• No, there is not. There is no formal way to indicate interest in architecture if you are applying as a First Year applicant. It doesn’t matter what major you apply to, so you should pick whatever major you think is best for you.

  • You might consider this pathway if you have a visual arts portfolio and you want guaranteed access to creative studio classes when you arrive at UCLA.

    Things to keep in mind:

    • If admitted to a professional program in the visual arts, you would be exposed to a broad range of creative conceptual elements and would produce artistic work, which may be appropriate should you decide to apply to the Architectural Studies major. Alongside your visual arts coursework, you could also take the three academic courses in the Architecture and Urban Design department that are recommended to on-campus change of majors (AUD 10A, 10B, 30), and you could also participate in the summer JumpStart program.

    • In the supplemental review, the department faculty expect that you are applying to their major with the intent of staying, not as a temporary stop on the way to architecture. All of the visual arts majors are distinct, with no crossover in curriculum.

    • Admission to the visual arts programs at UCLA is extremely competitive, sometimes more so than Letters and Science. You would be competing against students for whom our visual arts programs are far and away their first choice.

    • The coursework in the visual arts majors is time-intensive, so it might be difficult to complete all of your lower division general education courses prior to junior year.

  • You might consider this pathway if you don't have a portfolio, or do not want to submit visual artwork.

    For the purposes of this FAQ, we will use the Undeclared major in Letters and Science as an example, because the great majority of current UCLA students who apply to the Architectural Studies major, entered UCLA as Undeclared-L&S.

    Things to keep in mind: 

    • Arriving on campus as Undeclared-L&S allows the first two years at UCLA to be directed towards completing all lower division general education requirements, as well as taking the Architectural Studies prerequisite classes:

    Introduction to Architecture (AUD 30)
    History of Architecture and Urban Design: Prehistory to Mannerism (AUD 10A)
    History of Architecture and Urban Design: Baroque to Contemporary Moment (AUD 10B    ).

    Completing all general education requirements in the first two years frees you to focus on the upper division Architectural Studies coursework in junior and senior year.

    • For students who apply to Architectural Studies from Letters and Science, having opportunities to create a portfolio is usually the greatest challenge. All visual arts studio classes are closed to non-majors, as instructors must prioritize the enrollment of students who are in the majors, so you would have to be self-directed in preparing a portfolio. You would be eligible to take JumpStart, which is a UCLA summer program focused on portfolio development, or you could develop your portfolio in a class or setting outside of UCLA. JumpStart is not required to be competitive in the admission process; work made at UCLA, in another class, at home, or in a work/professional environment are all equally valid when it comes to considering skills, perspectives, and interest relative to architectural design.

  • You might consider this pathway if you do not start at UCLA as a First Year. The department accepts students as transfers from community colleges or other 4-year institutions. Transfers from outside of campus may take JumpStart in order to prepare the portfolio, or develop their portfolio work at their educational institution, at a job/internship, or work independently on self-initiated projects outside of a classroom.

    Things to keep in mind: 

    • Going to another school gives you time to decide if architecture is right for you. You might also save money if you go the community college route. 

    • Statistically, it is much more competitive for applicants coming from outside of UCLA. The department admits around 30-35 new students per year. The admit rate for students coming from off-campus is less than 15%. For students who are already at UCLA as freshmen, the change of major rate to Architectural Studies is over 80%.

  • If you are thinking that you absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, 100% want to study architecture right out of high school… then UCLA may not be the best place for you. There is no way to formally declare architecture as a First Year applicant, there are no lower division studio courses in architecture, and there is no guarantee that you will get into the Architectural Studies major.

  • Apply here for graduate school! Architecture is a career path with many entry points! You can always do your undergraduate degree elsewhere—in architecture, design, art history, civil engineering, et al—and attend UCLA for graduate school.