A five-year professional B.Arch
Cornell says the architecture programme is a 5-year NAAB-accredited professional B.Arch degree, offered in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning alongside art and urban and regional studies.
Undergraduate · Cornell Architecture
Cornell Architecture: the five-year B.Arch application and its portfolio
Cornell's architecture route is a five-year NAAB-accredited professional Bachelor of Architecture, applied for directly to the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. The application has two parts that most other Cornell applications do not: a portfolio that must meet every requirement for the application to be considered, and a writing prompt about the connection between your interests and architecture. Architecture majors also need four years of mathematics. For an A-level or IB applicant the decision is whether a professional architecture degree, rather than a general design or art course, is the right route.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Cornell says about Cornell Architecture
Taken from Cornell Undergraduate Admissions' First-Year Cornell AAP Applicants page, its First-Year Applicants page and its Standardized Testing Policy page, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Cornell's pages for the 2028-entry details.
A portfolio is required
Architecture and fine arts applicants submit portfolios, and all portfolio requirements must be met for the application to be considered. Portfolios submitted late are not accepted.
Four years of mathematics, physics recommended
Architecture majors must complete four units of mathematics, ideally including calculus, and are recommended to complete physics.
The SAT or ACT is required
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores. A-level or IB results do not replace them on the pages read.
A prompt about architecture
The 650-word supplement asks how your interests connect to architecture, with a creative project, design experience or personal passion.
Official sources
- Cornell Undergraduate Admissions: First-Year Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Undergraduate Admissions: First-Year Cornell AAP Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Undergraduate Admissions: Standardized Testing Policyadmissions.cornell.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Cornell Undergraduate Admissions' First-Year Cornell AAP Applicants page, its First-Year Applicants page and its Standardized Testing Policy page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The pages do not mention A-levels or the IB by name, and the portfolio's detailed requirements, SlideRoom guidance, Cornell's English-proficiency scores, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The route
Applying to a professional architecture degree
Cornell says its architecture programme combines the intensity and rigour of a five-year professional education with access to a research university, and that the discipline draws on design, history, theory, technology, fabrication, sustainability, social justice, community engagement, spatial policy, building construction, representation, urbanism, landscape design and ecology. Applicants apply directly to the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and choose a major at application: architecture, fine arts, or urban and regional studies. Because the architecture route is a professional degree with a five-year length, the application is the point at which the choice is made.
The portfolio
Evidence of creative ability, not only academic strength
Cornell says it strongly considers a rigorous curriculum and an outstanding academic record, and also activities related to the major. It adds that applicants should present evidence of creative ability and commitment to architecture in addition to strong academic credentials. The portfolio is how that evidence is submitted; Cornell sets deadlines for it and does not accept portfolios after them, and it directs applicants to SlideRoom for upload. The detailed portfolio requirements were not read for this guide, so check Cornell's AAP admissions pages for them.
Coursework and testing
Four years of mathematics and the SAT or ACT
The required courses are 4 units of English, 3 units of mathematics and 3 units of science, with 3 units of a foreign language recommended. Architecture majors must complete 4 units of mathematics before high school graduation, preferably including calculus, and are recommended to take physics. Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores. The pages read do not mention A-levels or the IB by name, and this guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cornell's.
Is a five-year professional degree what you want?
The B.Arch is long and professional. Compare it with shorter design or art routes elsewhere.
Can your curriculum cover four years of mathematics?
Architecture majors are required to have four units, ideally with calculus; physics is recommended.
What does your portfolio show?
Cornell wants evidence of creative ability and commitment. Plan the work, not only the presentation.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Cornell's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Cornell's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The five-year B.Arch, the portfolio rule, the coursework and the SAT or ACT requirement: read 31 October 2026 with no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cornell has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, detailed portfolio requirements, English-proficiency requirements and financial aid: not stated here
This guide has not read them. Check Cornell for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read Cornell's portfolio requirements, check four years of mathematics against your curriculum and plan the SAT or ACT.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Cornell University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not create or edit portfolios or essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Cornell. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Is Cornell's architecture degree five years?
Cornell says its architecture programme is a 5-year NAAB-accredited professional B.Arch degree.
Do I need a portfolio?
Yes. Cornell says architecture and fine arts applicants submit portfolios and that all portfolio requirements must be met for the application to be considered.
How much mathematics is required?
Architecture majors must complete four units of mathematics before high school graduation, and Cornell recommends that this include calculus.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does Cornell name A-levels or the IB?
Not on the pages read. They do not mention them by name.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cornell's wording with no entry-year label. Check Cornell's pages again when Cornell publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cornell Architecture
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their portfolio, their mathematics and physics and how they would answer the architecture prompt, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.