Arch Daily ranks USC's architecture program tenth in the nation for undergraduate programs. The architecture student body is just 600 of the nearly 30,000 students at USC annually. The school offers three different undergraduate degrees including a Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, as well as graduate and doctoral degrees. The goals of the program are to train professionals, advance understanding of theory and practice, address societal and cultural issues and to stimulate learning. Study-abroad programs are also available in Italy, Spain, France and Eastern Asia.
Arch Daily ranks University of California at Berkeley second in the nation for sustainable design practices and principles, and tenth overall for architecture graduate programs in the country. The school offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in architecture. The programs entail the history of architecture, theory of design, building science, virtual environments, social processes and visual studies. The school seeks to provide students with a broad range of foundational skills, from visualization and conceptualization through design and construction.
California Polytechnic State University, located in San Luis Obispo, was the top-ranked school in the nation by Arch Daily for construction methods and materials. It was also ranked third overall for undergraduate programming and fifth for computer applications. The school aims to advance architecture by balancing art and science through a hands-on approach to design and construction. The program emphasizes the history and theories behind architecture, while also encouraging students to create innovative ideas for the future. The school features state-of-the-art computers, tools and printers.
Although UCLA's school of Architecture and Urban Design did not make the 2011 top-ten lists, top applicants from all across the globe compete for acceptance into their innovative programs. The school offers two professional, two academic and four graduate-level degrees. Each program incorporates an in-depth understanding of architecture from a cultural, historical and social perspective. UCLA's dynamic programs integrate formal research and design with the modern world and its emerging technologies. The architecture programs are closely linked to other departments at UCLA, including history, art and literature, in order to give students a broad range of knowledge.