The University of Illinois School of Architecture
The School of Architecture at the University of Illinois was the first public school of architecture in the United States. With this began an array of firsts: Nathan Ricker, the first graduate of an architecture program in the United States in 1873; Maria Louisa Page, the first woman to earn an architecture degree in North America in 1879; and in 1904, Walter T. Bailey, the first African-American to graduate in Architecture.
Visit the The University of Illinois School of Architecture's website: arch.illinois.edu
From these beginnings the influence and legacy of an Illinois architectural education can be seen around the world. The Petronas Towers in Malaysia (Cesar Pelli) ● the United Nations Building and the Lincoln Center in New York (Max Abramovitz) ● the Oklahoma City Federal Building (Carol Ross Barney) ● the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago (Dina Griffin, design partner) ● Aqua Tower in Chicago (Jeanne Gang, MacArthur Fellow “Genius” Grant) ● Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain (John Zils, architectural structural engineer) ● Disneyland in California (Charles Luckman and William Perrera helped Walt Disney shape his vision) ● The Shanghai Tower, the second tallest building in the world (Steve Weindel).
These and the host of successes by other Illinois graduates are conceived and produced from the solid, holistic education they receive while studying at Illinois. The strong design emphasis, which begins with hands-on design courses the freshman year, and continues with studios and seminars each semester, is balanced with practical courses that make buildings work for people - courses in structures, lighting, and HVAC. This curriculum demonstrates that students at Illinois do not design in a vacuum, but from an informed perspective.
The hands-on design experience for our first-year students, leads them through the whole design process from concept to development, and introduces them to the many tools in the woodshop. The smaller class sizes in studios (1:12) allow each student individual attention.
Our diverse and accomplished faculty offer students a strong intellectual foundation, with all the advantages of a top-tier research university. Faculty and students challenge current thinking by working together to explore innovative design solutions for real world settings in communities here and abroad.
The University of Illinois offers a complete program leading to a professional degree. The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies is the 4-year preparatory undergraduate degree. It provides a solid background both for the Master of Architecture degree and for work in a firm. The 2-year Master of Architecture degree is the accredited professional degree, which leads to licensure.
Immerse yourself in architecture through our student work.
The Illinois School of Architecture offers the following degree programs:
• BSAS (4-year pre-professional degree) Leads seamlessly into the Master of Architecture degree, (4 years; 120 credit hours)
• M.Arch The NAAB accredited two-year professional M. Arch degree program for students holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture or its equivalent (2 year-program, 62 credit hours) • M.Arch 2+ An NAAB accredited professional degree program designed for students holding a bachelor’s degree in a field other than architecture. (2.5 – 4 years; 103 credit hours) • MSAS (1-year post-professional degree) enables students to develop the research skills and specialized expertise needed for tomorrow’s professional and academic careers. (1 year; 32 credit hours)
• PhD Appropriate for students seeking careers in research and teaching or in roles in government or professional consultation, all of which require depth in specialization and experience in research.
Joint Degrees offered at the Master level:
• Master of Architecture + Master of Urban Planning
• Master of Architecture + Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Structural Engineering • Master of Architecture + Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Construction Management
Classroom and studio experiences led by our internationally recognized faculty (arch.illinois.edu/faculty) are augmented with study abroad experiences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Juniors and seniors in the BSAS degree program have the opportunity to take a full year of courses in Barcelona, Spain. Hosted by the Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura del Vallès (ETSAV), one of the two architecture programs of the highly acclaimed Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), this program offers field trips, personal travel, and in-depth studies of various buildings and cities in Europe with informed architects. Taught by UIUC professors in English, students take the Illinois architecture curriculum in Barcelona, so they graduate at the same time as their peers.
M. Arch students may participate in a spring semester exchange program with the Fakultät f. Architektur of the Technische Universität München (TUM). This program enables Illinois School of Architecture graduate students to take studios and seminars at one of the leading German schools of architecture.
Additionally, each year faculty develop studio projects at a range of international sites, studios giving students the opportunity to address architectural problems in a variety of cultural contexts. Recent project sites include:
Haiti Vietnam Thailand India Somalia Germany Tokyo Switzerland Afghanistan São Tomé and Príncipe Wales
The Chicago Studio affords graduate students a second off-campus opportunity. This semester-long residential program immerses students in the Chicago architectural scene. Faculty and students work together to engage clients who represent the needs of the city’s diverse population. Students in the Chicago Studio secure semester-long and summer internships with firms while they are living in the Chicago area. Classes and studios are scheduled three days per week to facilitate students taking internships during their days away from class.
Admissions
Freshman applicants can choose to apply to UIUC in one of two ways: myIllini or Coalition. Only one freshman application is permitted per applicant, and the first submitted application is considered official.
Early Action Filing Period: September 1, 2020 – November 15, 2020
Application filing Period – September 1, 2020 – January 5, 2021
Admission Notification ● Mid-February
In order to allow you additional time to potentially retest and to provide a thorough holistic review during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are suspending the early action notification for the 2021 application cycle. All decisions will be released in mid-February. You can check your admission status in myIllini.
Honors & Scholarship Notification ● By April 1
If you are selected to an honors program or awarded a scholarship, you’ll receive notification after your offer of admission but no later than April 1.
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