College Counseling: Great Schools for Undergraduate Programs in Architecture

Saturday, May 02, 2015

Emily Standish, GoLocalPDX College Admissions Coach

Have you watched your daughter or son sit on the floor and build with Legos for hours on end? I did. When my kids were small, they each loved their Lego creations, and when they were old enough to babysit, they hoped that their charges would want to play with Legos, giving them a reprise with Lego fun. Successful architecture students have both visual and kinesthetic learning styles. They are artists, scientists, ethicists, anthropologists and problem-solvers. Students who aspire to become licensed architects must complete a 5- or 6-year curriculum that ultimately grants a master’s degree, the requirement to sit for the professional licensing exam.

Students may apply to Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts programs in architecture which may be accredited by the National Architecture and Accrediting Board or may be unaccredited but still allow them to enter an accredited Masters in Architecture program. In addition, some undergraduate programs in architecture may require a portfolio to be included with the application, and some do not.

Here are five undergraduate architecture programs that do not require a portfolio for admission:

California Baptist University, Riverside, CA

Cal Baptist’s new architecture program is a five-year curriculum that incorporates core liberal arts and design courses, culminating in a the fifth year for the Master in Architecture degree.
Cal Baptist is one of three Christian universities in the US to offer a professional architecture program, and strives to integrate a Biblical worldview into the program.
By the numbers: 79% overall acceptance rate; SAT mid-ranges: CR 430-550, M 420-560; ACT mid-range 18-24.

The Cooper Union, New York, NY

Tiny Cooper Union (860 undergraduates) in Greenwich Village is home to a five-year professional B. Arch. program with a studio curriculum that includes a wide range of required and elective courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
All School of Architecture students have their own individual workspace to foster collaboration and dialog between students and faculty.
By the numbers: 8% overall acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 610-710, M 610-780; ACT Mid-range: 28-33.

Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design is a four-year pre-professional program that can be ultimately combined with a three-semester Master of Architecture program, constituting an accredited professional architecture education.
The Montana State University School of Architecture Community Design Center fosters partnerships with communities and non-profits in Montana to promote quality design of the built environment.
By the numbers: 85% overall acceptance rate; SAT mid-ranges: CR 500-630, M 510-630; ACT mid-range 21-27.

Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, PA

The College of Architecture and the Built Environment is home to a 5-year professional architecture program that leads student through a curriculum that encourages innovation and problem-solving for sustainability.
In the fourth year of study, architecture students may elect to study abroad in Rome, interacting with Italian architecture students, or in Copenhagen at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad.
By the numbers: 63% overall acceptance rate; acceptance rate to competitive programs vary. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 480-570, M 480-590; ACT Mid-range 21-25.

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

The College of Art, Architecture, Design, and Planning (DAAP) is home to the four-year, pre-professional BS in architecture program that prepares students to enter a professional master of architecture program, leading to licensing as a practicing architect.
Three required semesters of cooperative work experience – salaried practical experience at architecture firms across the US -- are included in the undergraduate architecture degree program.
By the numbers: 73% overall acceptance rate; acceptance rate for architecture program will vary. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 490-620, M 510-640; ACT Mid-range: 22-28 (ACT mid-range for architecture applicants: 27-30).

Other colleges and universities with undergraduate programs in architecture, and which do not require a portfolio as part of the application are: Arizona State University, California College of the Arts, California Polytechnic University (Pomona and San Luis Obispo), Drexel University (PA), Drury University (MO), Iowa State University, Lehigh University (PA), Tulane University (LA), University of Arizona, University of Colorado, University of Hawaii/Manoa, University of Idaho, University of Nevada/Las Vegas, and Washington University in St. Louis. You can see a complete list of colleges and universities that offer undergraduate admission to architecture programs without a portfolio, here. A searchable list of architecture programs can be found on the website of the National Architecture Accreditation Board or the American Institute of Architecture Students. Many programs require portfolios with an undergraduate application; check individual department websites for details.

Emily Standish is a partner in Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact me at [email protected].