Degrees & Admissions
Welcome to the Department of Architecture admissions! Our programs foreground architecture as an instrument of change across our undergraduate, professional, and graduate degree programs.
Graduate Admissions
Learn about our graduate programs, sign up for an info session, chat with a current student to hear about the student experience, or join us for a building tour led by a graduate student admissions ambassador. Also, check out our Master of Architecture FAQ below. We look forward to meeting you!
Info Sessions
Meet the admissions team to learn more about graduate study at Berkeley Architecture, our programs, and the admissions process.
Get a closer look at the application and the materials you’ll need to complete before submitting.
- Application Walkthrough: Friday, Dec. 4 | 5–6 PM | Register
Meet some of the faculty who teach in our graduate programs:
Chat with a Current Grad Student
Connect with a current student to learn about our programs and the CED student experience. We offer two online options: join our weekly ambassador drop-in hours with Yvana (MArch), or sign up for a 1:1 chat with another ambassador via the Google calendar below.
*Please note: Admissions ambassadors are available to meet with prospective students between October 2 and November 20, 2026, so please plan accordingly.
Bauer Wurster Hall Building Tours
Join us for a Bauer Wurster Hall building tour! Tours will be led by our admissions ambassador Annette (MArch), every Monday at 12 p.m. during the 2026–2027 academic year unless otherwise specified.* Meet in Ong&Ong Plaza, just outside the main building entrance. Tours will last approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
You’ll have a chance to tour our graduate architecture studios, pin-up spaces, fabrication shop and digital fabrication lab, library, gallery, auditorium, and more. Learn more about our spaces.
*Please note: Building tours will not be held during winter recess, December 18, 2026 to January 12, 2027, or spring recess, March 21 to 26, 2027. The last building tours of the 2026–27 academic year are the week of May 3, 2027. If you would like to coordinate a different time, fill out our Bauer Wurster Hall tour request form. An admissions ambassador will be in touch with you!
GRADUATE PROGRAM APPLICATION DEADLINES
Master of Architecture + Master of City Planning (MArch/MCP)
Graduate Admissions FAQ
- Why did you choose to pursue your graduate degree in architecture at UC Berkeley?
- What is studio culture like at CED and how many students are in your cohort?
- How are design critiques conducted within the studio, and what is the feedback process like?
- What extracurriculars are MArch students involved in?
- What research projects or publications have you been involved with during your time in the graduate program?
We chose UC Berkeley because of its location, reputation, culture, and commitment to research and environmental and social responsibility. We were drawn to the interdisciplinary opportunities throughout the college and across the university. We value the range of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints of the architecture faculty. We find the alumni and faculty network that connects you to the Bay Area very valuable.
The studio culture at UC Berkeley is highly collaborative and critically engaged rather than purely competitive. In our coursework, we actually study architectural pedagogy and discuss critiques of traditional studio culture, which actively fosters a more supportive and mindful environment. Because we all come from different professional backgrounds, there is a strong tradition of sharing knowledge. Collaborating with peers in the studio often involves exchanging feedback on spatial concepts or helping each other troubleshoot complex software workflows. As for the cohort size, the three-year MArch program has 25–40 students. In the second and third years (or first and second years for students in the two-year program), there are about 60–75 students.
Design critiques at Berkeley are structured as collaborative dialogues rather than defensive presentations. We find the feedback process to be highly intentional and constructive. During formal critiques, we present our work to a panel of faculty, guest critics, and peers. Some reviewers work outside of UC Berkeley, which allows us to get feedback from different perspectives. The conversation rarely focuses solely on the visual aesthetics of the final rendering. Instead, critics dig deeply into the underlying logic of the project, evaluating our approach to material stewardship, structural integration, and the broader ecological impact. On a daily basis, the feedback loop is very iterative. We have regular desk reviews and pin-ups with our professors and informal peer reviews with our cohort.
We have been involved in extracurricular activities both within the College of Environmental Design and across the wider Berkeley community. In the Admissions Ambassadors Program, we connect with prospective students and share our experiences at UC Berkeley and with the application process. We’ve also been involved with the graduate architecture journal, Room One Thousand, the Graduate Student Council, and the National Organization for Minority Architecture Students, among other student organizations. We’ve participated in competitions and contributed to teaching, including through the embARC Summer program, where graduate students teach high school students. We participate in activities outside of academics, such as the California Ice Hockey Club and classes offered by the Recreational Sport Facility and the Berkeley Marina.
Some of us have been involved with Room One Thousand, the graduate architecture journal. Other students, having traveled last summer for their research, are currently working on an exhibition for the Branner & Stump Traveling Fellowship.
Undergraduate Admissions
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
As an architecture major at UC Berkeley — the top-ranked public university in the nation for architecture and the built environment — you’ll experience both the breadth of a liberal arts education and the depth of a rigorous pre-professional design program. You’ll graduate with a bachelor of arts degree that prepares you to enter the architecture profession or continue on to graduate study.