Bachelor of Architecture

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Oregon

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) at the University of Oregon is a five-year, accredited professional degree centered on the design of buildings and places across urban, suburban, and rural contexts, combining design inquiry with technical, theoretical, and professional study. It suits students who want to develop strong architectural design skills while exploring sustainability, building technology, cultural context, human needs, and the complex environmental and social challenges shaping the built environment.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 201 Introduction to Architecture, ARCH 202 Design Skills, and ARCH 283 Architectural Design I, learning fundamental design processes, media, architectural principles, and environmental design. ARCH 222 Introduction to Architectural Computer Graphics then introduces computer-based skills for architectural illustration, drafting, and design.

Year 2: Students progress through ARCH 284 Architectural Design II, ARCH 383 Architectural Design III, and ARCH 384 Architectural Design IV, developing increasingly sophisticated approaches to architectural design. Alongside studio work, ARH 314 History of World Architecture I and ARH 315 History of World Architecture II build an understanding of architectural history and its relationship to contemporary practice.

Year 3: The curriculum moves into intermediate professional design through four terms of ARCH 484 Architectural Design, where students undertake comprehensive projects supported by individual critiques, group discussions, lectures, seminars, and public reviews. Courses such as ARCH 430 Architectural Contexts: Place and Culture and ARCH 440 Human Context of Design connect architectural decisions with cultural settings, user needs, research, and the performance of the built environment.

Year 4: Students deepen their technical knowledge through ARCH 461 Structural Behavior, ARCH 462 Structural Design, and ARCH 470 Building Construction, examining structural systems, construction processes, materials, and architectural performance. ARCH 471 Building Enclosure and ARCH 491/492 Environmental Control Systems I & II extend this learning into building envelopes and environmental systems.

Year 5: The final stage focuses on advanced architectural design through ARCH 485 Advanced Architectural Design I and ARCH 486 Advanced Architectural Design II, involving complex projects and design development beyond intermediate studio work. Students also complete ARCH 417 Context of the Architectural Profession, gaining insight into professional practice, firm organization, legal and regulatory environments, contracts, marketing, and the construction process.

Focus Areas

Architectural design, design inquiry, making, critical thinking, architectural computer graphics, spatial composition, place and culture, human-centered design, structural design, building construction, building enclosure, environmental control systems, sustainability, professional practice, architectural history.

Learning Outcomes

Architectural design development, design communication, computer graphics, contextual analysis, human-centered design, structural understanding, construction knowledge, environmental systems, building performance, professional practice, critical thinking, and integrated architectural problem-solving.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

NAAB accreditation: The University of Oregon's Bachelor of Architecture is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and is identified by UO as a professional degree preparing students for the architectural profession.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

DesignIntelligence: UO's official rankings page reports that the architecture program was ranked #12 among architecture schools most hired from by firms in the 2019 survey for programs with 100+ graduates, while the architecture undergraduate program ranked #19 among most admired architecture schools and #4 for sustainable built environments/adaptive and resilient design. These are DesignIntelligence survey results rather than a current QS employability ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The University of Oregon’s Bachelor of Architecture is strongly studio-based, with students developing architectural proposals through iterative design, critiques, making, and technical exploration. Each studio student receives an individual workstation within a dedicated studio group, while advanced students can collaborate with faculty on research investigations; the program also connects design work with fabrication, digital modeling, environmental testing, and real urban contexts in Eugene and Portland. These opportunities allow students to turn architectural concepts into physical prototypes and technically informed projects through the school’s specialized spaces and equipment:

Design Studios: Students work in intensive, small-group studios where they develop architectural projects through an iterative process involving design problems, reviews, group discussions, and faculty feedback. The BArch studio sequence includes projects addressing housing, institutions, mixed-use buildings, public facilities, high-rise buildings, and urban strategies.
Digital Fabrication: The Portland Fabrication Lab provides two laser cutters, a 3D printer, and two CNC cutters, giving students opportunities to produce prototypes and physical models from digital designs. Students can combine digital modeling with traditional craft and woodworking processes.
Woodshops: The Lawrence Hall and Millrace woodshops provide professionally supervised spaces where architecture students can develop fabrication skills and build physical projects using hand and power tools.
Digital Design Tools: The architecture program has documented the use of Adobe tools, AutoCAD, and Rhino/Grasshopper for digital visualization, drawing, photo manipulation, illustration, layout, and parametric modeling within architecture coursework and studios.
Research Laboratories: Students have access to research environments including the Facade Integrated Technologies Research & Testing Facility (FIT), which conducts full-scale testing of building-envelope components, and the High Performance Environments Laboratory (HiPE), which supports research and testing related to high-performance environments and green-building technologies.
Environmental & Building Technology: BArch students engage with environmental control systems, building enclosures, advanced building technologies, structures and tectonics, and sustainability integration, connecting studio design with the technical performance of buildings.
Portland Urban Laboratory: After completing required prerequisites in Eugene, BArch students can continue degree requirements in Portland, where the city itself is used as a hands-on urban laboratory. Students work on sites around Portland and engage with issues such as urbanization, sustainability, adaptive reuse, and social infrastructure.
Highland Hall: The Portland architecture facilities include dedicated studios, breakout areas with digital display screens, seminar rooms, a gallery for reviews and exhibitions, and nearby fabrication and review facilities. The building is designed to support experimentation, collaboration, and public engagement.
Libraries & Architectural Resources: The Design Library in Lawrence Hall is a major center for art and architectural information in the Pacific Northwest, with extensive architectural history and design resources. Students also have access to UO library collections and the Portland Library & Learning Commons.
Reviews & Professional Interaction: Studio work is evaluated through individualized discussions and reviews involving faculty and professional reviewers, giving students direct feedback on developing architectural proposals.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the University of Oregon’s Bachelor of Architecture can pursue professional roles in architectural practice, design, planning, research, and related built-environment fields. The five-year BArch is a professional, NAAB-accredited and STEM-designated degree, giving graduates a direct educational foundation for the architectural licensure pathway while also providing opportunities to build professional experience through internships, mentoring, career events, and connections with practicing firms.

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

Career preparation and progression opportunities:

Career services: UO College of Design Student Services provides individual career advising, internship and job-search strategy support, application-material development, interview preparation, career-development courses, and access to career resources.
Professional networking: Architecture students have access to annual career fairs, alumni mentoring, lectures, conferences, and the department’s practicum course. UO has also reported recruitment events involving firms such as Gensler, Perkins+Will, ZGF, PIVOT Architecture, Mackenzie, and ZGF.
Industry connections: Practicing professionals from ZGF, Allied Works, Sera Architects, Opsis Architecture, Bora Architects, and GreenWorks participate in UO classrooms, studios, technology seminars, and reviews of student work. Students have also worked with organizations including the Oregon Department of Transportation and TriMet.
Internship opportunities: UO has supported architecture internships with firms including Eco.id Architects in Singapore and Grimshaw Architects, giving students opportunities to apply their architectural skills in professional environments.
Employment statistics: The current official UO architecture pages reviewed do not state a current BArch-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure, so a current salary or employment percentage is not provided here rather than using third-party estimates.
Professional licensure: The BArch is NAAB-accredited, which is important because UO states that most U.S. state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional architecture program as a prerequisite for licensure. UO also explains that licensure generally involves professional experience and the Architectural Registration Examination (ARE), with individual state requirements varying.
Licensure preparation: UO reports that, based on data through 2020, its architecture graduates had an average 73% ARE pass rate compared with a 55% national average across the six ARE divisions. This is historical program-level information rather than a current employment statistic.
STEM designation: The BArch has STEM designation under CIP 04.0902, and UO states that eligible international graduates can apply for the STEM OPT extension, potentially extending F-1 OPT eligibility from one year to three years when requirements are met.
Professional network: UO identifies Portland as a major U.S. design center and notes that many Portland firms are led by UO alumni, creating a strong connection between the architecture program, professional practice, and the regional design industry.

Further Academic Progression: After the BArch, students can continue into advanced study at the University of Oregon, including the Master of Architecture, Master of Science in Architecture, or PhD in Architecture. The MArch provides further professional architectural education, while the MS and PhD offer routes toward specialized research, scholarship, sustainability, and academic or research-oriented careers; UO also identifies graduate opportunities connected to areas such as sustainable design and the built environment.