Bachelor of Science in Architecture

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College combines a broad liberal-arts foundation with an innovative, flexible architecture curriculum, allowing students to explore design through digital and analog methods before progressing into specialized architectural study. It suits students interested in shaping buildings, cities, and the physical environment through a collaborative studio culture, hands-on design, technology, and interdisciplinary exploration.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 208: Design Foundations and six of the nine project-based studio modules ARCH 251–259, including Seeing, Measuring, Scale, Projection, Imaging, Immersion, Assembly, Translation, and Orientation. Alongside studio exploration, students complete liberal-arts requirements such as Calculus I (MATH 115), humanities, social sciences, and the First-Year Writing Requirement.

Year 2: Students continue the modular studio sequence while developing their understanding of architecture's historical and technical foundations through ARCH 313: History of Architecture I and ARCH 323: History of Architecture II. PHYSICS 121: Physics for Architects adds scientific knowledge relevant to the built environment, while humanities, natural science, social science, and open electives broaden students' academic perspective.

Year 3: The curriculum shifts into a more concentrated architectural sequence, with ARCH 312: UG1 Studio and ARCH 322: Architectural Design developing design skills through substantial studio work. Students also study ARCH 316: Design Fundamentals I, ARCH 317: Construction I, ARCH 326: Design Fundamentals II, and ARCH 425: Environmental Systems, connecting design thinking with construction and building performance.

Year 4: Students advance into ARCH 432: UG3 Studio and continue developing technical and structural understanding through ARCH 314: Structures I, while completing upper-level architecture and open electives. The fourth year also provides two pathways: one emphasizing professional preparation that can potentially shorten subsequent M.Arch. study, and another emphasizing research or interdisciplinary thinking.

Focus areas:

Architectural design, design foundations, architectural history, theories and methods, construction, structures, environmental systems, digital and analog representation, interdisciplinary design, research, sustainability, and the built environment.

Learning outcomes:

Students develop architectural design, critical thinking, representation, construction, structural, environmental, historical, theoretical, collaborative, and interdisciplinary skills for engaging with buildings, cities, and the physical environment.

Professional alignment (accreditation):

The B.S. in Architecture is a pre-professional degree and is not itself a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. Taubman College's M.Arch. is NAAB-accredited and provides the professional-degree pathway for students pursuing architectural licensure.

Reputation (employability rankings):

Employment outcomes: Taubman College's 2023 B.S. Architecture graduate survey reported 67% employed and 33% continuing education, with 100% of reported employment positions related to the degree; graduates entered roles including architectural designer, junior architect/project manager, architectural technician, planner, and designer.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the B.S. in Architecture at the University of Michigan gain practical experience through a project-based studio curriculum that combines design experimentation, peer learning, digital technologies, physical making, and advanced fabrication. During the first two years, students select six project-based studio modules that span digital and analog methods and 2D and 3D work, while later study becomes more specialized in architecture; students also have access to Taubman College’s fabrication, visualization, computing, and workshop facilities.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Project-based studio modules: The first two years include six half-semester, 2-credit modules selected from a choice of nine, encouraging peer-to-peer learning, dialogue, mentorship, and hands-on design work across different media and scales.
Digital design tools: The Computer Lab provides access to Rhino with Enscape and V-Ray, Autodesk software, Adobe Creative Cloud, ArcGIS Pro, SketchUp, Unreal Engine, and Unity, giving students tools for modeling, visualization, rendering, mapping, and interactive environments.
Digital fabrication and robotics: The Digital Fabrication and Robotics Lab (FABLab) supports teaching and research in digital fabrication, robotic construction, and physical making, with industrial machinery and expertise focused on real-world architecture and construction challenges.
Wood and materials fabrication: The Wood Shop is a 6,000-square-foot research laboratory and machine shop where students work with wood, plastic, and metal, including vacuum forming and laser cutting.
Visualization: The Taubman Visualization Lab (TVLab) provides a dedicated environment for visualization and experimentation alongside the College's other digital and fabrication facilities.
Collaborative design: Taubman’s studio environment intentionally combines students with different levels of experience, creating opportunities for collaboration, peer learning, dialogue, mentorship, and design critique throughout the curriculum.
Travel-based learning: Spring Travel Courses give undergraduate architecture students intensive, credit-bearing experiences examining architecture, urban development, history, and contemporary design issues in international locations; Taubman students have traveled to more than 40 countries across six continents since 2008.
International exchange: Eligible undergraduate architecture students can spend a semester at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) through Taubman College's formal exchange agreement, with approved coursework eligible for credit toward the Michigan degree.
Senior design experience: In the final year, students complete the Wallenberg Studio, the final required studio for the B.S. in Architecture, using their accumulated skills and experience to investigate architecture through broad humanitarian concerns.
Research facilities: Students benefit from Taubman’s research environment, including the FABLab, which conducts fundamental and applied research in advanced fabrication and works with industry partners and national funding institutions.
Libraries and university resources: Beyond Taubman College, students have access to University of Michigan facilities including the Duderstadt Center, Michigan Robotics, and University Libraries.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Architecture at the University of Michigan's Taubman College prepares graduates for work in architecture firms and related design fields, while also providing a strong foundation for graduate study and eventual professional licensure. The program's flexible curriculum allows students to develop their interests across architecture and related disciplines, with Taubman providing dedicated career support and access to employers recruiting for internships and full-time positions.

Typical career roles: Architectural Designer, Design Professional, Architectural Project Coordinator, Design Researcher.

Career progression and opportunities include:

Career services: Taubman College has a dedicated full-time Career and Professional Development team that provides one-to-one advising, resume, cover-letter and portfolio reviews, job and internship searches, networking with alumni and industry professionals, interview preparation, and offer negotiation support.
Employer access: Taubman hosts fall and winter Career and Networking Fairs, with 100+ recruiters each year participating in in-person and virtual events to recruit students for internships and full-time positions.
Employment outcomes: Across Taubman College programs, 93% of graduates were employed or continued their education within one year, while 95% obtained a job in a related field. The college also reports alumni employment across 139 countries/states. These figures are college-wide rather than B.S. Architecture-specific.
Salary figures: Not stated by the official B.S. Architecture program or Taubman College career pages as a program-specific graduate salary figure, so no architecture-specific salary has been added.
Industry connections: Taubman's employer network includes organizations recruiting across architecture, urban planning, urban technology, urban design and real estate; its career fairs provide direct opportunities to meet employers for internships and full-time positions.
Professional preparation: The B.S. Architecture can serve as a foundation for a professional Master of Architecture, which is the graduate route Taubman identifies for students seeking architectural licensure.
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Architecture is not identified by Taubman as a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. Taubman specifically states that its M.Arch. is NAAB-accredited; therefore, students seeking the professional degree pathway can continue from the B.S. into the M.Arch.
Graduation outcomes: Taubman reports strong post-graduation progression across the college, with graduates entering employment or continuing their education within one year. The B.S. curriculum also offers a fourth-year professional path designed to potentially shorten subsequent M.Arch. study.

Further Academic Progression: After the B.S. in Architecture, students can pursue the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) at Taubman College as the professional graduate route toward architectural licensure. The B.S. can also lead into related graduate fields including landscape architecture, engineering, design, construction, urban planning, urban design, and historic preservation, depending on the student's academic and career interests.