Division of Architecture | Norman
The undergraduate programs in the Division of Architecture prepare students to become adaptive, forward-thinking designers with a strong foundation in both the art and science of the built environment. Drawing on Oklahoma’s cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, the curriculum emphasizes climate-responsive design, place-based thinking, and the integration of social and environmental responsibility into every project. Through studio work, research, and community engagement, students in the Bachelor of Architecture and the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies programs develop the skills, creativity, and perspective to shape spaces that are resilient, equitable, and transformative, while building a strong platform for professional practice or advanced study.
Architecture is an interdisciplinary exploration of the built environment that blends design thinking with cultural, historical, and technical inquiry. Unlike professional architecture programs that focus only on licensure, our programs invite students to examine how architecture shapes—and is shaped by—social values, sustainable systems, and material practices. We offer a broad foundation for understanding the role of design in everyday life, and encourage students to think critically about the spaces we inhabit and the forces that shape them.
Rooted in our Creating_Making philosophy, the programs cultivate critical thinkers, skilled collaborators, and material storytellers. Through studio work, hands-on learning, and reflective research, students develop the ability to analyze complex spatial problems and engage diverse communities with creativity, empathy, and purpose. Our programs prepare students for a wide range of paths, including design, planning, policy, preservation, and advocacy, as well as graduate study in architecture and related disciplines.
Norman, Oklahoma
Telesis, OU’s student-produced architecture journal, has earned national acclaim as a three-time recipient of the Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals from the Center for Architecture in New York City (2019, 2022, and 2025).
OU teams have placed six times among the top contenders in the Urban Land Institute’s Hines Competition since 2010, demonstrating strategic thinking, design innovation, and collaborative excellence in urban development.
Our alumni consistently earn placement in prestigious graduate programs, including Harvard, Penn, Columbia, and Michigan. Their success reflects rigorous academic preparation, interdisciplinary insight, and a commitment to impact-driven careers.
How Long You'll Be Here
On average, 5 years
Studio Size
Average 15 students per section
Median Salary (Entry Level)
$70,000+
Salary information obtained from: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics,
Architects except Landscape and Naval
Our program invites students into a rhythm of making and thinking, where design studios and methods courses work side by side from the start. In studio, students explore how architecture responds to the world through drawing, building, and testing ideas. Methods courses deepen that work by introducing the tools and techniques that shape real projects, including fabrication, environmental systems, ethics, and professional practice. These experiences are woven together with studies in structures, history, and theory, creating a curriculum that feels both grounded and expansive. Along the way, students travel, intern, and collaborate across fields, building the kind of fluency that prepares them to lead with creativity and care.
The faculty and staff are committed to helping students explore their own academic interests, supporting them through research and award applications, and helping them find financial aid and employment opportunities.
Adelle York
Class of 2012
The University of Oklahoma, Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, Division of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
We had a successful accreditation visit including distinctions in several categories in Spring of 2023. The next accreditation visit for architecture programs is scheduled for 2031.
In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The following will assist in understanding the body of knowledge and skills that constitute a professional education in architecture:
The following will help develop an understanding of the larger context for architecture education and the career pathways available to graduates of accredited degree programs:
The following documents relate to the specific accreditation of the architecture degree programs at the University of Oklahoma:
Additional accreditation-related documents are available to the public by request to Matthew Stock (mstock@ou.edu).
The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) assesses a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities and is used by all U.S. registration boards and the Canadian provincial architectural associations as the examination for those seeking architectural licensing.
