School of Architecture and Planning
The MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) is comprised of six main divisions: the Department of Architecture; the Department of Urban Studies and Planning; the MIT Media Lab; the MIT Center for Real Estate; the Art, Culture, and Technology Program; and the Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism. It is also the administrative home of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design.
Over the years, SA+P has embraced a broad range of fields connected by a strong commitment to research that advances social good. These varied disciplines share the use of design approaches that are distinct from but complementary to the engineering approach to problem solving.
At SA+P, design and policy interventions focus on the improvement of human lives, equity and social justice, cultural enrichment, and the health of the planet. The curriculum empowers students with skills that enable them to design physical spaces, policies, and technologies that enhance the quality of the built environment at all scales.
Students
SA+P enrolls an average of 600–700 students a year, drawn from around the world. Most are graduate students who choose from a range of advanced degree programs. Many pursue cross-disciplinary studies and dual degrees from among those offered at SA+P and across the Institute.
Global Projects
One of MIT's core principles is the belief that professional competence is fostered by focusing attention on pressing global issues. A central aspect of teaching and research at SA+P involves participation in collaborative undertakings among our departments, labs, centers, and institutes; with other units of MIT; and with public and private institutions in the United States and abroad.
History
SA+P's history extends to a century and a half and provides current students with a legacy of pioneering excellence. Founded in 1865, the Department of Architecture was the first such department in the nation and became a leader in introducing Modernism to America. Sophia Hayden was the first woman to graduate from the department in 1890, and three years later Robert Robinson Taylor became the first African American man to graduate from an American architecture program.
The program in city planning was the second of its kind in the country (1932) and later evolved into the current Department of Urban Studies and Planning—the longest continuous planning program in the United States and repeatedly ranked number one in the nation. The MIT Media Lab, the birthplace of multimedia computing (1985), has come to be known as a world-class incubator of new design ideas; the MIT Center for Real Estate established the nation's first one-year graduate program in real estate development (1984); and the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (1967)—the precursor to the Program in Art, Culture, and Technology—pioneered the use of technologies such as lasers, plasma sculptures, sky art, and holography as tools of expression in public and environmental art. The MIT Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism (2012), established as a premier research center focused on the design and planning of large-scale, complex 21st-century metropolitan environments, aims to redefine the field of urban design to meet contemporary challenges, utilizing interdisciplinary collaborative practices and the most advanced analytical and representational tools.
Established in 2022, the MIT Morningside Academy for Design is an interdisciplinary hub that celebrates the transformative power of design at the Institute.
Resources
The Rotch Library is one of the nation's premier resources in architecture and planning. Its extensive offerings include architecture, building technology, art history, photography, environmental studies, land use, urban design, housing and community development, regional planning, urban transportation, and real estate. Its visual collections hold more than 60,000 digital images and 380,000 slides. The library also features exhibitions of student, staff, and faculty work, as well as shows drawing from its collections.
Gallery 9, located in the lobby of Building 9, mounts exhibitions of work from across SA+P. The Keller Gallery, a vest-pocket space of about 200 square feet programmed by the Department of Architecture, presents projects by faculty and students. The MIT Museum frequently features exhibitions on architecture and visual studies. The List Visual Arts Center presents 5–8 shows a year exploring contemporary art-making in all media.
Degrees Offered in the School of Architecture and Planning
Architecture (Course 4)
| SB | Architecture |
| SB | Art and Design |
| MArch | Architecture |
| SM | Architecture Studies |
| SM | Art, Culture, and Technology |
| SM | Building Technology |
| PhD | Advanced Urbanism |
| PhD | Architecture: Building Technology |
| PhD | Architecture: Design and Computation |
| PhD | Architecture: History and Theory of Architecture |
| PhD | Architecture: History and Theory of Art |
| Dual Degrees |
Media Arts and Sciences (MAS)
| SM | |
| SM | Media Technology |
| SM | Media Arts and Sciences |
| PhD | Media Arts and Sciences |
Urban Studies and Planning (Course 11)
| SB | Planning |
| MCP | City Planning |
| SM | Urban Studies and Planning |
| PhD | Advanced Urbanism |
| PhD | Urban and Regional Planning |
| PhD | Urban and Regional Studies |
| Dual Degrees |
Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science (Course 11-6)
| SB | Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science 1 |
Real Estate
| SM | Real Estate Development |
Notes
Many departments make it possible for a graduate student to pursue a simultaneous master’s degree.
Several departments also offer undesignated degrees, which lead to the Bachelor of Science without departmental designation. The curricula for these programs offer students opportunities to pursue broader programs of study than can be accommodated within a four-year departmental program.
| 1 |
Admissions
The selection process at MIT is holistic and student-centered; each application is evaluated within its unique context. Selection is based on outstanding academic achievement as well as a strong match between the applicant and the Institute.
Undergraduate applicants do not apply to a particular school, department, or program. Although the application asks about a preferred field of study, admitted undergraduates are not required to choose a major until their sophomore year. Admissions information for regular and transfer applicants is provided in the Undergraduate section, as well as on the undergraduate admissions website.
Applicants for graduate study apply directly to their particular department or program of interest. See the individual department and program descriptions for specific requirements.
Office of the Dean
Hashim Sarkis, MArch, PhD
Professor of Architecture
Professor of Urban Planning
Dean, School of Architecture and Planning
Caroline Jones, PhD
Professor of the History of Art and Architecture
Associate Dean
Lawrence Vale, DPhil
Ford Professor of Urban Design and Planning
Associate Dean
Martha Collins
Assistant Dean for Human Resources and Administration
Ken Goldsmith
Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration
Monica Orta
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Student Support
Nicholas Marmor
Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives
James Harrington
Director of Facilities
Melissa Vaughn
Director of Communications
Maria Iacobo
Senior Communications Manager
Janet Griffin
Manager of Finance and Human Resources Administration
Kiley Clapper
Human Resources Administrator
Lori B. Gans
Individual Giving Officer
Katie Cafferty
Events Planner
Rosy DiCostanza
Graduate Contracts Administrator
Sophie Tamm
Executive Assistant to the Dean
Mike Enos
Specialist, Facilities and Environmental Health and Safety
