of her father’s architecture.

  • Instagram Post
    Introducing the Landscape First Essay Series <br>
    @utsoa

    Introducing the Landscape First Essay Series

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    Simulating Democracy: Housing and Computation in Modern Latin America <br>▪️ By Michael Moynihan <br>.<br>. <br>.
    @utsoa

    Simulating Democracy: Housing and Computation in Modern Latin America
    ▪️ By Michael Moynihan
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    From Las Vegas to Rome 🇺🇸 🇮🇹<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.
    @utsoa

    From Las Vegas to Rome 🇺🇸 🇮🇹
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  • Instagram Post
    Last fall, Cody Komassa (MSHP) was selected as a scholar for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual PastForward conference. Now, he's applying what he learned there to his coursework and beyond. Congratulations, Cody!
    @utsoa

    Last fall, Cody Komassa (MSHP) was selected as a scholar for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual PastForward conference. Now, he's applying what he learned there to his coursework and beyond. Congratulations, Cody!

  • Instagram Post
    On Feb. 11, British designers, researchers, and studio partners Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby (@ny__f) present “Designing When ‘Spacetime is Doomed.’” <br>
    @utsoa

    On Feb. 11, British designers, researchers, and studio partners Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby (@ny__f) present “Designing When ‘Spacetime is Doomed.’”