Bachelor of Arts in Architecture

The University of Pennsylvania is comprised of 12 schools, each with its own faculty, students and degree programs. Four of these schools offer undergraduate education: Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Applied Science, Nursing, and Wharton (business). Undergraduate education in architecture is offered in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) with courses taught by faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design. The undergraduate program in architecture was established in 2000 to offer opportunities for undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences to study architecture on various levels of engagement ranging from a Freshman Seminar and a Minor in Architecture to a Major in Architecture with three concentrations (Design, History & Theory, and Intensive Design). The degree earned is a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the School of Arts & Sciences with a Major in Architecture. While a B.A. does not in itself fulfill the educational requirement for architectural licensure by individual states within the United States of America, the courses required for the Major in Architecture meet or exceed the prerequisites for admission to most Master of Architecture professional degree programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

International applicant should have completed a program of secondary education that would enable you to enter a university in your own country (e.g., A-levels, Abitur).

A strong command of the English language is necessary for successful study at Penn. Applicants whose families do not speak English at home, or applicants who have not attended a high school or secondary school where the primary language of instruction is English, are asked to take the TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language, administered by the Educational Testing Service. In the event the TOEFL is not readily accessible, Penn will accept results from the IELTS, the International English Language Testing System.