School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

1200 Architecture Building
Phone: 301-405-8000
archadvise@umd.edu
http://arch.umd.edu

Dean: Dawn Jourdan, Esq., Ph.D.
Associate Deans: Brian Kelly & Lindsey May
Assistant Dean: Ingrid Farrell

The undergraduate program in architecture develops critical thinkers, problem solvers and skilled professionals ready to take on the challenges of sustainable design. Our prime location between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore offers many advantages: a faculty of highly respected scholars and practitioners; alumni connections and careers at countless architectural firms; and rich architectural diversity. Begin your journey to a more sustainable and environmentally balanced world right here.

The first two years of the curriculum focus on developing a broad-based and well-rounded liberal education, complemented by courses that introduce you to architecture. You will be exposed to the many resources and opportunities of the university while refining your academic and career interests. We offer you two degree options that are tailored to fit your particular academic and career interests. The Bachelor of Science (B.S) curriculum is centered on design studios, with complementary coursework in architectural history, theory, technology and visual media. The studio courses offer unique experiences where you’ll not only have the opportunity to show your design skills but also work with communities to help solve real-world problems.

One unique feature of the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program is your ability to pursue an academic path that reflects your passions and interests. It is not uncommon for students to discover that their interest in architecture reveals other career aspirations. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture allows you to build a foundation in architecture while preparing for careers in business, urban planning, real estate development or historic preservation, just to name a few.

Students receive rigorous and comprehensive instruction from a faculty whose members are active in professional practice and research. Their individual areas of expertise include architectural design and theory, history, architectural archaeology, technology, urban design and planning, and historic preservation.

Admission Requirements

Email arch-admissions@umd.edu for admissions questions.

Freshman Admission. All first time freshmen are initially admitted into the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation in the B.A. degree program. Students gain admission to the Undergraduate Architecture Program through the university's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Students interested in pursuing a B.S. in Architecture will apply for that degree program while nearing the end of their first studio course, by participating in the degree placement process. This gives them the opportunity, through a competitive selection process, to move to the pre-professional B.S. degree program if they wish. The degree placement process will determine which degree program best fits their interests and talents, as well as the duration of their studies until graduation. Both the B.A. and the B.S. degrees prepare students for graduate education in Architecture. The B.A. degree prepares students broadly for graduate education in a variety of built environment disciplines.

Students should complete the following courses as prerequisites before beginning their junior year:

Transfer Admission. All transfer students are initially admitted into the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation in the B.A. degree program. Students gain admission to the Undergraduate Architecture Program through the university's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. To be considered for admission into the B.S. degree program, all transfer students must concurrently submit a portfolio and other pertinent documents to the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. Applications for the B.S. degree program are reviewed in spring. Students are admitted into the B.S. for fall only. Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to the university by the priority deadline and should contact an architecture representative at arch-admissions@umd.edu for specific details and requirements for admission into the B.S. degree program. 

Director: M. Gharipour (Prof & Area Chair, Prof)

Professors: M. Bell (Prof, Affiliate Prof),  R. Eisenbach (Prof),  B. Kelly (Prof), G. Rockcastle (Prof), M. Simon (Prof)

Associate Professors: M. Lamprakos (Assoc Prof), J. Vandergoot (Assoc Prof)

Assistant Professors: J. Burke (Asst. Prof), G. Matthews (Asst. Prof), P. Noonan (Prof of Practice), J. Williams (Asst. Prof)

Lecturers: M. Binder (Lecturer), C. Calleri (Lecturer), P. Carmago De Alb Sanchez (Lecturer), M. Cross (Lecturer), K. Wilfong-Cullen (Lecturer), D. Curry (Lecturer), L. Escobal (Lecturer), C. Field (Lecturer), K. Filler (Lecturer), C. Mersrobian Hickman (Lecturer), H. Jacobs (Lecturer), E. Jenkins (Sr Lecturer), T. Kim (Lecturer), M. King (Lecturer), J. Klineberg (Lecturer), J. McKenley (Lecturer), D. Narayan (Lecturer), R. Newman (Lecturer), E. Northern (Lecturer), S. Passeri (Lecturer), A. Pressman (Lecturer), R. Puttock (Sr Lecturer), A. Ramos (Lecturer), S. Steen (Lecturer), G. Weidemann (Lecturer), P. Wilson (Lecturer), K. Wylie (Lecturer)

Clinical Professor: A. Gardner (Clin Prof)

Associate Clinical Professor: M. Abrams (Assoc Clin Prof), M. Binder (Assoc Clin Prof), J. Gabrielli  (Assoc Clin Prof), H. Koliji (Assoc Clin Prof), J. Tilghman (Assoc Clin Prof)

Assistant Clinical Professor: M. Ezban (Asst Clin Prof, Interim Asst Director), A. Gardner (Asst Clin Prof), L. May (Asst Clin Prof), B. Williams (Asst Clin Prof)

Professors Emeriti: W. Bechhoefer (Prof Emeritus), R. Bennett (Prof Emeritus, Lecturer), D. Cronrath (Prof Emeritus), G. Francescato (Prof Emeritus), I. Gournay (Prof Emeritus), J. Hill (Prof Emeritus), S. Hurtt (Prof Emeritos), R. Lewis (Prof Emeritus), R. Vann (Prof)

Major

Minors

Entering students are advised by the undergraduate advisors located in the school's main office. Advising is mandatory for all undergraduate architecture majors each semester. Students must meet with an academic advisor to discuss their academic plan and course selection. Students can make an appointment for advising online by visiting http://arch.umd.edu/resources/student-resources/advising/. Students may also contact the advising office via archadvise@umd.edu. Walk-in appointments are also available. Students may use the archadvise@umd.edu email at any time. Students should always include their full name, UID and contact information in any email correspondence.

Academic Programs and Departmental Facilities

Architecture Library

Located on the second floor of the Architecture Building, the Architecture library has planning and architecture books and periodicals, as well as Urban Studies and Planning studio reports. There is also a slide collection available in the Elizabeth D. Alley Visual Resources Collection on the same floor. Librarians are available by appointment to assist with your research needs.

Visual Resources Center

The VRC consists of more than 400,000 digital images documenting architecture and the urban scene from pre-historic times to the present. Related topics include urban design, historic preservation, real estate development, art, landscape architecture, as well as events around the school. Other visual materials include over 400 DVDs and videotapes, along with lantern slides and photographs. Images are acquired through site photography, scanning materials, commercial vendors, and donations from faculty and students.

Images and other materials may be used for presentations in school classes and for research.

Fabrication Lab

The FabLab at the School of Architecture Planning and Preservation emphasizes the notion of learning to design through the process of making. Our students learn to influence the form and meaning of the built environment by working directly with its material and physical nature. We stress the integration of digital and hand fabrication methods, and explore how traditional technology is affected and transformed by new materials and technique.

Internships

A career fair is organized annually and all internship/career opportunities are handled by the director of career services within the school itself and in conjunction with the University Career Center.

Student Societies and Professional Organizations

The Architecture Student Assembly represents the student body. Assembly members are elected from undergraduate and graduate classes. Representatives attend faculty meetings, serve on committees, and organize the Architecture Program Retrospective at the end of each semester.

The School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation sponsors a chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), the national association for architecture students. The AIAS chapter sponsors a variety of activities including an annual Career Fair, Beaux Arts Ball, field trips, conferences, workshops, and other events throughout the academic year.

The University of Maryland chapter of NOMAS is affiliated with the national professional organization NOMA. NOMAS is a group of students from a variety of backgrounds pursuing architecture degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels, interested in contributing to the UMD School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation by building a sense of community based on shared experiences unique to our diverse student body.

Women in Architecture – In a field that is predominantly male dominated, it is vital to fill the absence of a well-established community to specifically empower women. Through weekly meetings and planned events, members can discuss and understand how to spread the empowerment of all women as well as build a network of aspiring and established female architects and designers. If this is something you are interested in being a part of, please join our professional organization. Both men and women are encouraged to participate and become members of WIA.

Alpha Rho Chi (APX) is the national co-ed fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. Its brotherhood unites men and women for the purpose of fellowship and lifelong friendships, as well as professional development. This is exemplified by the fraternity's motto: Fidelitas, Amor et Artes or "Fidelity and Love of the Arts."

Roots Home and Abroad is a student organization working to empower communities, both home and abroad, to create sustainable communities through long term projects. Projects focus on the architectural design of living spaces. At home, we work in communities of Baltimore and Washington D.C. Abroad, we accompany nongovernmental organizations in the journey to improve the communities of Haiti.

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

Many financial awards are offered to freshman upon admission. Any questions about financial aid for freshman admits should be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Each year, the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation offers a number of merit-based scholarships to qualifying undergraduate students. Many are offered to students participating in study abroad programs. Interested students are encouraged to apply for these in early Spring. Information is available at http://arch.umd.edu. Please note that most of these scholarships are reserved for students in the studio sequence of the program.

Please visit our website for scholarship opportunities for current students: http://arch.umd.edu/programs/architecture/resources/student-resources/financial-aid/.

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OFSA) administers all types of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs and, in cooperation with other university offices, participates in the awarding of scholarships to deserving students. Freshmen and sophomores are strongly encouraged to visit the OFSA early in their tenure at the University of Maryland to determine any scholarships they may be eligible for in the following years.

For more information, visit: http://financialaid.umd.edu.

Special Advantages and Facilities

Accreditations

NAAB - In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The University of Maryland's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

  • M.Arch (pre-professional degree + 60 graduate credits)
  • M.Arch (non-pre-professional degree + 109 credits)

Facilities

The school is housed in a modern building providing design workstations for each student, a 300-seat auditorium, and seminar and classroom facilities. The Great Space, an atrium at the center of the school, is the location for collaborative projects, design reviews, critiques, and a variety of events that bring the architecture program together. Facilities include a well-equipped woodworking and model shop, computer labs, digital output and digital fabrication. The Architecture Library, one of the finest in the nation, offers convenient access to a current circulating collection of more than 34,000 volumes, 8,000 periodicals, and an extensive selection of reference materials. Rare books and special acquisitions include a collection relating to international expositions and the 11,000-volume National Trust for Historic Preservation Library.

Upper level summer programs include travel to Rome, Paris, Turkey, Great Britain, and other countries. Students may earn direct credit doing hands-on restoration work and by attending lectures by visiting architects, preservationists, and scholars. Undergraduate seniors and graduate students may also participate in a Studio Abroad in Florence: Live, study, and learn in the city where Architecture began. You will take classes in Leon Battista Alberti’s masterpiece, the Palazzo Ruccellai, and attend studio in a newly renovated building on the banks of the Arno. In addition to learning in the classroom, you will have plenty of opportunity to visit museums, draw in piazzas, learn to speak Italian, and absorb the history of Italy while learning local customs.

Research Units

National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education

1112 Preinkert Fieldhouse, College Park
Phone: 301-405-6788
http://umdsmartgrowth.org

Executive Director and Professor: Dr. Gerrit Knaap

The National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education is a non-partisan center for research and leadership training on Smart Growth and related land use issues nationally and internationally. Founded in 2000, the National Center for Smart Growth is a cooperative venture of four University of Maryland schools: Architecture, Planning and Preservation; Public Policy; Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Engineering. The mission of the center is to bring the diverse resources of the University of Maryland and a network of national experts to bear on issues of land development, resource preservation and urban growth – the nature of our communities, our landscape and our quality of life – through interdisciplinary research, outreach and education, thereby establishing the university as the national leader in this field.