Skip to content

BA in Architectural Design

Application to the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Design program requires the following materials to be considered for entry into the program. All applicants must also complete the five prerequisite courses by the end of spring quarter: ARCH 200, 201, 350, 351 and 352. These courses are typically taken in the sophomore year.

Application requirements:

  • Department Application (found online here).
  • Transcripts of all college-level work – Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
  • DARS Report (Degree Audit Report for Architectural Design major UPDATE LINK)
  • Personal Statement – Use your choice of either of the two questions below to help direct and compose a narrative that helps the committee understand your interest and motivation in applying to the Architectural Design major. Approximately 500 words (single spaced).
    • Question #1 – “Describe a place you have visited, lived or worked in that has inspired your interest in architecture and explain why.”
    • Question #2 – “Describe a place or building that you have read about or studied and explain how and why it inspired your interest in architecture.”
  • Personal Resume – A typewritten summary of your education, employment history, recreational interests, hobbies, travel, and personal interests.
  • Samples of creative work – Work samples may include:
    • Architecture studio projects
    • Drawings
    • Paintings
    • Sculptures
    • Woodworking
    • Set design
    • Textile/apparel design
    • Photography (no snapshots)
    • Other 2D + 3D works

Once you start your application, you will be able to save it and continue later as often as necessary. To be considered for entry into the program, all applicants must also complete the Area of Inquiry (general education) requirements along with the five prerequisite courses by the end of spring quarter: ARCH 200, 201, 350, 351, and 352. These courses are typically taken in the sophomore year. Creative work submitted with your application is the best way for us to evaluate the likelihood of your success in our program. Yours will be one of many applications reviewed by the admissions committee, so the items that you include should be chosen with care. Your creative work samples should present 10–12 examples of your most recent work that demonstrate your thinking and making through a variety of media and approaches.

Once you begin uploading, SlideRoom will prompt you to input titles, dates, media, dimensions, and description of each work sample – please disclose clearly in the description whether the work is an assignment-based project, self-directed work, or work of a collaborative nature. SlideRoom accepts images up to 5MB per file and PDFs up to 10MB per file. Recommended file formats for SlideRoom are: jpeg, png, and gif. Use sharp, well-lit, well-composed, high resolution images.

You are limited to 12 images; most of them will be a single drawing, painting, or photo of a model or 3D work. However, you may also include concept sketches or preparatory works, or additional angles or detail shots of a particular work–these can be arranged as a composite including up to three images before uploading. Evidence of the creative process is encouraged. This is your opportunity to showcase your creative potential beyond your academic performance – your thinking process, experience in making, and willingness to explore and experiment. Show us who you are and something of your creative point of view.