Cornell University's AAP Department of Architecture ranked first on the Greenway Group list of undergraduate programs. The department was established more than 130 years ago and offers three undergraduate degrees, including the five-year bachelor of architecture, a four-year bachelor of fine arts in architecture and a four-year bachelor of science with an emphasis in history of architecture. Students can participate in Cornell's study abroad programs, with sites in locations such as Rome, Istanbul, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Paris and Vienna. Undergraduate course offerings include parallel utopias, architecture of normalcy and exception; elements, principles and theories in Japanese architecture and gardens; and material efficiency and sustainability.
Syracuse University ranked second on the 2010 undergraduate list. The school offers a five-year, bachelor of architecture degree program. Courses include a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on work in the design studio, studio reviews, lecture series and symposia. The program's first four years focus on visual, technical and structural design, history, and theory. Fifth-year students work on self-initiated projects, research and applied skills. Course selections include architecture of court society, modern architecture and the moving image, facade as idea and Islamic architecture.
The Greenway Group ranked the Harvard University Graduate School of Design architecture program the best in the United States. The school offers a master's degree in architecture I, a professional degree that requires a design thesis and internship, and a master's degree in architecture II, a post-professional degree with a design focus. Course offerings include digital media and environmental technologies in buildings. Students can apply for a variety of fellowships, travel stipends, medals and prizes, ranging from the Arthur W Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship for travel and study outside the United States, to a six-month internship at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genoa, Italy. Students can also participate in a study-abroad exchange program at a top architecture school in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ranked second in the United States among graduate programs, the Yale School of Architecture offers seven degree options. The master of architecture I takes three years of full-time study and includes course work in design methodologies, architectural theory, basic technology, and free-hand and computer-assisted drawing. The master of architecture II, a post-professional degree, offers an in-depth study of theory and includes two years of course work, studio-based studies and hands-on experience. The master of environmental design, a two-year, research-based degree, is designed for mid-career professionals who wish to gain experience in fields such as technical writing, instructing or curatorial work. Yale's doctoral degree takes five years to complete and provides a background in history, theory and technical knowledge. Students can also choose to pursue a combination degree. These include a master in architecture and a master of business administration, master of environmental design or master of environmental management.