UMKC Announces New Bachelor of Architecture Program
29 April 2024 - 6:06PM
The University of Missouri-Kansas City will launch a Bachelor of
Architecture program this fall.
The UMKC Bachelor of Architecture program will be a five-year
undergraduate degree program housed in the School of Science and
Engineering. It will include courses, studio work and internships
with various architectural firms in Kansas City. As part of their
coursework, students will also have access to industry-grade
equipment at the UMKC Innovation Studio for rapid prototyping their
designs, alongside many Kansas City architectural firms that also
use the facility.
This new bachelor’s degree offering joins a current joint
architecture program, in which students start coursework at UMKC
and transfer to Kansas State University to complete a Master of
Architecture. Among the benefits of the new program is that UMKC
students will get to complete their full degree in Kansas City, a
metropolitan area rich in career opportunities.
“We are excited to provide students the ability to pursue
architecture and design in a city that’s known for its local and
global architectural projects, allowing our students to have
real-world experiences in their educational program,” said Kevin
Truman, dean of the UMKC School of Science and Engineering.
The program is the first of its kind in the state of Missouri
and has strong industry support. Kansas City architectural firms
Focal Design Studio, SLATTERY Design + Architecture (formerly Odimo
Architects), Populous, Multistudio, Burns & McDonnell and DRAW
Architecture + Urban Design signed letters in support of the
program. These prominent firms have worked on major Kansas City
developments, such as the Kansas City International Airport,
Children’s Mercy Park and Rock Island Bridge. There’s also an
international profile from these Kansas City architecture firms,
such as Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games venues.
“It is an honor to have the support of local architectural firms
as we launch this program at UMKC,” Truman said.
Dawn Taylor, executive director of the American Institute of
Architects in Kansas City, said the benefits of the offering an
architecture program in Kansas City are far reaching.
“Expanding the opportunities at UMKC for students to achieve an
architecture degree is exciting and positive, as it offers students
an affordable and accessible option to earn their degree,” Taylor
said. “Our chapter wants to see more students, especially from our
region, choose careers in architecture and design to increase the
talent pipeline for all of our firms.”
Faculty from the architecture, urban planning and design program
are also excited about the new degree offering.
“As a former student of the UMKC architectural studies
curriculum, I am happy, proud and honored to be a part of the new
UMKC Bachelor of Architecture program,” said Dominic Musso (B.A.
’12), a UMKC architecture instructor who will teach in the new
program. “Kansas City is an international hub of world-class
architectural firms, and having a degree program to provide new
graduates to that market is a natural fit. Kansas City’s rich
historic character and urban environment provides the ideal
backdrop for students to become the next generation of our city’s
architects.”
- UMKC Bachelor of Architecture Program
Krithika Selvarajoo
UMKC
8162355606
krithika.selvarajoo@umkc.edu