1)      Meet minimum academic requirements for the University of California system. Transfer requirements are here*. UCLA admits for Fall Quarter only. This material is due at the end of November.

2)      Submit a required supplemental application. The supplement is typically due in mid-January and consists of three additional essays specific to architecture, and a portfolio consisting of visual artwork. This supplement is submitted through SlideRoom.

(Link to previous cycle Fall 2026 requirements for reference)

Please note that the Architectural Studies major is open to TRANSFERS ONLY. We do not admit First Years to this major.

If you are a currently enrolled UCLA student in another major who wishes to be a UCLA Arts major, please look up the application information for Current UCLA Students.

The Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (B.A.) program at UCLA AUD is not NAAB-accredited and may not be accepted as meeting licensure requirements in many U.S. states.

You can read more detail about accreditation here.

Students who discover architecture in college, usually after starting in another major or as Undeclared.

The B.A. in Architectural Studies is a four-year liberal arts degree, not an accredited professional degree like the B.Arch. B.Arch programs are hard to transfer into as a junior because their design courses build on each other starting in the first year. Our B.A. gives students who find architecture later a path to finish their degree in a reasonable time.

About half of our students transfer in from outside UCLA, mostly from California Community Colleges. The other half are current UCLA students changing their major, often from Undeclared.

All students follow the same path: two years of lower-division general education, an application to the major in their sophomore year, then two years of sequential upper-division coursework in the major.

Most of our graduates go on to an accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch) to become licensed architects. Others pursue advanced work in architectural design, or bring their training in architectural thinking to other fields like tech and systems organization.

The Architectural Studies B.A. is a transfer only major. This major is not open for new First Year applicants. For more information about how to navigate interest in architecture at UCLA if you are applying straight out of high school, please click here.

The major enrolls 50 undergraduates (~25 juniors, ~25 seniors).

In concert with the portfolio, take care with preparing your departmental essays. Because this is a program that sees candidates with diverse visual arts skill sets as far as the portfolio, the departmental essays are a place where students can contextualize and articulate their interests in architecture. Strong critical writing skills are highly valued in the admission review.

Strong overall academic performance in college level coursework is also highly valued. Architecture is an interdisciplinary field and consistent, high level academic performance speaks to a broad literacy and understanding of the world we live in, which is essential to the practice of architecture. The average GPA for our admits is a 3.7.

Technically, we do not require any coursework for preparation for the major. The B.A. in Architectural Studies is made up of primarily upper division coursework. There are three lower division classes that you might find at community college, but most CCs do not have them, and the great majority of our transfers take these classes after they arrive here. That being said, you can look for coursework at your CC that is a best match to these descriptions:

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE - Exploration of role of built environment in social, cultural, and political life: how buildings are constructed, what they mean, effects they have on world, and ways they imagine new futures and shape private and public life. Focus on series of contemporary case studies for what each reveals about new possibilities for shaping world in which we live, with emphasis on how architecture extends to cities, roads, books, and films. Consideration of historical context and cultural genealogy of particular buildings and environments, material and economic conditions of building, and more.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY: ANTIQUITY TO PRE-MANNERISM - Exploration of developments in global architecture and urban design from prehistory to 1600 and critical reflection on terms such as building, architecture, city, history, and culture. Focus on world context, construction and technology, and history of architectural ideas.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY: MANNERISM TO PRESENT - Survey of architectural and urban history from 1600 to present in global context. Exploration of buildings, cities, spaces, artifacts, landscapes, and ideas through their relation to geopolitical conditions and through their relation to theories of design.

Again, if your current school doesn't offer classes like this, please don't worry-- they are not required for admission. Focus on taking your GE classes, and selecting GEs that relate to your interest in architecture, and in which you can deliver a solid academic performance.

Yes, you can apply, but plan to complete the full two-year major sequence. Studio and design coursework from another school won't shorten it.

The major is almost entirely upper division. Only three lower-division lecture courses are considered to count towards the major: Introduction to Architecture, and two architectural history courses. Lower-division studio and design courses do not transfer, and upper-division studio courses almost never do. If you have completed upper division studio coursework, the university will be in a position to evaluate it for articulation after you have accepted your offer of admission.

Before you apply, consider how this fits your goals. Architectural Studies is designed for students who discover architecture in college and arrive with most of their general education complete.

No, we do not consider the UC PIQs in the supplemental review. The evaluating faculty are interested in the three supplemental statements that accompany the portfolio. The supplemental statements do bear resemblance to the UC PIQs but are adjusted for architecture, so if you'd like to use elements of your UC PIQs in your UCLA Architectural Studies supplemental statements, feel entirely free to do so.

Please note that our portfolio is open-ended. We do not require architectural work at all. The department operates from the understanding that most people don't have access to instruction in architecture studio, so they do not expect to see experience in architecture prior to applying. The portfolio is a presentation of a wide variety of visual arts and design investment and sensibility, so we do see (and admit) a range of histories and backgrounds that show potential with design and built environments. Other design work, fine arts materials, sculpture, painting, photography, textiles, origami, and cake decorating ( yes, very serious about the last two!) are a few of the ways you can share your visual aesthetic.

With the department statements, you can discuss your interest in and direction with architecture more specifically. Between the portfolio and department statements the faculty can really get to know you.

For further reading, here is a link to a document where the Architectural Studies faculty share their thoughts about the portfolio and admission process.

No, you do not-- there is no requirement or expectation that you have prior knowledge of modeling/design software before you start the program.

THAT BEING SAID-- current students have reported that if you have a basic knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and Rhino before you arrive, it will make your life easier. Again, this is strictly practical knowledge and not anything explicitly tied to success in the admission process or necessarily success in the classes, simply falling under a "hot tip" category. Familiarity with software can be gained from taking classes, job/internship experience, or free online tutorials.

Yes. Cover pages, indexes, resource lists, etc., all count towards the 6-page maximum. If the PDF exceeds the 6-page maximum, the faculty will only look at the first 6 pages and disregard the rest.

We do not.

The department usually encourages students to attend another school for their graduate degree, for the purpose of building a greater industry network. That being said, if you affirmatively want to stay at UCLA for your M.Arch, this can be a discussion with the department academic advisor.

If you have attended UCLA undergrad in a major other than Architectural Studies, then that is fine.

Find course descriptions for Architectural Studies classes on the UCLA Registrar’s website

Find the study program outline for junior and senior year on the UCLA Architecture and Urban Design website

Find summer programs information on the UCLA Architecture and Urban Design website