Colleges That Focus On Architecture
Colleges That Focus On Architecture
Colleges That Focus On Architecture
If you’re interested in an architecture degree, there are some excellent places to earn one. The universities listed below are all known for their architecture programs and the work that comes out of them. So if you’re considering getting a degree in this field, these might be some great options for your consideration:
Columbia University
Columbia University is located in New York City, and the school’s architecture program is one of the oldest in the country. In addition to offering undergraduate degrees, Columbia also offers a graduate-level Master of Architecture program that has been ranked #1 by DesignIntelligence for 10 years running. The school’s architecture library holds more than 85,000 books and periodicals about architecture, as well as an extensive collection of photographs and drawings from historical projects around the world.
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, the university was intended to teach and make contributions in all fields of knowledge — from the classics to the sciences, and from the theoretical to the applied. These ideals, unconventional for the time, are captured in Cornell’s motto, a popular 1865 Ezra Cornell quotation: “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”
Cornell is one of four original members (with Harvard University, Yale University and Princeton University) of what is now known as the Ivy League.
The University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania’s architecture program is ranked #1 in the US. Penn offers a wide variety of courses, including:
- Architectural history
- Design studio
- Digital fabrication and computational design
- Environmental studies and urbanism
In addition to its top-ranked architecture program, Penn has an excellent architecture museum (the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery) and library (the Fisher Fine Arts Library). The school also boasts one of the best faculties in the country (including Richard Meier).
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT, officially known as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and often referred to as simply MIT, is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has been around since 1861 and today offers degrees across a range of disciplines from architecture to engineering to arts and sciences. It’s difficult to get into MIT: only 9% of applicants are accepted each year—but if you do manage to make it through, you’ll be joining one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
As an architecture student at MIT, you can choose between two different paths: architectural studies or planning/design studies. Either way you choose will provide plenty of opportunities for hands-on experience with design projects ranging from small one-off homes to large mixed-use developments; however they differ slightly depending on what kind of focus each program has toward either architecture or urban planning.
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university located in Houston, Texas, United States.
Rice is organized into 10 schools and colleges, with a strong emphasis on research. The university consistently ranks among the top universities in the world.
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) was founded in 1972 and is now the largest architecture school in the world, with over 1,500 students enrolled annually. Students can earn either a four-year undergraduate degree or a master’s degree in architecture. The university also offers four other undergraduate degrees: landscape architecture; urban design; industrial design; and art theory and criticism.
SCI-Arc offers summer programs for high school students and college students as well as continuing education courses for veterans and professionals looking to add another skill set to their repertoire.
These colleges have excellent architecture programs.
These colleges have excellent architecture programs:
- [Harvard University](https://www.harvard.edu/architecture)
- [Columbia University](http://www.columbia.edu/)
- [Yale University](https://www.yale.edu/)
We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the best universities for architecture. As you can see from this list, there are many different types of architecture schools out there depending on what you’re looking for!