If you're a high school student interested in architecture and design, you should consider enrolling in a summer program in these fields! Architecture summer programs provide an opportunity to explore architectural theory, practical design, and recent technological developments. They provide opportunities to develop your creativity and can help you decide on a potential college major.
These programs will allow you to explore your interest in architecture, urban planning, architectural history, or related design areas. You'll also connect with a network of students, professors, and professionals, expanding your opportunities for future connections.
Additionally, you'll gain skills, build your resume, and create a portfolio that can enhance your college applications. The work you complete in these programs can demonstrate your design abilities, which admissions committees may find valuable.
Here’s our curated list of 17 of the best summer architecture programs for high school students for you to explore!
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, and digital tools.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,750 per credit
Application Deadline: June 2, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: June 24–August 2, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who will be at least 15 years old by the start of the program are eligible to apply.
Cornell University’s Introduction to Architecture Summer Program is an online course designed for high school students interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in architecture. The program combines design studios with courses on history and theory, focusing on the process of making and encouraging students to cultivate a creative and critical design approach based on their interests and imagination. It introduces architectural concepts, principles, and methods for addressing design challenges in a studio environment. You will work in small groups, attend lectures, and participate in workshops on representational techniques and portfolio development.
As part of the program, you will enroll in two online courses, each worth three credits, for a total of six credits:
The pre-college program is conducted fully online, utilizing modern remote learning software and techniques to help you set up your studio and collaborate on projects, regardless of location. The curriculum emphasizes digital tools but also incorporates analog and hybrid design methods. You will receive personalized instruction and feedback as you build a portfolio of work suitable for college applications, gaining a deeper understanding of architectural education and practice.
2. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)—Architecture Track
Subject Areas: Environmental health and engineering, design, behavioral economics, network science, biophysics, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, psychology, international relations, neuroscience, data science, machine learning, history, philosophy, political theory, sociology, and more!
Location: Virtual
Cost: A fee is required. You can submit an interest form here to learn the exact cost.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2024, for the summer cohort and September 25, 2024, for the fall cohort.
Dates:
- Summer seminar: June 24–September 2, 2024
- Fall seminar: October 23, 2024–February 19, 2025
- Flexible dates are available for Horizon Labs but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with a GPA of 3.67 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to apply. Most admitted students are in the 10th or 11th grade. You can review the prerequisites for each track here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students in various fields, including architecture, design, data science, machine learning, political theory, biomedical engineering, chemistry, neuroscience, and psychology. You can choose between quantitative and qualitative research methods. If you're interested in architecture or urban planning, Environmental Health and Engineering could be a good course option where you’ll get to explore and research various sustainability issues related to agricultural production, urbanization, infrastructure, resource use, and modern engineering innovations.
After selecting a subject and research method, you will be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar from a leading university who will mentor you through the research process. You will develop a 20-page university-level research paper, which can be submitted to reputable journals for potential publication.
The program provides an opportunity to conduct research in specialized areas with expert guidance. You will also receive a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback on your project, which can support future research efforts and college applications. You can apply here!
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, 3D modeling, video, and animation.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Cost: The $3,000 tuition covers all materials and supplies. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: Two 3-week sessions take place in June and July; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students with an interest in design and urban development are eligible to apply.
The Build San Francisco Summer Design Institute is a three-week program for high school students interested in design and urban development. You will learn 3D modeling, video, and animation while using various computer-aided design tools such as SketchUp and Autodesk software. The program includes instruction on multiple digital design platforms, and opportunities to present original work, receive feedback, and engage in group activities, including collaborative projects. You will also receive one-on-one mentoring from a professional architect or engineer for career guidance and insights into the field.
The AFSF Summer Design Institute runs online Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., with additional individual work and mentoring outside these hours. This program will help you develop design skills and create a digital portfolio that can be used for college applications and career opportunities.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, international relations, data science, economics, psychology, biology, gender studies, engineering, environmental science, chemistry, business, entrepreneurship, physics, and more!
Location: Virtual
Cost: Starts at $2,990. Financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The main summer deadlines are March 17, April 14, and May 12. The final deadline for the summer cohort is in June.
Dates: The summer cohort typically runs from June to August, the Fall cohort is held from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, and the Spring cohort runs from March to June. The programming length ranges from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: Current high school students with an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4 can apply.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research initiative designed for high school students. It provides personalized research opportunities in a wide range of subjects, pairing students with Ph.D. mentors for one-on-one work on independent research projects.
You will engage in individual sessions with your research mentor and a writing coach to help select and develop a research topic. Throughout the program, you will explore your topic and attend workshops on the research process. By the end of the 12 weeks, you will produce an independent research paper. Some of the research topics are psychology, data science, economics, computer science, physics, engineering, international relations, chemistry, and more. More details about the application process can be found here.
Subject Areas: Architecture, urban design, sustainable city planning, and public policy.
Location: Berkeley College of Environmental Design, Berkeley, CA
Cost:
- Domestic students: $4,938
- International students: $7,818
- The embARC housing fee is $5,200, which covers three meals per day, housing, supervision, orientation, extracurricular activities, basic health insurance, and on-site support.
- There is also a $75 application fee.
Application Deadline:
- Priority deadline: March 11, 2024
- Final deadline: April 15, 2024
- Applications for 2025 will open in mid-December 2024.
Dates: July 7–August 1, 2025
Eligibility:
- Rising high school juniors and seniors who will be at least 16 years old by June 30, 2025, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply.
- No prior design experience is necessary.
- Local students within 45 minutes of UC Berkeley can attend embARC as a day program.
- Domestic students outside the Bay Area who don't need a visa or campus housing may also apply.
UC Berkeley’s embARC Summer Design Academy introduces high school students to architecture, urban design, and city planning as potential college majors and careers. You will work on practical design projects and help address real-world urban planning challenges. The program focuses on developing technical and time-management skills through college-level coursework, building a design portfolio for college applications, and learning about public policy to impact the community. Activities include design assignments, one-on-one reviews with instructors, field trips around the Bay Area, and a design/build project for a community nonprofit, providing insights into environmental design education. You will get to build a strong portfolio and receive credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript.
The Architecture + Urban Design Studio runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., with guest lectures typically on Tuesdays. Workshops on materials exploration, digital design, or sustainable city planning are held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and extended studio time or socials take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Subject Areas: Art and design.
Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Cost:
- Residential program: $11,350
- Commuter program: $8,715
- Application fee (non-refundable): $60
Application Deadline: Applications for Summer 2025 will open in November 2024.
Dates: June 28–August 2, 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors aged 16–18 can apply.
RISD’s Pre-College Program allows high school students to experience life as RISD undergraduates. Throughout the five-week program, you will participate in a college-level curriculum that includes full-day studio classes, visits to the Nature Lab and RISD Museum, critiques, and projects designed to shape your approach to art and design. You’ll collaborate with other motivated students from around the world who will inspire you to push your boundaries and improve your work.
You will experiment with various materials, tools, and techniques, learn from experienced instructors, and challenge your ideas. Alongside your coursework, you’ll have opportunities for supervised weekend and evening trips to museums, art galleries, beaches, and nearby cities. You’ll also have the freedom to explore the RISD neighborhood and what Providence has to offer on your own.
Subject Areas: Architecture, construction science, landscape architecture, and urban planning.
Location: College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Cost: Camp ARCH costs $1,500, which covers three meals a day and snacks, dormitory accommodations, social activities, souvenir items, and class supplies.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 8–July 13, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students can apply.
Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture offers Camp ARCH, a one-week summer program for high-achieving high school students. This program blends academic instruction with social activities, allowing you to experience what it’s like to be a full-time student in one of the college's programs.
During the camp, you will concentrate on a specific area of study, with enrollment based on your chosen program preference and the availability of courses. The courses you can choose from include:
- Architecture: This course will introduce you to architectural concepts and help you understand the tools, workflows, and methods used to teach design students the fundamentals of the design process.
- Construction Science: Here, you will learn key aspects of construction management, such as teamwork, LEED certification, cost estimating, project controls, scheduling, plan interpretation, technology, and safety protocols.
- Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning: This course will help you explore the societal significance of landscape architecture and urban planning while developing your skills in urban analytics, data-driven problem-solving, and design and visualization techniques.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, and visual art.
Location: Fallingwater Institute’s High Meadow, Mill Run, PA
Cost: The $1,300 tuition covers housing, meals, materials, and instruction. A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available to assist with tuition.
Application Deadline: July 29, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 29–August 2, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students in grades 11 and 12 who are preparing to apply to architecture, design, or art schools are eligible to apply. No prior design experience is needed.
Fallingwater Institute’s High School Residency: Design + Build is a five-day intensive program focused on skill-building, offering high school students the chance to create original, portfolio-worthy work. Led by a licensed teaching architect, the course mirrors a first-year studio foundation class, a common requirement in undergraduate architecture, design, and visual art programs. The program includes access to Fallingwater, with opportunities for reflective writing and observational sketching.
During the program, you will live and work at High Meadow, utilizing the fully equipped Cheteyan Studio. The program involves architecture and design exercises, including hands-on drawing and design projects inspired by Fallingwater, as well as in-depth discussions on the application of Wright’s organic architecture principles. You will also get to participate in career exploration activities. Additionally, you can choose from other architecture-focused programs such as Drawing + Model Making, Portfolio Prep, and Biophilic Design Studio.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, interior architecture, and landscape architecture.
Location: In-person at Boston Architectural College, Boston, MA, or Virtual via Zoom.
Cost:
- Base Price (3 college credits): $2,000
- Base Price (without credit): $1,800
Application Deadline: June 21, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 1–August 2, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 can apply.
Boston Architectural College’s (BAC) Pre-College Program introduces high school students to careers in architecture, interior design, and landscape design. The program will help you develop core design skills through individual and group work, exploring ideation, sketching, digital design, model making, and presentation techniques. The program offers three areas of focus: architecture, interior architecture, and landscape architecture. You can choose between the Not For Credit (NFC) option or the Credit Bearing Option (CBO), with the latter providing 3 college credit hours.
On-campus students experience a studio environment, working on real-world challenges with lectures, feedback, workshops, and site visits. The program ends with a final presentation and digital portfolio, with all materials provided. Online students follow a similar format via Zoom, with mailed kits for materials and tools, and participate in virtual workshops, site visits, and digital fabrication.
Subject Areas: Architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design.
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost:
- $2,500 (Commuter Program)
- ARCH150 Studio Fee: $140
- New applicants are required to pay a $75 application fee.
- A limited number of partial financial scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 8–July 26, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduating seniors with an unweighted academic average of 3.0 or better can apply.
The University of Maryland's Terp Young Scholars program allows high school students to enroll in a three-credit course, available either in-person or entirely online. Students should plan to dedicate several hours each day to course-related work. The credits and grades earned will be reflected on your UMD transcript and become part of your academic record. The course must be taken for a grade; pass-fail or audit options are not available. Classes meet on weekdays, Monday through Friday, with specific times depending on the course. During the Terp Young Scholars application process, you will be asked to choose both a first and second-choice course in case your preferred course is full. Course selection is handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
"Discovering Architecture" is an in-person course that helps students explore architecture as a potential career path. You will learn about professions in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. The course will introduce you to basic design principles, allowing you to complete your design projects. You will engage in hands-on design activities, interact with architecture graduate students, and gain insights into life as an architecture student. Additionally, the course offers creative and innovative ways to see the world through the lens of architectural design thinking. It is offered through the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
Subject Areas: Architecture, urban planning, design, and history.
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: The cost is $3,600, which covers overnight accommodations on campus, meals, materials, and field trips.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
Dates: July 8–July 26, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as rising college freshmen, can apply.
The University of Michigan's ArcStart is a pre-college residential program focused on architecture, aimed at introducing students to the built environment, architectural design principles, and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. During the program, you will experience how a design education prepares you to engage with the world within a demanding academic setting at a design institution. You will get to observe how a college architecture studio works and participate in hands-on workshops that emphasize analytical and conceptual problem-solving skills.
ArcStart provides an opportunity to explore various facets of architecture. This includes learning to use specialized tools for drawing, drafting, and modeling, studying architectural history, visiting an architecture firm, developing original design proposals, and organizing your work into a digital portfolio. Beyond the academic and social components, you will also attend a presentation by the Taubman College Admissions team, offering insights into the application and admissions process for undergraduate degrees in architecture and urban technology.
Subject Areas: Architecture, multi-disciplinary design, urbanism, history, and interior design.
Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Cost:
- Residential Program Tuition: $3,475 is the early bird rate. After March 30, the price will increase to $3,675.
- Non-Residential Program Tuition: $2,750 is the early bird rate. After March 30, the price will increase to $2,950.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 7–July 20, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by the program start date can apply.
Drexel University’s Discovering Architecture Program offers high school students the opportunity to attend classes led by Drexel Architecture faculty in the same studios and labs used by university students. You will explore architectural design, go on field trips to significant sites in Philadelphia, and attend lectures by distinguished speakers. The program will also help you build your portfolios while providing insight into studying architecture in college.
You will visit architectural and multidisciplinary design offices, meet architects, and observe your work environments. You will explore Philadelphia’s buildings, parks, museums, and neighborhoods, gaining an understanding of the city’s history and urban life. The program mirrors Drexel’s Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism curriculum, focusing on design thinking, idea iteration, critiques, historical and theoretical context, sustainability, drawing, presentation skills, and portfolio development. You will also get to present your work to professional jurors and defend your design decisions.
Subject Areas: Carpentry, welding, applied math, screen printing, and architectural drafting.
Location: Girls Garage, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free for accepted participants.
Application Deadline: Applications are due on March 1 every year.
Dates:
- Summer Cohort 1: June 17–June 21, 2024
- Summer Cohort 2: June 24–June 28, 2024
- Dates TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Girls and gender-expansive youth entering grades 9–12 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students who are local to the Bay Area, have limited financial resources or access to similar programs in their schools or communities, and identify as youth of color and/or BIPOC.
Girls Garage’s Young Women’s Design and Building Institute is a week-long immersive design/build experience for rising 9th–12th-grade girls and gender-expansive youth. The program brings together diverse groups of participants to collaboratively design and construct a real-world project for a local nonprofit client over several days. Previous projects have included furniture for a homeless shelter, sandboxes, a parade float for SF Pride, wind sculptures for preschools, and other similar initiatives. During the program, you will develop and refine creative and vocational STEM skills such as carpentry, welding, applied math, screen printing, and architectural drafting. These activities are supplemented by discussions and readings on identity, making, and community.
The program is led by experienced builders, educators, artists, and architects, including Emily Pilloton-Lam, Augusta Sitney, Allison Oropallo, HyeYoon Song, Maya Vilaplana, and Bethany Kaylor. It is limited to 16 students per week. Each day runs from 9 am to 4 pm and includes materials, safety gear, snacks, and a T-shirt.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, and sustainability.
Location: Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, St. Louis, MO
Cost:
- $4,220; covers tuition, supplies, housing on campus, a meal plan for the duration of the program, and field trips.
- $35 application fee
- Scholarship assistance is offered up to the full cost of the program, with awards determined by financial need and academic merit.
Application Deadline: March 30, 2025; Admissions are rolling and early applications are encouraged.
Dates: 2 weeks; July 13–July 26, 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors can apply.
The Architecture Discovery Program (ADP) provides high school students with an introduction to architecture and design. This intensive two-week program offers personalized instruction from Sam Fox School faculty, helping participants develop material for their design portfolios. You will explore how sustainability and the built environment influence architectural practice. The program includes a series of short design exercises that introduce the design thinking process, culminating in an architectural project reviewed by faculty and guest critics.
You will also enhance your observational and drawing skills through on-site practice. Faculty will guide you in understanding key elements such as proportion, light and shadow, material and texture, spatial relationships, orthographic projections, and perspective through drawing and sketching. Field trips will take you to top museums, galleries, and historic sites in St. Louis, where you’ll explore the city’s vibrant art and design scene. Previous visits have included award-winning architecture firms, artist studios, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Gateway Arch National Park, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Laumeier Sculpture Park, and City Museum. Social activities, like movies in the park and bowling night, are also part of the experience. Upon completing the program, you’ll earn 2 college credits.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, 3D modeling, 3D printing, digital fabrication, and more.
Location: Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $3,350 + a $25 non-refundable application fee; Need-based full scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: June 17–July 12, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students can apply.
Southern California Institute of Architecture’s Design Immersion Days (DID) is a four-week summer program that introduces high school students to design and architectural experimentation. The program aims to spark curiosity about design, teach fundamental design concepts and critical thinking skills, and introduce students to the architecture and design culture of Los Angeles. During the program, you will engage with various scales of design and production, from traditional building and drawing techniques to digital methods like augmented reality, 3D modeling, and 3D printing. Both in the classroom and beyond, you will explore essential approaches to seeing, thinking, and creating, useful for anyone interested in architecture or design.
Program activities focus on developing architectural proposals within the cultural, material, and economic context of Los Angeles. Simulating a college-level architecture studio, you will work on design projects, receiving individual feedback from SCI-Arc faculty through desk critiques and collaborating with fellow students. You will also present your work to juries of instructors and peers during group reviews and pin-ups, receiving feedback that supports your growing interest in the design process.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, and modeling techniques.
Location: Norwich University, Northfield, VT
Cost: The cost for this week-long program is $1,500 per student, which covers lodging, meals, and all necessary materials for the duration of the camp.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2024, or until the camp is full. TBA for 2025
Dates: July 7–July 13, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors can apply.
Norwich University's Architecture Summer Design Academy is a week-long program that introduces students to the fundamentals of design thinking and architectural composition. You will design a small building, using drawings and models to illustrate how it could be experienced and constructed. You will explore your project by applying different modeling techniques and architectural concepts. Mornings will focus on learning modeling tools through technical demonstrations by instructors, followed by lab work in small studio teams. Afternoons will begin with lectures by Norwich Architecture professors, followed by individual project work and one-on-one desk critiques with instructors.
Each day will conclude with "pin-up" presentations to the class. By the end of the course, you will have created a portfolio of work, which you will present in a public virtual exhibit attended by parents, professors, and local architects. The program also includes seminars, sketching, drafting, model building, guest lectures, workshops, and local field trips. You will gain a broader understanding of architecture, develop skills and portfolio materials, and receive guidance on the college application and portfolio-building process.
Subject Areas: Architecture, design, modeling, and Japanese origami.
Location: In-person at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, or Virtual
Cost: $5,043 (Residential) | $3,028 (Virtual); scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates:
- Session A (Residential): June 30–July 20, 2024
- Session B (Virtual): July 1–July 19, 2024
- Dates TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 who are at least 15 years old by the start of the program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 are eligible to apply.
The TeenArch Studio Summer Institute, offered by UCLA's Department of Architecture and Urban Design, is a 3-week intensive architecture program for high school students interested in architecture and design thinking. Modeled after a college design studio, the program will introduce you to the architecture discipline and provide insight into college life. During the program, you will design a project while receiving mentorship from UCLA Architecture students, alumni, and faculty.
Activities include design exercises, drawing and modeling techniques, group and individual instruction, and critiques with guest designers and instructors. Projects begin with studying origami to understand form and volume, using feedback to inform designs. You will also attend lectures from architects and designers, with the final day dedicated to presenting your work to faculty from Los Angeles architecture schools for discussion and feedback.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.