Applications for Fall 2024 are now open!

Thank you for considering the five-year, accredited B.Arch program at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York for your future studies. Please read the information on this page carefully. We hope it will answer all of your questions.

Download our 2024 Programs View-book Here:

The application process has two parts:

1. The Creative Challenge: All B Arch applicants must complete the Creative Challenge or they will not be considered for admission to the program.
2. The CUNY Application including all materials for admission to the City College of New York

The Challenge is now submitted electronically, and detailed instructions are given on the form. You may download the Fall 2024 form here:

A NOTE ABOUT THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE FROM OUR FACULTY

It’s important to remember that there are no right or wrong ways to respond to the prompts in the Creative Challenge. We have no expectation that anyone applying has special drawing skills. Please respond to the questions based on your own personal ideas and abilities. If you do not have experience drawing, don’t panic, you might use this as an opportunity to experiment with it. If that doesn’t work for you, you might explore different means and methods to express your ideas – just remember to follow the guidelines we have provided in the Challenge directions. Finally, while we want to be helpful, to maintain fairness, we are unable to provide more specific guidance on how to respond to Creative Challenge questions. We hope this helps and we wish you the best of luck with the process!

Note that the Spitzer School of Architecture only accepts students for the fall semester. There is no spring class admission.

All Creative Challenges and transfer materials are now submitted electronically. Instructions and the secure link are found on the Challenge form.

Important Information for All Applicants

• File a CUNY Freshman or Transfer Application at www.cuny.edu/undergraduate by the deadline listed above.
• Submit all documents as instructed, including your high school and/or college transcript(s), standardized test scores, and application fee to the University Application Processing Center (UAPC). (These materials are not sent to the Spitzer School of Architecture.)
• Complete and submit the Creative Challenge to the Spitzer School of Architecture via the secure link.
• If you are transferring from another NAAB-accredited architectural program, you will need to submit an official college transcript, any architectural related coursework syllabi, and digital portfolio with your Creative Challenge. The portfolio will allow our admissions team to place you in design studio.
• Transfer students’ credits will be evaluated after they are accepted to the university. The department and university will not tell you which courses you will receive credit for before you apply or are accepted into the program. Prospective transfer students will not be advised on which courses to take at another institution while they await acceptance at the Spitzer School of Architecture. Curricula change frequently, each school is different, and course content varies widely. Therefore, advisement with a guarantee of transfer credit is impossible. In order to expedite the transfer evaluation process, transfer students who are accepted should be ready to provide copies of syllabi, course descriptions, and writing samples or coursework. The more information you can supply to our faculty/department coordinators, the better they will be able to evaluate the work you did at your previous institution(s) and determine if you will receive transfer credit.

Current CCNY Students Applying for a Change of Major (Internal Transfers)

Complete and submit the Creative Challenge by February 1st along with a copy of your unofficial CCNY transcript. If you are in good academic standing and your Challenge passes review, you will be accepted into the program.

General Academic Requirements for Admission to CCNY

UPDATED STANDARDIZED TESTING INFORMATION FOR ADMISSIONS FOR FALL 2024 – SAT, ACT: Ordinarily, students can demonstrate that they meet the University’s proficiency requirements in English and Math based on their SAT, ACT, or NY State Regents test scores. Because of testing disruptions caused by the pandemic, the University will not collect or use SAT or ACT scores for admissions or proficiency determinations through the Spring 2023 admissions cycle. The University will continue to collect Regents exam scores and use them for proficiency determinations during this time and will continue to run the proficiency index based on Regents exam scores (when available) and an applicant’s high school GPA. If an applicant does not have any relevant Regents Exam scores, proficiency in English and math will be assessed based on high school GPA or High School Equivalency exam scores.  For more information, please see the University’s statement and FAQs on the temporary suspension of standardized testing requirements here.

Normally, we are looking for at least an 80 overall high school average and a combined SAT score (or ACT equivalent) of 1080 for freshman applicants, and an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 for transfer and second-degree applicants. All applicants must also show proof of four-year college level proficiency in reading, writing, and math. The following table states the university established methods of meeting the proficiency requirements:

Advanced Placement

CCNY Transfer Evaluation Services evaluates advanced placement (AP) and international baccalaureate (IB), A Level examination scores, and College Now. Please submit official transcript for College Now to the CCNY Office of Admissions Evaluation Services. You should arrange to have official score reports of AP examinations forwarded to the Office of Admissions directly from the College Board. You may bring your original official AP, IB or A Level examination scores to Evaluation Services in the CCNY Office of Admissions. City College does not grant credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students may receive up to 32 credits through AP, IB, or A Level examination; equivalences vary by department. Please see the guidelines.

• AP Equivalency Chart
• AP Credit Waiver Form
• IB Equivalency Chart
• A Level Equivalency Chart

More Information

If you have further questions, feel free to sign up for a Spitzer School of Architecture tour/information session or contact the Director of Undergraduate Affairs, Annemarie (Amy) Daniel .