Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Architectural Studies

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Washington

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Architectural Studies at the University of Washington is a four-year undergraduate program that takes a liberal-studies approach to architecture, exploring the cultural, social, technological, environmental and economic forces that shape the built environment. It suits students interested in architecture beyond professional design practice, with study spanning urbanism, spatial reasoning, landscape, construction, building technologies, ecology, history and theory, while allowing students to develop a concentration in History and Theory, Materials and Making, or Sustainable Development.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with UW general education requirements across Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, English Composition and Areas of Inquiry, establishing a broad foundation for architectural studies. The Natural Sciences requirement includes Calculus I (MATH 112, MATH 124, MATH 145 or Q SCI 291).

Year 2: Students move into the core architecture sequence with ARCH 200: Design and Representation I, developing foundational approaches to architectural representation, alongside ARCH 231: Making and Craft, which introduces materials and making. They also study architectural history through ARCH 350: Architecture of the Ancient World, ARCH 351: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance Architecture, and ARCH 352: History of Modern Architecture, giving them a chronological and cultural understanding of the built environment.

Year 3: The program becomes more advanced and analytical through ARCH 332: Making and Materials, ARCH 361: Architectural Studies Colloquium, and ARCH 362: Architecture and Theory. Students also study environmental performance through ARCH 431: Energy and Buildings and begin shaping their interests through concentration selectives and architecture electives.

Year 4: Students gain greater freedom to tailor their studies through additional concentration selectives, architecture electives, College of Built Environments electives and upper-division electives. The degree concludes with ARCH 468: Architecture Capstone Preparation and ARCH 469: Architecture Capstone, giving students an opportunity to develop and complete a substantial senior project.

Focus Areas

History and Theory: cultural contexts, impacts and legacies of architecture and the built environment; Materials and Making: material qualities, fabrication processes and the making of objects, furniture and architectural elements; Sustainable Development: resource-conscious design and construction, natural systems and social justice.

Learning Outcomes

Critical thinking, research, writing, visual analysis, architectural history and theory, materials and making, sustainable approaches, understanding of the built environment, interdisciplinary analysis, independent project development.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Professional accreditation: The BA in Architectural Studies is a liberal-studies undergraduate degree rather than the professionally accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree; UW states that the BA prepares students for graduate study in architectural design and related fields such as architectural history, historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban planning and construction management.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

QS: The University of Washington is ranked #81 in the QS World University Rankings 2026; QS also publishes a separate Architecture & Built Environment subject ranking, although the available QS university profile does not state a specific 2026 Architecture & Built Environment position for UW.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BA in Architectural Studies at the University of Washington gives students practical exposure through design-focused coursework, materials and making, fabrication, research, and a senior project. Students can work with physical materials, digital fabrication equipment, large-format digital tools, architectural resources, and specialized learning spaces across Gould Hall and Architecture Hall, while the department also provides opportunities for specialized studios and international study.

Design & Making: Students can develop hands-on skills through coursework and specialized studios involving materials, fabrication, furniture making, and architectural elements. The Fabrication Lab supports design studios and independent projects with wood-working, metal-working, and digital fabrication equipment.
Digital Tools: The Digital Commons provides a 5,500-square-foot digital laboratory with Windows and Macintosh workstations, large-format scanners and plotters, a digital classroom, projectors, and whiteboards. Archnet also provides design-studio computing resources, printers, plotters, and student software, while Architecture Hall studios include large-format scanning/printing and laser cutters.
Specialized Studios: Undergraduate students can participate in specialized opportunities such as the Furniture Studio, Storefront Studio, and Neighborhood Design/Build Studio, giving students opportunities to apply architectural ideas through making and project-based work.
Fabrication Facilities: The College of Built Environments’ Fabrication Lab is fully staffed and supports the creation of models, furniture, and small-scale building components, connecting practical making directly with architecture coursework and independent student projects.
Materials & Daylighting: The Materials Library provides physical material samples for studying material qualities and properties, while the Daylighting Lab includes a heliodon, Overcast Sky Simulator, and Mock-up Room for investigating daylight and lighting design.
Senior Project: The four-year BA culminates in a required senior project, allowing students to bring together their architectural studies and develop an individual area of interest.
Architectural Resources: The Built Environments Library provides a dedicated collection covering architecture, construction management, landscape architecture, and urban design and planning, while the Visual Resources Collection provides access to approximately 130,000 circulating slides and more than 30,000 digital images covering architecture, structures, materials, history, and design.
International Experience: The department has a long-running Rome Program and other international offerings, with the University of Washington Rome Center providing studio/classroom space, a library, and computing resources for participating students.
Research & Interdisciplinary Facilities: Students can connect with the Center for Integrated Design, where interdisciplinary teams work with advanced modeling and monitoring of building energy use, integrated lighting, daylighting, and HVAC systems.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA in Architectural Studies at the University of Washington develops a broad foundation in architecture, built environments, research, writing, and critical thinking, preparing graduates for careers across design and related fields as well as further professional study. The university specifically identifies pathways into design, planning and policy, real estate development, journalism and criticism, law, community leadership, and nonprofit work, while also preparing students for graduate study in architecture and allied disciplines.

Typical career directions include Design Professional, Planning/Policy Professional, Real Estate Development Professional, and Architecture/Design Journalist or Critic. The BA is not itself a professional architecture degree, so students seeking architectural licensure in the U.S. typically continue into a professional Master of Architecture.

Career Development & Employment: University and department resources provide several ways for students to build professional experience and connect their studies with employment:

UW Career Center: The Department of Architecture directs students to the UW Career Center and Handshake for career development and employment opportunities.
Architecture Student Employment: The Department of Architecture employs students in roles including reader graders, teaching and research assistants, exhibition support, and lecture-series coordination, providing opportunities to gain relevant experience while studying.
AXP Experience: Students employed by an architectural firm or related organization may be able to count qualifying work toward the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) administered by NCARB.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities: The College of Built Environments brings together Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate, and Urban Design & Planning, giving students opportunities to connect architectural studies with related built-environment fields.
Industry Collaboration: The Center for Integrated Design (CID) brings together faculty, students, professional collaborators, and partner organizations; its Integrated Design Lab works with project teams on building-energy, lighting, daylighting, and HVAC modeling and monitoring.
Employment Statistics & Salaries: The UW Department of Architecture does not publish a program-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure for the BA in Architectural Studies on its official program page; therefore, a specific employment percentage or salary range is not stated by the university.
Accreditation & Licensure Value: The BA provides a foundation for professional graduate study, but it is not a professional degree. UW states that students pursuing architectural licensure typically continue into a professional Master of Architecture, which provides the professional-degree pathway relevant to licensure requirements.
Graduation Outcome: The degree culminates in a senior project, while the university encourages students to use the flexible final year to develop a focused academic direction and complementary minor.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA in Architectural Studies, students can continue into the University of Washington Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) or pursue graduate study in architectural history, historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban planning, construction management, and other related built-environment disciplines. UW also identifies its graduate offerings as including the Master of Architecture, Master of Science in Architecture, concurrent M.Arch. + Master of Landscape Architecture, and Ph.D. in the Built Environment.