Are you a high school student fascinated by buildings, design, and the spaces we live in? If so, consider attending an architecture summer program designed for high school students. Whether you’re considering a future in architecture or simply want to explore your creative skills, these programs offer a wealth of knowledge that wouldn’t be found in high school classrooms.
You will also get plenty of hands-on experience by using tools like Adobe and Rhino 3D and building up a portfolio of architectural projects. If you opt for an online architecture summer program, you can save a ton of time and money as opposed to in-person programs or camps. Without requiring you to commute, online programs offer a great way to save your time and money while still getting a comprehensive learning experience in the summer.
To help you get started, here are 15 online architecture summer programs for high school students:
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote, you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The next upcoming deadline is August 24
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4). No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas and you can choose to focus on architecture. For example, one of the previous students worked on “Exploring the Relation Between Space, Gaze and Power through a Cinematic Lens: A Study of Hitchcock’s Rear Window”. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper. You can find more details about the application here.
2. Horizon’s Academic Research Program (HARP)
Location: Online
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September)
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. The next upcoming deadline is June 22 for Summer Cohort II.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more. Horizon also offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, you will be paired with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
3. MIT’s Introduction to Architecture & Environmental Design
Location: Online
Cost: Free of cost
Program dates: This is a self-paced program
Application deadline: You can sign up anytime
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
Offered by MIT’s OpenCourseWare initiative, this course explores the basic concepts of architecture, urbanism, and environmental design. You will study these design fundamentals at different levels, from an object to a building and then larger territories. Through lectures, assignments, and design exercises, you will learn spatial representation, design methodologies, tectonic movements, as well as analytical thinking. The coursework also looks at architecture and urbanism in the larger context of art and science.
4. Academy of Art University’s Pre-College Art & Design Experience
Location: Online
Cost: Free of cost
Program dates: September 3 – October 14 during the fall semester, January 28 – March 10 during the spring semester
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: All current high school students. International students can apply as well
The Academy of Art University’s Pre-College Art & Design Experience is a summer program that lets high school students take college-level classes in art and design for free. While a lot of the classes take place in person, the program does offer select online courses during the fall and spring semesters. You can opt for the Pavilion Architecture intensive, during which you will analyze famous architects’ pavilions and then use your learning to develop an original pavilion design.
5. MoMA’s Massive Open Online Courses
Location: Online
Cost: Free of cost
Program dates: This is a self-paced course
Application deadline: You can sign up any time
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
Through MoMA’s free Massive Open Online Courses, you have the opportunity to learn from professional artists and designers, and examine artworks that belong to the museum. The courses use videos, readings, quizzes and discussion forums to provide a comprehensive learning experience. As a student pursuing architecture, you can opt for Reimagining Blackness and Architecture which studies Black architects and explores the connection between race, racism, and architecture. Another option is What is Contemporary Art which explores modern art and design from the 1980s and onwards, including several references to architecture.
6. The ASFS Summer Design Institute
Location: Online
Cost: $3,500
Program dates: Session 1 takes place over three weeks in June, Session 2 runs from July 7-25
Application deadline: not specified
Eligibility: All high school students
This Summer Design Institute is offered by the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco, a nonprofit educational organization. It is a 3-week summer program for high school students that focuses on design and architecture. You will learn about design processes, improve your sketching skills, create original work, and get familiar with various tools from physical model construction to digital design platforms. You will also engage in group work and receive mentoring sessions from an architect/design professional.
7. UCLA’s TeenArch Studio Summer Institute
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA (An online track is available)
Cost: $2,339. Limited scholarships are available
Program dates: The virtual track runs from June 30 – July 18
Application deadline: June 13. However, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: All rising high school students
UCLA’s TeenArch Studio Summer Institute is a three-week online architecture summer program for high school students. This is an intensive program that allows high school students to experience a college architecture design studio. As a participant, you will learn drawing and modelling techniques and study topics like spatial, material, and tectonic qualities of an object. The program also involves a hands-on project for which you will design a pavilion for UCLA’s campus. You can go through the detailed syllabus here.
8. BAC Summer Academy
Location: Online or at the Boston Architectural College, Boston, MA
Cost: Credit bearing (3 college credits): $2,000; not for credit: $1,800. Scholarships are available!
Program dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: June 9
Eligibility: All high school students who are at least 14 years old
Boston Architectural College’s pre-college program offers this architecture summer program for high school students interested in architecture, interior design, landscape design, and more. You can choose between the beginner-friendly Exploration track or the advanced Investigation track if you have prior design experience. During the program, you will learn through curated design challenges and learn about sketching, drawing, digital design, digital fabrication, and model making. The online track of this program offers a virtual studio experience via Zoom and includes a combination of lectures, workshops, virtual site visits, and individual sessions with professionals from the field. Your work will culminate in a digital pin-up and portfolio.
9. Syracuse University’s Summer College Architecture Program
Location: Online
Cost: $3,165. Discounts and scholarships are available
Program dates: July 21 – August 8
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Syracuse University’s Summer College Architecture Program covers the fundamental concepts of architecture, such as spatial definition, form, physical model making, mechanical drafting, digital modelling, and more. This is a credit-bearing course during which you will work with tools like Rhino, V-Ray, and Adobe Illustrator, and end the program by designing a small pavilion for downtown Syracuse. Aside from design projects, you can also expect modelling exercises, virtual tours, and discussions on contemporary and historical topics.
10. The Cooper Union’s Summer Architecture Program
Location: Online
Cost: $40 application fee, $2,980 tuition fee
Program dates: July 7 – August 8
Application deadline: June 1
Eligibility: All high school students as well as recent graduates. International students can apply as well
The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union offers this five-week intensive program that focuses on foundational studies in architecture as well as the development of a portfolio. During the program, you will learn about geometry, structure, function, model-making techniques, materiality, and scale. You will work with tools like Rhino, Photoshop, and 3D printing, and engage in weekly design exercises through which you will develop a portfolio of projects. This is a useful program if your focus is on building a portfolio for college applications in the future.
11. Fallingwater Institute’s Virtual Summer Camps
Location: Online
Cost: $200
Program dates: June 30 – July 3
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: All high school students
An educational non-profit organization, the Fallingwater Institute offers several summer camps for high school students interested in careers like architecture, design, and fine art. One of the institute’s virtual summer camps is Introduction to Architectural Drawing, a week-long program through which you will learn the basics of the field. You will be trained in the art of drawing by hand and learn through a combination of group discussions, independent projects, and individual feedback sessions.
12. Columbia University’s Pre-College Course – Drawing Intensive
Location: Online
Cost: $2,815
Program dates: August 11-15
Application deadline: March 24
Eligibility: All high school students
Columbia University’s Drawing Intensive is a pre-college course that is meant to help you develop the drawing portion of a fine art portfolio. During the program, you will work with an instructor to make a plan for your portfolio and receive in-depth critiques of your current work. You will then work on a range of drawing projects that showcase your skills, which will include architectural drawings as well. The program will also consist of video demonstrations, group critiques, and virtual visits with professional artists.
13. Pratt Institute’s Online Architecture Course
Location: Online
Cost: Not specified
Program dates: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 15 and 18
Pratt Institute’s online courses allow high school students to learn from Pratt faculty and earn college credits in the process. The program’s architecture course dives into the principles, concepts, and methods of architectural design in a studio setting. Through a series of exercises, you will learn about concepts like space, form, function, scale, site, structure, and inhabitation. The program offers analytical and generative approaches to learning about the field.
14. Virginia Tech’s Explore Architecture Program
Location: Online
Cost: $250
Program dates: July 15-20
Application deadline: May 15. Although, applications are accepted on a rolling basis from December 1
Eligibility: All high school students
Virginia Tech’s Explore Architecture Program offers in-person and online tracks for students interested in architecture and design. The online track will consist of lectures, tutorials, group discussions, critiques, hands-on exercises, and project work. The curriculum is based on the first year of the undergraduate program’s design studio and you will learn about sketching, model-making, and even working with AI. The 2024 cohort focused on portals or doors, exploring their spatial narrative and designing an original portal as a final project.
15. SAIC’s Early College Program Online Summer Institute
Location: Online
Cost: $1,848. Merit scholarships and need-based financial aid are available
Program dates: June 16-27
Application deadline: March 1. Although spaces are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis
Eligibility: Students who have completed their sophomore year of high school and are at least 15 years of age. International students can apply as well
SAIC’s Early College Program Online Summer Institute allows high school students to take up university-level art courses, learn from professional artists and designers, and earn college credit. The program’s online architectural design course explores contemporary design with a focus on architecture. You will learn how architects develop ideas, conduct research, draft proposals, and so on. You will learn how to use software like Adobe or Rhino 3D and create work that can be added to your portfolio. The program also includes visiting artist lectures, workshops, portfolio reviews, and a chance to present your work.
Bonus Programs:
16. Harvard University’s Online Course – The Architectural Imagination
Location: Online
Cost: Free. $249 to earn a verified certificate
Program dates: The program is 6 weeks long and can be done at your own pace
Application deadline: You can sign up anytime
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
This Harvard University architecture course is part of the university’s Professional and Lifelong Learning platform. The Architectural Imagination is a free, online course that will teach you the fundamental concepts of the field by studying important buildings from the course of history. You will examine architecture as cultural expression, study the influence of technology on the field, and engage in hands-on drawing and modeling exercises. By the end of the course, you will be able to read, analyze, and understand different forms of architectural representation.
17. University of Arkansas’ Design Camp
Location: Online
Cost: $100. Scholarships are available
Program dates: June 23-27
Application deadline: May 19
Eligibility: All high school students who are at least 13 years old
University of Arkansas Design Camp exposes high school students to various design professions, focusing on architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. The program offers a virtual camp during which you will be paired with a faculty member and work in a virtual studio environment with a group of other students. Through Zoom sessions, you will work on design projects, attend virtual tours, and engage in discussions about design and its career pathways.
Image source – University of Arkansas