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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@utsoaThe Tren Maya is a monumental new passenger rail system traversing nearly a thousand miles of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
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@utsoaFaculty making headlines at the 2025 @AIAAustin Design Awards!
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@utsoaIn Associate Professor @nicholewiedemann ’s advanced studio “FUTURING: 'un-thought of architecture’ or architecture beyond what already exists,” students tackled the complicated role of design competitions in the profession.
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@utsoaWe're proud to celebrate Professor Bjørn Sletto’s induction into the UT Austin Academy of Distinguished Teachers—one of the highest honors recognizing exceptional commitment to teaching excellence. 👏
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@utsoaVisiting faculty @eric.bunge challenged students to reimagine what an architecture school could be in his advanced studio “This is Not a School.” Tasked to envision a hypothetical interdisciplinary architecture school building as an off-campus annex to the UTSOA, students reframed usage of space for
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@utsoaLecturer @paulgermaine ‘s advanced studio “Deep Plates: Layered Representations of the Alhambra” brought students to Granada, Spain, to explore how decorative systems, such as muqarnas and planar tiling, can evolve into hybrid structural elements.
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@utsoaPresenting the next generation of designers and planners 🎓
Congratulations again, Class of 2025! See more photos from Commencement in our link in bio
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@utsoaShow up and show out.
UTSOA’s end-of-year show, Overexposed, celebrated the courageous act of revelation and vulnerability when surrendering one’s work to the public eye. What a way to wrap up the year!
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@utsoaLet’s make tomorrow unforgettable #UTGrad25
📅 Saturday, May 10
🕑 2:00 p.m. (CDT)
📺 Livestream link in our bio
We can't wait for tomorrow's celebration! Graduates, make sure to check-in at Goldsmith Hall no later than 1 p.m.