The School of Architecture’s undergraduate architecture program combines the intensity of a professional education with opportunities afforded by a world-class research university. Our rigorous curriculum emphasizes design, as well as history, technology, representation, and structures. Early on, students are introduced to basic conceptual skills and the fundamental elements of architecture. They learn to communicate their ideas through models and drawings, working fluidly and seamlessly between analog and digital representation. In later years, they apply lessons learned to both real-world and speculative problems.
STUDIO LEARNING
At the center of the student experience is a sequence of studio courses that serve as laboratories of innovation. Studio learning encourages dialogue, collaboration, risk-taking, innovation, and learning-by-doing. Studio also fosters a close, tight-knit community and our students forge relationships that last a lifetime.
The design studio offers a synthetic form of education, where project-based learning becomes the foundation for developing an understanding of and commitment to the school's core values — broadmindedness, interconnectivity, professionalism, exploration, and activism — all in service of architecture's fundamental mission: to improve the quality of the built and natural environments.
DEGREE TYPES OFFERED
We offer two undergraduate degrees. A professional five-year degree and a pre-professional four-year degree. The School of Architecture also offers dual degrees, detailed below.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE [BARCH]
A five-year professional degree, the Bachelor of Architecture features a rigorous design-oriented curriculum with a solid foundation in technology and the history of architecture. The degree is evaluated and accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board and contains the required academic coursework to pursue internship, and eventually, licensure.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES [BSAS]
A four-year pre-professional degree with an optional architectural history track that contains part of the coursework required for licensure. BSAS must be followed by a professional degree to pursue licensure and is an excellent platform for future graduate studies in architecture and associated fields.
DUAL DEGREES
The School of Architecture also offers two undergraduate dual degrees. These include the Bachelor of Architecture / Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, sponsored jointly with the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Bachelor of Architecture / Plan II Honors, sponsored jointly with the College of Liberal Arts.
ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
The School of Architecture is one of the smallest academic units at The University of Texas at Austin. Our undergraduate student body exemplifies the diverse constitution of the communities we strive to serve. In support of unique perspectives and experiences, all applications are reviewed with an understanding that excellence may manifest itself in many areas and may be expressed in different forms. Visit our Undergraduate Admissions page for more information and Frequently Asked Questions.
STUDENT WORK
Click for project details.
FOLLOW US
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@utsoaThis fall, work by Associate Professor @phoebelickwar and landscape architecture students was displayed at the 2024 International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) exhibition, “Nature of Hope.”
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@utsoa“It Takes a Village: A Cooperative Housing Project Through Aggregation” by Olivia Bowness @olivia_bowness for Martin Hättasch’s Horizontal Studio // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
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@utsoaIf you’re interested in environmental planning, green infrastructure planning, or water resources planning, meet Associate Professor Katherine Lieberknecht.
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@utsoaIn response to Austin’s density initiative and in consideration of the city’s rich natural resources, students in Danelle Briscoe’s (@danellebriscoe) “Other Nature” studio are proposing habitations for both human and non-human species to counter the effects of development that put fauna at risk.
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@utsoaLooking for something to do this weekend? Kory Bieg’s (@kory_bieg) and Clay Odom’s (@studiomodo) latest public art collaboration is on display this week at the Waterloo Greenway for the 2024 Creekshow.
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@utsoaJoin an interdisciplinary community of designers, planners, and scholars committed to creative exploration, ambitious scholarship, and critical practice.
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@utsoaCongratulations to Assistant Professor Tara Dudley, Lecturer Mark Wolfe, and the Hogg Memorial Auditorium renovation team on their 2024 Preservation Austin Merit Awards!
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@utsoaOne of our favorite days every year: Masonry Day. With the help from local contractors and suppliers, students get to work hands-on with building materials and construction practices that will be essential to any future project.
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@utsoaTomorrow, Master of Historic Preservation student Elizabeth Edwards (@ribo.flavin) is taking over our Instagram to share what she’s learning about material conservation during a site visit from Izabella Nuckels' (@IzNuckels) Lab Methods course.