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
- Instagram Post@utsoa
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Landscape First conference last week!
Instagram Post@utsoaA multidisciplinary team of students took home first place in this year’s @americanplanningassociation Planning and Design competition.
Instagram Post@utsoa“540 Howard St.” by Jamie Treadwell for Lisa Iwamoto’s and Craig Scott’s (@cs_sf) Advanced Studio // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
Instagram Post@utsoaStudents in @juanasalcedoo’s advanced studio “Caring Cities / Hybrid Infrastructures” recently returned from Bogotá, Colombia.
Instagram Post@utsoaWe caught up with Assistant Professor of Practice @juanasalcedoo about her exhibition “Jaguar Lens” ahead of @UT_LLILAS’ Urban Entanglements Conference, which kicks off this evening and continues through March 28.
Instagram Post@utsoaTune in tomorrow for a special Career Services Instagram Takeover!
Instagram Post@utsoaAssociate Professor Aleksandra Jaeschke’s recent scholarship explores and questions the validity of the frameworks used in architecture, emphasizing the importance of integrating knowledge from other domains, expanding system boundaries, and embracing non-Western perspectives.
Instagram Post@utsoa“Blade Runner Cambridge Tower” by Fatemeh Shahvazian @rahash9419 for Ria Bravo’s (@riabravodesign) Interior Design Core Studio II // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
Instagram Post@utsoaMeet Michael Moynihan, our 2024-2026 Land, Space and Identity in the Americas Fellow.