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Be a Leader in Design
At UWM, you’ll become the architect you were meant to be. Push the creative boundaries of what architecture can do with immersive, studio-based courses. Award-winning faculty are with you every step of the way as artistic mentors. Plus, there are scholarships and fellowships specifically for architecture students to help pay for your degree.
As Wisconsin’s only accredited architecture program, UWM offers opportunities beyond the studio, too, like architecture-centered study abroad trips and internships at top architecture firms in Milwaukee.
After graduation, I’ll be working full time at Zimmerman Architectural Studios. I’ve gotten to do everything I wanted to do at UWM. I was on four research projects, I studied abroad in Germany last summer, and I served as the Midwest Quadrant Director for the American Institute of Architecture Students. UWM’s architecture scholarships were impactful, too. I had one that covered a full year of school.
Program Options
Build a foundation in architecture with a bachelor’s degree from UWM. In all our programs, you’ll do real-world work — from providing design assistance to local nonprofits to completing internships at top architecture firms in Milwaukee — all under the mentorship of world-class faculty who have spent years in the field.
- Bachelor of Architecture (BArch): A professional degree that’s designed as the quickest route for a student to become a licensed architect without a graduate degree. Students graduate prepared and eligible to sit for the licensing exam.
- Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BSAS): Ideal for students interested in architecture-adjacent careers, such as real estate, construction administration and general contracting.
Outside the classroom and studio, you’ll have even more opportunities to grow. Go on an architecture-focused study abroad trip to Germany, Paris or London. Enjoy the architecture Living Learning Community, a dedicated floor of a UWM residence hall where you live and take classes with other architecture students. Or lead in student organizations like the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Milwaukee Student Planning Association (MSPA).
Excellence in research leads to excellence in design. Work alongside faculty in research centers including the Historic Preservation Institute, the Institute for Ecological Design, Design + Construction Institute and many more. Paid research assistantships and other funding are available.
- Master of Architecture I: Choose between a two-year or a three-year master’s program. The two-year MArch is intended for students with a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture. The three-year MArch is ideal for students with an undergraduate degree in a nonarchitecture field. The Master of Architecture at UWM is a professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and prepares students to become licensed architects.
- Master of Architecture II: This is a one-year program intended for those who are planning to pursue a teaching career in architecture or who want to develop a scholarly architecture practice. Students can tailor their degrees by focusing on areas such as real estate, historic preservation and ecological design.
- Master of Science in Architecture: Students in this program tend to be either mid-career professionals who want to deepen their expertise in a focused area or students who are exploring a specific research field before entering a PhD program. You’ll work closely with a faculty advisor to create a program that reflects your specific research interests.
- PhD in Architecture: This research degree is ideal for those who have a strong foundation in their field and wish to specialize further in a specific area of expertise and conduct substantial independent research in architecture. You’ll join a cohort of PhD students from all over the world and work with faculty recognized for their outstanding research.
Program Highlights
Connections to Design Firms
Forge lifelong mentorships with faculty who have industry connections in Milwaukee and Chicago.
Scholarships for Architecture Students
UWM offers a range of scholarships and financial awards for students pursuing architecture at both the undergraduate and graduate level. There are also paid research assistantships.
Studio-Based Learning
Studio courses provide students with immersive projects that replicate professional architectural practice.
Visiting Architects
The Marcus Prize and the Urban Edge Award bring world-class architects to campus to engage with students through studio classes and special projects.
Learn from Master Architects
The Marcus Prize and Urban Edge Award bring top emerging architects to UWM. On campus, they work with faculty and students in local design studios.
- The $100,000 Marcus Prize is one of the world’s largest in architecture. It has launched projects focused on Milwaukee’s museums, the city’s central post office and under-served areas of Milwaukee.
- Projects funded by the $50,000 Urban Edge Award have examined issues like moving Milwaukee toward being a carbon-neutral city.
Make Waves in Your World
UW-Milwaukee students come from all walks of life. What unites them is a willingness to ask big questions and a determination to find the answers. Many work side-by-side with expert faculty on research tackling the world’s toughest challenges. Others collaborate on art that helps us better understand ourselves or partner with community organizations on projects that improve lives.
Here, we turn ideas into ripples of change that create waves of positive impact. Join the next wave.
Explore New Directions
Scholarships available! Learn more about how UWM can help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals.