At the heart of student life at UCLA Architecture and Urban Design is our studio culture. Our studio-based curriculum fosters collaborative and supportive relationships between students and faculty and models how to be respectful of differences of opinion and how to work collectively on a set of questions.
About
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design is a champion of ideas and their articulate expression.
For over 60 years, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design has championed bold ideas and visionary thinking—imagining and constructing the transformative futures our world urgently needs. From climate adaptation and urban resilience to affordable housing and disaster recovery, AUD faculty, students, and alumni tackle pressing challenges with creativity, critical insight, and optimism.
- Students browse colleagues' projects in Perloff Hall Studio
- MArch design crit during Rumble 2023
- Students in dialogue in Perloff Hall Studio
Academics and Pedagogy
AUD offers two graduate-level academic programs—the three-year Master of Architecture (MArch) program, and the one-year Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (MSAUD) program—as well as robust MA/PhD programs and an undergraduate offering in architectural studies. While the format of this work can vary, we train future architects and scholars to seek, shape, and produce new forms of knowledge in their respective fields.
- MSAUD design crit during Rumble 2023
- Students check out colleagues' research models
Events and Public Programming
Each year, AUD convenes a series of public lectures, conferences, and other events that enrich the student experience and offer a cultural outlet for design-curious audiences.
- AUD faculty listen to Thom Mayne present his new book at AUD
- Students browse projects in Perloff Hall Studio
Public Architecture
Architecture is inherently public, and at UCLA we deepen that quality by engaging cities (including our own, Los Angeles), communities, and the people who inhabit our buildings. The Public Architecture initiative, co-led by AUD and UCLA-cityLAB, offers students new skills and perspectives that enhance reciprocity with community partners—particularly those historically underserved and marginalized.
A joint initiative between AUD and cityLAB, Public Architecture is generously funded by the UCLA Center for Community Engagement. It seeks to achieve the UCLA Strategic Plan’s goal to deepen engagement with Los Angeles by forming and maintaining reciprocal relationships with community partners—particularly those historically unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served. Public Architecture “Faculty Spotlights” call attention to those faculty and instructors who create meaningful and impactful community engagement in the department’s curriculum, building on the university’s framework for community-engaged courses.
Public Architecture is funded by UCLA's Center for Community Engagement and responds to the UCLA Strategic Plan’s goal to deepen engagement with Los Angeles.
