The UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design offers a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies. The B.A. in Architectural Studies is a two-year major that begins in the junior year of residence.
The sequence of courses desigend for this degree meets two obectives:
- The first provides an understanding of Architecture and Urban Design as a humanist discipline, which engages cultural and social studies, and the history of architecture and cities.
- The second provides, at the same time for interested students, a preparation for accelerated graduate professional sudies.
Students will experience the design process in a studio setting where projects engage the issues raised by the academic coursework. In studio, students will develop the ability to think critically about their ideas, and explore the creative process in architecture and urban design in relation to these ideas. The direct experience of design is crucial to an understanding of architecture and urban design and their relation to contemporary social, political, and cultural events.
PLEASE NOTE: Admission to the Architectural Studies major is not open to Freshman students. Freshmen are welcome to apply to UCLA under a different major, or with an undeclared major, and then apply to change their major to Architectural Studies during the Winter Quarter of their Sophomore year, preferrably after having completed some of the pre-major courses.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, which should include no less than a "B" in any of the introductory lecture courses in Architecture.
Students are admitted for Fall quarter only. Admission is highly competitive and only a limited number of students will be admitted each Fall. Transfer students will be expected to complete the lower division preparation courses during their first year of residency.
Submitting the Undergraduate Transfer application is a two-part process:
- Submit the UC Transfer Admissions application to apply for undergraduate admission to UCLA, and any other UC to which you are interested in applying (Deadline: November 30). Part 1 of the application must be completed in order for you to do part 2.
- Complete the supplementary online application for the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design upon receiving your emailed log-in information. More information and a worksheet is available in the UCLA Supplementary Application Worksheet. This is the part of your application that the Architecture Department's admissions committee primarily reviews. (Deadline: January 18).
First, Transfer students must apply during the regular UCLA application period (November 1-30). The University's online application for undergraduate admission can be found here. Submitting this completed application will enable you to receive the link and log-in information in early January to submit the supplementary portion of your application materials required by the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design. Please note: both steps of the application process MUST be completed in order to be considered for admission.
All students will be required to enroll in the full 2-year major sequence regardless of the number of years already spent in undergraduate studies prior to admission as an Architectural Studies major.
TYPICAL STUDY PROGRAM
YEAR 1 (Junior Year)†
| FALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Introduction to Architectural Studies | 6 units |
| 141 | Technology 1: Projections | 4 units |
| WINTER | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10A | History of Architecture & Urban Design (Antiquity to Mannerism | 6 units |
| 121 | Studio I | 4 units |
| SPRING | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10B | History of Architecture & Urban Design (Baroque to the present) | 6 units |
| 143 | Technology III: Digital Technology | 4 units |
YEAR 2 (Senior Year)
| FALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| 122 | Studio III | 6 units |
| 131 | Issues in Contemporary Design | 4 units |
| WINTER | ||
|---|---|---|
| 142 | Technology II: Materials and Methods | 6 units |
| 132 | Domestic Architecture |
4 units |
|
SPRING |
||
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Studio III | 6 units |
| 133 | Modernism and Metropolis | 4 units |
† Courses and schedule are subject to change.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. We prefer that students complete the pre-major Architecture course requirements before taking major courses. Students are admitted for Fall quarter only. Admission is highly competitive and only a limited number of students will be admitted each Fall. UCLA students are required to complete the lower division preparation for the major courses with grades of "B" or better. We strongly recommend completing these courses before applying for admission to the program.
Submitting the application to change your major to Architectural Studies is a two-part process:
- Complete the Change of Major form, available at the Architecture Department main office located at 1317 Perloff Hall (Deadline: December 14). Part 1 of the application must be completed in for you to do part 2.
- Complete the supplementary online application for the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design upon receiving your emailed log-in information. More information and a worksheet is available in the UCLA Supplemental Application Worksheet. This is the part of your application that the Architecture Department's admissions committee primarily reviews. (Deadline: January 18).
Please note: Both steps of the application process MUST be completed in order to be considered for admission.
Application Details
Change of Major Form (Deadline: December 14)
Supplemental Application (Deadline: January 18)
- Questionnaire form
- Statement of Intent
- 3-6 images of creative work
All students will be required to enroll in the full 2-year major sequence regardless of the number of years already spent in undergraduate studies prior to your admission as an Architectural Studies major.
TYPICAL STUDY PROGRAM
YEAR 1 (Junior Year)†
| FALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Introduction to Architectural Studies | 6 units |
| 141 | Technology 1: Projections | 4 units |
| WINTER | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10A | History of Architecture & Urban Design (Antiquity to Mannerism | 6 units |
| 121 | Studio I | 4 units |
| SPRING | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10B | History of Architecture & Urban Design (Baroque to the present) | 6 units |
| 143 | Technology III: Digital Technology | 4 units |
YEAR 2 (Senior Year)
| FALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| 122 | Studio III | 6 units |
| 131 | Issues in Contemporary Design | 4 units |
| WINTER | ||
|---|---|---|
| 142 | Technology II: Materials and Methods | 6 units |
| 132 | Domestic Architecture |
4 units |
|
SPRING |
||
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Studio III | 6 units |
| 133 | Modernism and Metropolis |
4 units |
† Courses and schedule are subject to change
.