Thank you for considering the five-year, accredited B Arch program or the BA Urban Studies and the Built Environment program at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York for your studies. Find more information about our undergraduate programs, download our brochure, and sign up for MyCity.

For the BA Urban Studies and the Built Environment application process: please visit CCNY Undergraduate Admissions.

For the B Arch application process: CUNY freshman applicants, applicants to the Macaulay Honors College, transfer applicants, and current CCNY students applying to change their major must submit the B Arch Creative Challenge by February 1 for fall entry. There is no spring entry for B Arch. 

The B Arch application process has two parts:

1. The Creative Challenge: All B Arch applicants must complete the Creative Challenge and all requested information on the form, 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

Applications for Fall 2026 are now open. 

A NOTE ABOUT THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE FROM OUR FACULTY

Important Information for All Applicants

• Please note that the B Arch program only accepts students for the fall semester. There is no spring class admission to the B Arch program.
• We are looking for at least an 80 overall high school average for freshmen and an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.8 for transfer and second-degree applicants. All applicants must also show proof of four-year college-level proficiency in reading, writing, and math.
• 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.
• Studio credits will only be considered if transferring from a NAAB-accredited program. All other architecture courses will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis for possible architecture elective transfer credit.
• Portfolios are only required if you are transferring from a NAAB-accredited program. Otherwise, please complete the Creative Challenge.
• All Creative Challenges received on or before February 1 will be considered for priority admission. Creative Challenges received after February 2 will be immediately waitlisted. Admission decisions for late submissions will be based on enrollment availability in the B Arch program.
• During the admissions process, we comply with the Mission Statement of the CCNY Office of Diversity and Compliance, and all related policies, as described in full here: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/affirmativeaction.
• The Creative Challenge review is a blind process. The responses to the prompts are the only factor taken into account during the Spitzer School of Architecture’s involvement in the admissions process. The CCNY Office of Admissions makes final admissions decisions.
• For more information on standardized testing, academic requirements please see the University’s statement and FAQs here.

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

Complete and submit via the secure link the Creative Challenge (B Arch only) by February 1st. If you are in good academic standing and your Challenge passes review, you will be accepted into the program.

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. Students may receive up to 32 credits through AP, IB, A Level, or CLEP examination; equivalences vary by department. Please see the guidelines.

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

More Information

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