Undergraduate Admissions

The MIT Department of Architecture offers two undergraduate majors providing a deep and broad undergraduate education in the fields of architecture, art, and design. Course 4 leads to the Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSA), and Course 4-B leads to the Bachelor of Science in Art and Design (BSAD). Additionally, The MIT Department of Architecture offers undergraduate minors in Architecture, Design, History and Theory of Architecture Art and Design (HTC), and Art Culture Technology (ACT).

Once accepted to MIT, students typically study an initial selection of courses known as General Institute Requirements or GIRs which all MIT students take during their 4 years as undergraduate students. Depending on AP scores/tests &/or placement tests some first-year students take architecture courses as early as their first semester. Many take their first architecture course(s) during MIT’s winter IAP period or during their first-year spring semester.

At the end of their first year, undergraduate students are encouraged to declare a major. After completing MIT's Bachelor of Science in Architecture, students interested in becoming a licensed architect may apply to architecture master’s degree programs.

High school students who apply to MIT do not apply to a particular major and a portfolio is not required for undergraduate admissions to MIT. However, if you would like to include a creative portfolio, you can read about creative portfolios submissions on the MIT Admissions Creative Portfolios webpage.

If you are interested in general information about undergraduate admission to MIT, the best place to begin is the “Preparing for MIT” page provided by MIT Admissions. If you would like to read about MIT first year undergraduate admission deadlines and requirements, you can go here. MIT has information about financial aid here.

MIT Admissions provides information for international applicants here. If after reading through the various links on this page you still have questions, please reach out to mitintl@mit.edu. You can read about how MIT handles undergraduate financial aid for international students here.

If you will be visiting the MIT campus and would like a tour of the MIT Architecture Department in addition to a general tour of MIT, email Paul Pettigrew paulpett@mit.edu to arrange a date and time.

If you are a high school student or first-year undergraduate student interested in studying Architecture or Design at MIT and would like additional information about our architecture and design majors, minors, and concentrations, please contact Paul Pettigrew (Director, Undergraduate & Alumni Outreach, Career Development) paulpett@mit.edu