2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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College of Architecture and Planning

College of Architecture and Planning Admissions Information

Application Deadlines

For Fall Semester:

  • Master of Architecture Program (MArch): International Applicant Priority Deadline-December 15*/Domestic Applicant Priority Deadline-January 15*
  • Master of Landscape Architecture Program (MLA): International Applicant Priority Deadline-January 1*/Domestic Applicant Priority Deadline-February 1*
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program (MURP): International Applicant Priority Deadline-December 15*/Domestic Applicant Priority Deadline-January 15*
  • Master of Science in Historic Preservation Program (MSHP): International Applicant Priority Deadline: December 15*/Domestic Applicant Priority Deadline-January 15*
  • Master of Urban Design Program (MUD): International Applicant Priority Deadline: December 15*/Domestic Applicant Priority Deadline-February 15*
  • PhD in Geography, Planning, and Design (PhD): International Deadline-December 15/Domestic Applicant Deadline-January 15

*Late Applications will be reviewed on a space available basis. Late applicants will not be eligible for scholarship consideration

For the most up-to-date information on program application deadlines, please visit our departmental websites. Decision notification dates vary by program.

For Spring Semester:

  • Please visit our departmental websites for spring admission deadlines and information. Not every department offers spring admission each year.

General Requirements

The college periodically updates admissions deadlines and application procedures. Please visit the college website to view current deadlines, application procedures and required materials.

Applicants to the College of Architecture and Planning graduate programs are required to submit the following credentials:

  • University of Colorado Denver online application.
  • Official transcripts from each U.S domestic institution the applicant has attended excluding study abroad institutions where the courses are included on the home institution transcripts.
  • A statement of purpose that addresses career objectives and reasons for pursuing the intended program of study.
  • A portfolio of creative work - required for Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. Suggested for Historic Preservation for students with prior design experience.
  • Letters of recommendation (number of letters required varies by program).
  • Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, but recommended if your GPA is below 3.0.
  • You must hold at least a bachelor’s degree for admission to all professional master’s programs. For admission to the Master of Urban Design program, a prior professional degree in architecture, planning, or landscape architecture is required in addition to a bachelor’s degree.
  • Application fee. Nonrefundable: $50, U.S. residents; $75, International applicants.
  • English language proficiency scores are required for international applicants when English is not their first language. Please see the International Admissions website for current minimum

College of Architecture and Planning Departments and Programs

College of Architecture and Planning Policies 

Academic Standing

Students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in the graduate programs to remain in good standing and to graduate. If a student’s GPA falls below a 3.0, then he or she will be placed on academic probation beginning the following semester. If the GPA remains below a 3.0 after the probationary semester, then he or she may be dismissed from the college.

Grade Policy

In addition to maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or above, each program requires specific minimum grades which a student must earn in order to count a class towards their degree. Students should meet with their academic advisor or reference the student handbook to learn more about the minimum passing grades.

Grade Appeals

The College of Architecture and Planning recognizes the right of the student to appeal a grade received in a course taken in the college. The college also recognizes the responsibility on the part of the college to respond to student grade appeals, and to do so in a judicious and timely manner.

Please visit the College of Architecture and Planning Student Policies, Handbooks, and Forms page for additional information.

Course Sequencing and Advancement

Programs in the college are structured so that certain courses must be taken concurrently, others sequentially. Students will not be allowed to enroll in a course if its co-requisites or prerequisites have not been satisfied.

Originality of Work

Students must submit their own work. Where other sources are used in a student submission, they are to be clearly identified and referenced. The university considers plagiarism and similar acts of falsification to be a serious matter that may result in suspension or expulsion. Information on codes of conduct and grievance procedures are available from the university’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Retention of Student Work

The College of Architecture and Planning may, with a student’s written permission, retain student work submitted in fulfillment of class requirements for a period of time. This retained work is normally used to provide accrediting agencies with tangible evidence of performance, to serve as additional visual aid material in presentations to other students and to contribute to possible educational exhibits requested by or held for the benefit of the university community and the general public.