Architecture Prospective Students

The Architecture Program is an intimate academic environment committed to developing future leaders who apply design-thinking skills to contemporary architectural and urban issues. The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is a small school providing individual advising and focused instruction within the context of the University of Maryland, one of the nation’s largest and most respected public research institutions. 

Our graduates are highly sought after because their education provides unparalleled opportunities to gain critical insights into sustainable technologies, building craft, architectural history and theory, and urban design. The Washington-Baltimore region is one of the finest places in North America to study architecture. The history, culture, architecture, and urbanism in our regional context is complemented by a variety of foreign educational opportunities that prepare our students to live and work in a global environment.

We offer the pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture at the undergraduate level and our professional degree, the Master of Architecture, at the graduate level. We also offer doctoral educational opportunities. 

PLEASE NOTE: MAPP has eliminated the GRE requirements for most of its Graduate School Admissions. Learn more about MAPP’s new admissions guidelines on our program admissions page.

 


VISIT:

We offer tours of the Architecture building by appointment. Please complete this form to sign up for an undergraduate tour. If you have any questions, please email arch-admissions@umd.edu.

Or  you can take a virtual tour below.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF MAPP

Prospective graduate students should contact the Program Director Mohammad Gharipour (mgr@umd.edu), the Assistant Director Michael Ezban (mezban@umd.edu) or the Program Coordinator to schedule an appointment and learn more about the Architecture Program.

Prospective undergraduate students--those who are interested in transferring to UMD or attending UMD as a first-time freshman—should attend an Info Session or contact the Assistant Director Ken Filler (kfiller@umd.edu).

Current undergraduate students who are non-Architecture majors should attend an Info Session / Change of Major Workshop

Architectural Education 101 - Understanding Your Options

Architecture is a dynamic and rewarding profession that requires both a broad liberal education as well as comprehensive technical skills and knowledge. Understanding the many tracks toward becoming an architect can be confusing; here are the basics:

Architecture is a regulated profession, which means you need a license to practice and call yourself an architect. The profession is regulated in order to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare. Architects must demonstrate that they have the skills and knowledge to practice as competent professionals. Architects are licensed on a jurisdictional (state-by-state) basis.

Once registered, architects can apply for reciprocity from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, meaning your license in Maryland, for example, is recognized in another state. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is the best source of information on this topic. www.ncarb.org 

 

The path toward licensure involves several components:

Accredited Professional Degree – Most jurisdictions require candidates for licensure to possess an accredited professional degree. In the United States, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is the entity that accredits degree programs. The NAAB recognizes three types of degrees:

  1. Bachelor of Architecture (Usually a 5-year degree program)*
  2. Master of Architecture (Usually a 2-year degree program when coupled with a B.S. in Architecture or its equivalent, or a 3+ year degree when coupled with a baccalaureate in another discipline)*
  3. Doctor of Architecture

 

Architectural Experience Program (AXP) – The AXP program involves practical educational experience as a paid employee working under the supervision of a licensed architect. For more information about AXP see www.ncarb.org

 

Architectural Registration Examination (ARE) – The ARE is a comprehensive examination that is administered to determine if candidates for licensure have the requisite skills and professional knowledge required for the practice of architecture. More information about the ARE can be found at www.ncarb.org

 

*The two most widely offered professional degrees in the United States are the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. The Doctor of Architecture is currently offered at only one institution in the United States.

Technology Requirements

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation requires that all students studying architecture purchase a laptop computer. Specific requirements for students studying architecture are listed below for both hardware and software. In addition to these requirements, many students also purchase monitors so that they can expand their digital workspace. 

We provide the following technical specifications to define the baseline requirements. Many software applications are available to all matriculated students.  We recommend you check the following website to see a complete list, https://terpware.umd.edu/. A list of required and recommended software is listed below. Please take advantage of student discounts for software.

 

Preferred Hardware Specifications

VR-Ready PC laptop ~ $2,400.00 Total (Great for multi-purposes overall)

  • Processor: Intel Core i7 or greater

  • Memory (RAM): 16 GB - 32 GB DDR4

  • Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD or greater for Operating System and 1TB for data storage

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 or RTX2060 or greater

  • Extended warranty with accidental coverage.

MacBook Pro (16 inch model) ~ $2,700.00 Total (Great for graphic design, not for VR or modeling)

KEEP IN MIND: Some coursework software are NOT compatible or supported on macOS such as AutoDesk Revit, NavisWorks and Lumion. A BootCamp partition must be configured for Windows OS so that those applications can be installed on top of Windows.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7.

  • Memory: 16GB - 32GB DDR4.

  • Hard Drive: 1TB SSD or greater.

  • GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6.

  • Apple Care is highly encouraged. 

Many students also purchase monitors so that they can expand their digital workspace. Additional external storage and peripherals are recommended for workability and backup purposes.

  • External monitor 27-inch 4K monitor or larger

  • University-provided cloud storage (Google Drive and/or Box) 

 

Software– Approximately $ 244.00 Total

The following are the required software applications for architecture students:

Adobe Creative Suite (or Adobe Creative Cloud) -- FREE through UMD TERPware program:

  • Adobe Photoshop

  • Adobe inDesign

  • Adobe Illustrator

 

Autodesk– FREE through Autodesk Education portal (https://www.autodesk.com/education/home)

  • Autodesk AutoCAD

  • Autodesk Revit

 

Microsoft Office– FREE through UMD TERPware program
Contact MAPP School Admissions