Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a Major in Architecture

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Pennsylvania

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a Major in Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania is a studio-based liberal arts program designed for students planning careers in architecture and related design fields such as landscape architecture, urban design, and product design. Students develop design skills through a six-semester studio sequence while studying architectural history and theory, art, landscape architecture, culture, society, cities, and environmental science.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin their Penn education with general requirements and electives, while prospective architecture majors can take ARCH 1010: Introduction to Design or ARCH 1020: Introduction to Architecture as the entry course to the major. These introductory courses develop observation, drawing, model-making, digital drawing, fabrication, and three-dimensional design skills.

Year 2: Students formally progress into the architecture sequence with ARCH 2010: Design Fundamentals I and ARCH 2020: Design Fundamentals II, building increasingly sophisticated skills in architectural representation, design thinking, and physical and digital modeling. Students also begin the major's theoretical and historical foundation through courses such as ARTH 2810: Modern Architecture, from the Enlightenment to the Present.

Year 3: The curriculum moves into more advanced architectural design through ARCH 3010: Architecture Design I, where students investigate architecture's relationship to the city through plans, sections, elevations, and digital and physical models. ARCH 3110: Theory I develops architectural theory alongside the studio sequence, while students also complete requirements connecting architecture with culture, society, the city, and environmental science.

Year 4: Students complete ARCH 3020: Architecture Design II, which explores architecture's relationship with landscape through mapping, site visits, scale, construction, and studio design projects. The final stage of the undergraduate sequence therefore combines advanced design development with architectural history, theory, environmental understanding, and broader liberal-arts study.

Focus Areas:

Architectural design, design fundamentals, architectural history, architectural theory, landscape and site, urban environments, culture and society, environmental science, digital drawing, physical modeling, and digital fabrication.

Learning Outcomes:

Architectural design development, visual and spatial representation, physical and digital modeling, design analysis, understanding of architectural history and theory, site and urban analysis, fabrication skills, and the ability to connect architectural design with social, cultural, environmental, and physical contexts.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The BA in Architecture is an undergraduate liberal-arts architecture major rather than a professional NAAB-accredited architecture degree. Penn states that its Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) is the professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the BA's Intensive Major is specifically intended for students planning to continue into a professional M.Arch. program.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

Not stated: Penn's official Architecture BA sources do not publish a program-specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking. The university does state that the major is intended for careers in architecture and related design disciplines, including landscape architecture, urban design, and product design.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Penn’s BA with a Major in Architecture gain practical experience through architecture studios, visual studies, construction and structures coursework, and hands-on fabrication. The program is supported by Meyerson Hall, architecture studios, computer labs, the Fabrication Lab, robotics facilities, and the Fisher Fine Arts Library, giving students opportunities to move between digital design, physical model-making, research, and architectural representation.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Architecture design studios: Courses such as ARCH 5020 – Design Studio II develop students’ ability to analyze urban conditions, work with large-scale site and ground plans, and explore enclosure, public space, and complex architectural programs.
Construction and structures: Architecture students can undertake ARCH 4310/4320 – Construction I & II and ARCH 4350/4360 – Structures I & II, supported by the First Year Technology Lab, which provides additional instruction, workshops and laboratory time.
Digital fabrication: The Fabrication Lab provides access to CNC routing, laser cutting, 3D printing, woodworking, metalworking and machining, allowing students to turn architectural concepts into physical prototypes and models.
Robotics and advanced research: The Advanced Research & Innovation Lab (ARI) brings together fabrication, measurement and modeling technologies, including robotic-arm applications for milling, laser cutting, 3D printing, scanning, sensing and other forms of architectural fabrication.
Computer and digital resources: Weitzman provides dedicated Mac and PC computer labs, while its digital resources include professional tools for architectural representation, photography, video and other forms of digital production.
Collaborative design work: Penn’s architecture studios can involve students working with engineers, material specialists and other consultants, particularly when coordinating site, structure, mechanical systems, envelopes and materials in complex building projects.
Research and library resources: The Fisher Fine Arts Library provides architecture-focused collections and research resources covering architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, art history and fine arts.
Materials exploration: The Fisher Fine Arts Materials Library contains thousands of traditional, emerging and novel material samples, supporting tactile investigation and design development.
Architecture research centers: Students are surrounded by specialist research units including the Center for Environmental Building & Design, Center for Public Art and Space, Architectural Archives, PennPraxis, Polyhedral Structures Lab, Thermal Architecture Lab, and Transportation Initiative at Penn.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a Major in Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania provides a strong foundation for careers in architecture, design, planning, and related fields while also preparing students for advanced professional study. Graduates can build careers such as Architectural Designer, Urban Designer, Design Researcher, and Planning/Design Consultant, with the BA also providing a pathway into Penn's professional Master of Architecture and other graduate programs.

Career progression and opportunities include:

Career services: Penn Career Services provides College of Arts and Sciences undergraduates with career advising, employer connections, Handshake job and internship listings, resume support, career fairs, and access to alumni networks. Architecture students can also use Weitzman's Professional Development & Leadership resources and its architecture-specific opportunities.
Industry exposure: Penn's Design & Planning Career Fair specifically brings together employers and students from architecture, city and urban planning, landscape architecture, historic preservation, and related design fields; employers can review student resumes and portfolios and establish recruiting connections.
Professional network: Weitzman's career resources highlight AIA Philadelphia, which represents more than 1,800 architects, 250+ architecture firms, and 175+ allied members, providing a significant professional network for students interested in architecture careers.
Employment statistics: Penn does not publish a current, program-specific employment rate or salary figure for the BA in Architecture on its official undergraduate architecture pages. Therefore, a specific BA Architecture employment percentage or salary should not be inferred.
Salary information: Penn Career Services provides labor-market information through its Lightcast resource, including annual earnings, employment trends, employers, technical skills, and job titles; Penn does not state a specific salary outcome for BA Architecture graduates on the official program pages.
Accreditation value: The BA in Architecture is not itself a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. Penn's NAAB-accredited professional degree is the Master of Architecture, so students seeking the U.S. professional architecture pathway can use the BA as preparation for graduate professional study.
Graduation and professional progression: Penn's architecture department identifies the BA as an undergraduate architecture degree taught through the College of Arts and Sciences and Weitzman School of Design. After completing the BA, students may pursue Penn's professional M.Arch., while other graduate options within Weitzman include advanced architectural design, environmental building design, architecture research, and related disciplines.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can apply to Penn's Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), a NAAB-accredited professional degree; students entering with an undergraduate major in Architecture are typically admitted to Penn's three-year M.Arch. pathway. They can also consider postgraduate study in areas such as Advanced Architectural Design (MSD-AAD), Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD), Architecture (MS), or Architecture (PhD) depending on their professional or research goals.