Architecture and design summer program

The College of Environmental Design is at the forefront of solving the environmental challenges of the 21st century. Through research, experimentation, and design inquiry, we are leading the way toward creating communities that are equitable, resilient, and culturally vibrant. CED pioneered an integrated approach to analyzing, understanding, and designing our built environment that continues to inform its work today. 

CED students learn to think globally but act locally, understanding buildings, cities, and landscapes as products of specific histories, societies, economies, materials, and systems. CED’s highly ranked degree programs, as well as the foundational summer programs, address the challenges facing our built environment from these multiple perspectives. We offer four intensive summer programs based on CED’s multidisciplinary approach to the built environment.

Berkeley’s architecture and design summer programs offer an unparalleled opportunity to dive deep into the world of architecture, design, and urban planning. These immersive summer programs inspire and educate aspiring designers through hands-on experiences and academic instruction, laying the groundwork for their future career in architecture and design fields.

The four credit-bearing architecture and design summer programs are open to college students and professionals from all backgrounds. Students explore the methods and theories driving the field, experience the culture of design and planning studios, and develop a portfolio for job and graduate school applications with the expert guidance of faculty mentors.

We recommend the DISC program (Design + Innovation for Sustainable Cities) to current college students who are passionate about sustainable urban planning and design. Focused on the intersection of design and sustainability, this five-week program equips students to address urban challenges through innovative design solutions.

The Summer Institute offers three intensive cohorts in architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning. Each of the three six-week programs immerse students in the fundamentals of environmental design through a robust studio-based curriculum, in which students develop critical skills in design and architecture. These programs are designed for professionals and advanced college students who are looking to explore one of the disciplines as they are considering an environmental design career. 

Each of the full-time programs includes a lecture series, a design or planning studio, software tool workshops, and site visits. After fulfilling the program requirements, students receive a certificate of completion and credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript. All classes are held in Bauer Wurster Hall, CED’s home on the UC Berkeley campus. International students are welcome and encouraged to apply.

The application window is still open and closes on May 11 (for international students) and on May 18 for domestic (US) students. Apply here.