Architecture includes the study of building design, representation, computing, structures, construction materials, environmental control systems, history, theory, and professional practice. In its teaching, research, practice, and community engagement, the department addresses the traditions of architecture within the context of social and technological change, a legacy of craft in the making of architecture, an activist and community-based design process, and the principles of ethical action to address human and environmental concerns.
The Department of Architecture offers two different options for undergraduate students interested in the field of architecture. The Architecture major is a seminar and research based (non-studio) degree that provides a liberal arts foundation. This program prepares students for further study and careers in architectural design and related disciplines. The Architectural Design major is a pre-professional studio based degree that prepares most students for graduate study in architecture and a professional career in the field. Both programs share a commitment to architecture and design as a field of knowledge that can have a profound impact on contemporary society. Non-majors interested in architecture are able to pursue a Minor in Architectural Design.
The Architectural Design major is a pre-professional degree that prepares candidates for admission with advanced standing to professional M.Arch programs. It is also good preparation for other roles in society that benefit from an understanding of and exposure to architectural design and problem solving such as government, development, planning, art, graphic design, and digital arts. Students develop visual literacy and complex problem solving skills through the design process, including researching historical precedents, analyzing theoretical texts, and on-site understanding of the physical built and natural environment. The college also offers a Dual Degree-Bachelor of Arts with a major in Architectural Design and a BS in Construction Management. Students must first be admitted to the Architectural Design major.
Of Special Note:
The University of Washington formerly referred to Areas of Inquiry as Areas of Knowledge; Arts and Humanities (A&H) as Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (VLPA); Natural Sciences (NSc) as Natural World (NW); Social Sciences (SSc) as Individuals and Societies (I&S); and Reasoning (RSN) as Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR).
90 credits
The Architectural Design major is a pre-professional degree that prepares candidates for admission with advanced standing to professional M.Arch programs. It is also good preparation for other roles in society that benefit from an understanding of and exposure to architectural design and problem solving such as government, development, planning, art, graphic design, and digital arts. Students develop visual literacy and complex problem solving skills through the design process, including researching historical precedents, analyzing theoretical texts, and on-site understanding of the physical built and natural environment. The college also offers a Dual Degree-Bachelor of Arts with a major in Architectural Design and a BS in Construction Management. Students must first be admitted to the Architectural Design major.
Dual-degree majors first apply to the architectural design program and must meet architectural design admission requirements. Admitted architectural design students apply to the construction management program during spring quarter of their junior year (first year in the architecture program). For architectural design students, construction management prerequisites are waived, but such students must take CM 313 and CM 323 prior to the construction management application deadline, April 1.
142 credits
Note: A minimum of 225 credits is required to complete a dual degree.
The Department of Architecture offers two different options for undergraduate students interested in the field of architecture. The Architecture major is a seminar and research based (non-studio) degree that provides a liberal arts foundation. This program prepares students for further study and careers in architectural design and related disciplines. The Architectural Design major is a pre-professional studio based degree that prepares most students for graduate study in architecture and a professional career in the field. Both programs share a commitment to architecture and design as a field of knowledge that can have a profound impact on contemporary society. Non-majors interested in architecture are able to pursue a Minor in Architectural Design.
Applicants are considered for autumn admission only. Admission is competitive. Admission groups are freshmen/sophomore admission (F/S A) and upper-division admission (UA). Consult department website for more information and application form.
Freshman Admission
The department enrolls freshman-year students directly out of high school, prior to their completion of any university-level prerequisites. All freshmen indicating architecture on their UW application are considered for freshman admission to the BA (with a major in architecture) program; no additional application materials are required. Students admitted as freshmen must complete all preparatory and general education requirements listed under upper-division admission as well as all major requirements in order to earn a degree.
Sophomore Admission
Application deadline is the first Monday of spring quarter. Admission decisions are based on an applicant's academic performance and potential, extent and quality of relevant experience, and personal motivation. Completion of prerequisite requirements does not guarantee admission. Students admitted as sophomores must complete all preparatory and general education requirements listed under upper-division admission as well as all major requirements in order to earn a degree.
Transfer Admission
Transfer students may apply for admission at the beginning of the sophomore year or the beginning of the junior year. Application deadlines are the same as for sophomore or upper-division admission. Admission decisions are based on an applicant's academic performance and potential, extent and quality of relevant experience, and personal motivation. Transfer students must also submit a separate application to the UW.
Upper-Division Admission Requirements (UA)
Of Special Note:
The University of Washington formerly referred to Areas of Inquiry as Areas of Knowledge; Arts and Humanities (A&H) as Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (VLPA); Natural Sciences (NSc) as Natural World (NW); Social Sciences (SSc) as Individuals and Societies (I&S); and Reasoning (RSN) as Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR).
The Architecture major is a four-year, Bachelor of Arts degree program in which students explore the many factors that shape our built environment. The program provides a liberal arts foundation in the discipline of architecture that covers spatial reasoning, aesthetics, political and economic structures, socio-cultural influences, urbanism, landscape, construction, building technologies, and ecology. Students have the opportunity to focus their studies through a sequence of courses that allows concentration in one of three areas: History and Theory; Materials and Fabrication; and Sustainable Technologies. This program prepares students for graduate study in the field of architectural design as well as architectural history, historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban planning or construction management. It is also provides a foundation for careers in design, planning policy, law, community leadership, real estate, development or in related non-profit organizations.
The Department of Architecture offers a Minor in Architecture. The Architecture minor is a good option for students to complement their major area of study and an opportunity for undergraduates to explore their interest in architecture related subjects such as: architectural history and theory; structures and building materials; graphic representation; digital design and computing; sustainable building technology; building and fabrication methods.
The Department of Architecture offers a Minor in Architecture. The Architecture minor is a good option for students to complement their major area of study and an opportunity for undergraduates to explore their interest in architecture related subjects such as: architectural history and theory; structures and building materials; graphic representation; digital design and computing; sustainable building technology; building and fabrication methods.
25 credits
Student Outcomes and Opportunities
Of Special Note:
The UW's four-year, Bachelor of Arts degree in architectural design is a pre-professional degree and is not accredited by NAAB. The pre-professional degree is useful to those desiring a foundation in the field of architecture as preparation for either continued education in a professional degree program or for employment options in fields related to architecture.
Architectural education at the University of Washington requires a minimum of six or seven years of higher education to attain the first professional degree, the Master of Architecture. The curriculum is divided into three two-year segments of coursework with a pre-professional Bachelor of Arts degree (with a major in architectural design) awarded at the completion of the second two-year segment. The professional degree, Master of Architecture, is awarded only upon completion of the third segment. (Students with the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture or bachelor's degrees in unrelated fields take an additional year of coursework).
In the United States, most 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 professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. The University of Washington Department of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs: M. Arch. (undergraduate degree with architecture major + 90 graduate quarter credits) M. Arch. (undergraduate degree with non-architecture major + 135 graduate quarter credits)
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.