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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@utsoa“The Nature of Reality: The Diaspora of Tibetan Buddhism in Austin” by Benjamin Boehle, Nicholas Jones @11nickjones and Shannon Stack @shannon_stack for Adam Barbe’s @adambarbe Landscape Architecture III course // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
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@utsoaWe’re thrilled to celebrate alumnus Jim Susman & Professor Emeritus Sinclair Black as Texas Society of Architects 2024 Award Winners!
🏅Jim Susman, FAIA: The Medal for Lifetime Achievement (TxA’s highest honor)
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@utsoaBooks aren’t the only items UTSOA students are buying for their studies ✍️ Through the collaborative support of faculty, administration, and the @utsoatechlab, our newly opened Fabrication Media Store is making basic materials more affordable and accessible for students!
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@utsoaCongratulations to Master of Architecture students Paula Cano and Ciara Hackman for winning the 2024 Student Design Award from AIA Dallas! @aiadallas
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@utsoaOn Wednesday, Brooklyn-based artist Olalekan Jeyifous @kidcadaver will guide us through his unique professional trajectory and discursive practice in his lecture, “The Road Became a River: Possibilities and Parallels.”
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@utsoaOn Monday, the landscape architect Kristina Hill drkzhill will present her lecture “Design for Sea Level Rise: How to Drop the Mic and Change the Conversation.” The lecture will take place Monday, Sept. 16 at 5:00 pm in the Goldsmith Lecture Hall. Details at the link in our bio.
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@utsoaA big SOA welcome to the three visiting faculty members joining the School of Architecture this semester: Karel Klein, Andy Bako and Michael Moynihan.
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@utsoaNext week we’re hosting the Black Home as Public Art symposium, a one-and-a-half-day symposium examining creative notions of the Black home in the United States.
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@utsoaCongratulations to the three UTSOA faculty members who were recently promoted!