Admission

Admission and readmission of undergraduate students to the University is the responsibility of the director of admissions. Information about admission to the University is given in the General Information Catalog.

Students who are not admitted to the School of Architecture may not pursue any degree offered by the school. Information about admission is published by the school at http://soa.utexas.edu/.

The School of Architecture is one of the smallest academic units at The University of Texas at Austin. Our undergraduate student body exemplifies the diverse constitution of the communities we strive to serve. In support of unique perspectives and experiences, all applications are reviewed with an understanding that excellence may manifest itself in many areas and may be expressed in different forms, such as compelling essays, strong academic preparation, extracurricular activities, excellent test scores, life experiences, as well as other accomplishments.

Freshman Admission

The School of Architecture is unable to accommodate all qualified applicants, and preference is given to candidates considered to have best demonstrated the interest, aptitude, and dedication to pursuing a design education. All applicants are evaluated with emphasis on the following areas: SAT or ACT scores, class rank, essays, academic preparation, extracurricular activities, and other achievements. Texas-resident high school students have priority over nonresidents in admission decisions. All applicants must fulfill the high school unit requirements given in the General Information Catalog.

To be considered for admission to the School of Architecture, applicants should select the appropriate degree program on the ApplyTexas application: architecture, interior design, the architecture/architectural engineering dual degree program, the architecture/Plan II dual degree program, architectural studies, or architectural studies with an emphasis on architectural history. All application materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the deadline to apply for admission to the University for the fall semester; this date is given in General Information Catalog. Applicants to the dual degree program offered with the Plan II Honors Program must submit an additional application; more information about Plan II is provided within the Liberal Arts section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Transfer

Internal Transfer

Students currently or formerly enrolled in other University degree programs who wish to enroll in a degree program in the School of Architecture must complete an online Internal Transfer Application by the spring semester deadline to be considered for admission for the following fall semester. To be eligible to apply for internal transfer, students must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit in residence (excluding credit-by-exam) by the end of a spring semester, with a University grade point average of at least 3.25. Emphasis is given to strong performance in University courses, especially courses relevant to the degree program to which the applicant is applying. Meeting these requirements is no guarantee for admission.

External Transfer

Transfer applicants from architecture and interior design programs in other universities will be evaluated with emphasis given to excellence in design (portfolio required), academic preparation, essays, and other achievements. Course credit and placement in studio sequence is determined upon acceptance. External transfer admission is offered to a few qualified applicants each year.

Students applying to transfer from another university to the School of Architecture should select the appropriate degree program on the ApplyTexas application. All application materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the deadline to apply for admission to the University for the fall semester; this date is given in the General Information Catalog. To be considered for transfer admission to the School of Architecture, the applicant must have completed at least 30 semester hours of transferable college coursework with a grade point average of at least 3.25, and must submit a portfolio which includes architecture or interior design studio work from another university; information about the portfolio is given on the University's transfer admission website. All admission decisions are made before the end of the spring semester; the Office of Admissions cannot consider spring coursework in progress.

Transfer Credit

External transfer students with credit from another school must submit samples of their design work and, if applicable, visual communication work, transcripts, course descriptions and/or syllabi for courses in their majors. On the basis of the information submitted, the Program Director for Architecture or Interior Design determines the level at which students enter the design sequence and assigns credit toward the degree if appropriate.

Registration 

The General Information Catalog gives information about registration, adding and dropping courses, transfer from one division of the University to another, and auditing a course. The online Course Schedule, published before registration each semester and summer session, includes registration instructions, advising locations, and the times, rooms, and instructors. The Course Schedule and General Information Catalog are published on the registrar’s website.

Students should carefully verify that they have completed all course prerequisites, consult the academic advisors in the Undergraduate Office, and take courses each semester in the suggested sequence to fulfill prerequisites in following semesters.

Minimum Number of Hours in the Long Session

Students must register each semester for at least 12 semester hours of coursework prescribed for the degree. Registration for fewer hours must be approved by the Undergraduate Office.

Portfolio Review Requirement

Architecture:

As a requirement to enter the advanced studio sequence, all students pursuing architecture degrees must satisfactorily complete the Portfolio Review process and submit a portfolio that summarizes all previous design and visual communication coursework. Guidelines for the Portfolio Review process, including timeline and deadlines, are available from the Undergraduate Office.

The Portfolio Review process provides critical information to the faculty reviewing committee in evaluating the student’s progress toward the degree. The faculty reviewing committee, at its discretion, may require the student to retake an intermediate design studio and participate in a final Portfolio Review at the end of the following semester in order to determine eligibility to enter advanced studios.

A student is limited to three Portfolio Review attempts. Students who do not have a satisfactory Portfolio Review by the third attempt are advised to change to the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies degree.  

Interior Design:

Upon completing Architectural Interior Design 530K, Design V--Interiors students are required to submit a portfolio that summarizes the work completed in all the previous design and visual communication courses. A satisfactory portfolio review is required for enrollment in Architectural Interior Design 530T, Design VI--Interiors. Guidelines for submission of the portfolio, including deadline, are available from the Undergraduate Office.

A successful  completion of the Architectural Interior Design 530T, Design VI--Interiors studio, along with the completion of a follow-up portfolio consultation with the reviewing committee, are required for entry into Architectural Interior Design 560R, Advanced Interior Design. The portfolio provides critical information to the reviewing committee in evaluating the student’s progress toward the degree. The reviewing committee, at its discretion, may require the student to complete additional work, including courses prior to or after registering for advanced studios.