The Academy of Art University offers both a bachelor of fine arts in architecture and a master's in architecture. The school encourages creativity and emphasizes the design aspects of the architectural profession and offers courses in sustainable building and green design. Online classes are available for students who cannot attend all their courses on-site. The master's program combines studio courses with in-class instruction with directed study that a student may tailor to his or her focus.
The San Francisco Institute of Architecture focuses on environmental and green design. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, business administration in sustainability, ecological design and green building. It also offers a distance learning Green MBA program. SFIA offers some evening classes for students who work during the day, and it offers distance learning courses and holds some classes in the nearby city of Berkeley. Some recent course offerings in Berkeley include ecological city design and development, sketch journal drawing and design for human behavior.
The California College of Arts offers both a bachelor's and a master's in architecture. The program requires the completion of a professional internship and maintains a focus on staying up-to-date with changes in the profession. Internships are arranged through the school with local architecture firms. The BA program usually takes about five years to complete, and the MA program usually takes another three. Courses are taught by practicing professionals, and class sizes are kept small. The program also sponsors a lecture series that invites professionals from around the world to speak.
City College offers an associate's of science in architecture to prepare students to transfer to four-year programs at the university level. The City College program hosts classes in the basics of architectural design, construction costs, math, physics and concepts of structure. It combines architecture courses with liberal arts courses designed to fill general education requirements. Most students go on to transfer to a California university.
The University of San Francisco is a private university that offers a bachelor of arts in architecture and community design. It encourages students to study abroad in Budapest and fosters programs that allow students to gain experience on national and international projects. Students also study architectural history and theory as it relates to San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Studio classes in the department are limited to 12 students. The first two years of the four-year program focus on architecture history and also include studio courses and classes in structural engineering. The second two years focus on design, practicum and electives.
Although UC Berkeley is located across the San Francisco Bay in the city of Berkeley, it's within easy access of San Francisco by public transportation or car. As a school internationally recognized for the rigor of its curriculum, UCB is worth a look if you have good grades and test scores. Its architecture program is multidisciplinary and offers environmental design courses. Undergraduate students also study a liberal arts curriculum at the university to receive their degrees. The university offers a master of architecture, a master of science in architecture, a PhD in architecture and a master of design. The school offers a summer program that introduces architecture to students considering graduate study in the field.