The Tyler School of Art and Architecture believes no single ideal student exists. Instead, everyone arrives ideal in their own way. That’s why majors interested in architectural design, historic preservation, facilities management, landscape architecture or community development can all begin in the same architecture foundations program at the start of the 4-year degree.
Thanks to one-on-one instruction from your architecture faculty-mentors, your academic and career exploration remains unique to you — from day one through graduation. The architecture foundations program prepares you well no matter what major you ultimately choose.
Explore your creativity in Tyler’s architecture foundations program, with two years to try all kinds of things. The goal? Seeing your architecture school experience as a creative quest, based on both imagination and learning about the past.
Learn more about everything Tyler offers by requesting more information, seeing everything in person and meeting our incredible team. And, when you’re ready, we are happy to consider your admission application.
Put this next part in the plus column! You get to study architecture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You! In this legendary city. Seeing what’s what. Imagining your place in communities of your choosing.
Visit renowned buildings and locations to soak up methods and thoughts of the times.
See the inner workings of a thriving city grappling with needs and changes.
Connect with the people, places, and spaces that embody this time in your life.
Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s two-year architecture foundations program challenges you to think about designs, spaces and functions in change-making ways. It prepares you to complete your remaining coursework to earn your 4-year bachelor’s degree. Yes, we’re an architecture school, but we’re also so much more.
In addition to the designing and making processes, doing hands-on creative work also builds your ability to analyze projects and problems.
Studying architecture gives you time to explore what’s possible and ways to make functional structures creative and beautiful.
Visual communication requires both skill and strategy so that others see and support your solutions and designs.
Tyler makes learning a team sport by having you and your peers observe and critique each other’s designs and reflect on how your experiences shape how you (and others) see the world.
The Tyler School of Art and Architecture offers a close-knit community of interdisciplinary thinkers and creators dedicated to driving change.
Meet the working architects / faculty who teach Tyler’s first-year foundation courses for architecture majors.
Architecture Programs Head
“Tyler’s education is unique since students are part of an art and architecture school. Students can explore art classes, participate in exhibitions, various organizations, and have access to an arboretum with our Ambler campus. We encourage cross-disciplinary work, and I’m always cognizant of the ways to introduce students to our varied programs and faculty.”
Photo by Joseph V. Labolito
Assistant Professor, Architecture and Environmental Design
“Tyler students are civic-minded. Driven by concerns for their communities and our planet, students want to actively participate in bettering our built environments. Students engage in studio culture, supporting and learning from each other, which contributes to Tyler's strong sense of community.”
Adjunct Associate Professor, Architecture
“What I enjoy most about teaching at Tyler and working with my students is being able to help them begin to understand the very foundations of what we as architects actually do in our daily work to make buildings realized structures. Witnessing the "a-ha" moments from students each semester never ceases to bring me joy and satisfaction.”
Browse the work of your future architecture classmates.
Elizabeth Duong Student
Student
Zoszia Zabrenski Student
Marie Latif Student
With your future opportunities so wide open, questions always come up. Just ask!
Yes, the curricular pathways in Tyler’s academic programs include opportunities to obtain a NAAB accredited professional degree, a step in becoming a licensed professional in architecture.
The two-year foundations program exposes you to other career paths and job options — some not obvious — until you immerse yourself in the academic and professional field.
To recap, you choose from these architecture majors or environmental design majors:
Architecture (bachelor’s degree)
Facilities Management (bachelor’s degree)
Historic Preservation (bachelor’s degree)
Community Development (bachelor’s degree)
Landscape Architecture (bachelor’s degree)
Yes! Temple University features campuses in both Italy and Japan that allow you to experience different cultures, languages and built environments.
Tyler’s chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), a student-led organization, fosters community among you and your classmates and offers mentors that both provide one-on-one help.
Our architecture faculty encourages you to attend presentations at Tyler by leaders in architecture throughout the year.
The Tyler architecture community’s recent alumni also share insights and opportunities with current students.
To connect you with nearby architecture firms, Tyler hosts career fairs and other types of professional events on campus. In addition, architecture firms in or near Philadelphia do guided tours of their offices for our students.
Get additional career exploration and career prep help from the Temple Career Center.
We encourage you to pursue internships and prepare you with the skills and professionalism needed to do a great job. Tyler’s staff and faculty support your internship goals with ideas on opportunities and even internship funding. Your professors also provide mentoring and guidance for building your portfolio.
