SoA 2+2 Application

Secondary Application Materials for Bachelor of Arts in Architecture Program

Fall 2026 Admission Cycle: Students Completing CPCC’s AAS Degree in Architectural Technology, Transfer Track (A40100T)

Admission to the School of Architecture (SoA) involves a secondary application process, above and beyond what is required to be considered for admission into the University. Applicants to UNC Charlotte interested in majoring in Architecture must first declare "Architecture" as their major in their general application (using either the Future 49er application or Common App).

The Fall 2026 Admission cycle opens on August 1, 2025, which is when that declaration may be made (currently, "Architecture" is not an option on the general application because the University is still completing its Fall 2025 cycle, and our program is no longer accepting Fall 2025 applications). Prospective applicants may use the information on this site about our secondary process and its required materials to begin to work on their materials before the cycle officially begins.

Our secondary process is designed to evaluate creativity and critical thinking, not professional skills; however, applicants intending to enroll through our 2+2 articulation agreement with Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) after earning the transfer degree (A40100T) are expected to demonstrate architectural design skills comparable to an SoA student completing their second year (and entering into their third year) in our program. A portfolio is therefore required, in addition to our secondary application exercises, which are designed to evaluate curiosity, rigor, ambition, and passion, not an applicant’s exposure to specific architectural skills.

In some cases, applicants from the A40100T program with design skills comparable to an SoA student completing their first year (and entering into the second year) in our program may be offered a seat in our second year studios (these applicants are still eligible to complete the B.A. in Architecture degree in two years and to move into our 2-year Master of Architecture Program, after review by our graduate admissions committee at the time of their application to that program).

Note that students earning the A40100T degree must also earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this 2+2 transfer track.

Admission into the B.A. program through this transfer portal is not a guarantee of admission in our graduate program.

In order to complete our secondary application process, applicants must complete and submit these five items:

Exercise 1: Lines on Paper
Exercise 2: Paper Compositions
Exercise 3: Video Analysis
Resumé
Portfolio

Note: the Future 49er Portal indicates that portfolios are optional, but they are required for this application type.

In the below tabs, please see instructions for completing each of these items, instructions for how to submit the items (using your Future 49er Portal status page), and FAQs for the application process.

Fall 2026 Admissions and Deadlines Calendar for 2+2 Applicants

July 1, 2025

SoA secondary application process information released.

August 1, 2025

Fall 2026 admissions cycle for UNC Charlotte opens
Freshmen and transfer applicants may select "Architecture" as their intended major for Fall 2026
The 2+2 transfer portal is limited to fall admissions (spring admission is not possible).

Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 (multiple dates)

Open houses, Q&A sessions, application workshops, and student-led tours of the SoA available
In-person and virtual options available throughout the cycle
Dates to-be-announced later this summer
The SoA participates in all UNC Charlotte campus-wide admissions events (dates to-be-announced by the University)

February 1, 2026 (11:59 pm)

All primary materials required by UNC Charlotte due on main University application

February 15, 2026 (11:59 pm)

Deadline for Fall 2026 cycle
All secondary materials required by the SoA due by this date
Applicants who miss this deadline may be considered after May 1, if space allows

Spring 2026 (multiple dates)

Admitted student events for applicants admitted to the SoA
In-person and virtual options available throughout the cycle
Dates to-be-announced after Early Alert notifications
The SoA participates in all UNC Charlotte campus-wide admitted students events (dates to-be-announced by the University)

April 1, 2026

All applicants notified of their decision no later than this date
Some applicants may receive a notification earlier than this date on a rolling basis

May 1, 2026

Deadline for admitted applicants to submit their "Intent to Enroll" decision
Seats offered to admitted applicants to the SoA will be rescinded if no intention is declared

Instructions for Exercise 1: Lines on Paper

Prepare a stack of blank white paper (letter-size or tabloid-size printer paper is acceptable, but you may also use art paper; avoid paper with lines or grids). Make several drawings composed entirely of lines, using different types of pens and pencils (different colors and/or thicknesses). You may orient the paper horizontally or vertically.

Experiment with different techniques (long lines, short lines, many lines, few lines, using a ruler, drawing freehand, using different types of instruments, orientating the paper differently, etc)
Try different approaches on different sheets

Only one rule: be non-representational ... use lines to make abstract compositions, like the examples above by artist Sol Lewitt, not pictures of things. For example, do not draw a picture of a landscape or a house.

Make at least ten drawings, and select two that allow you to reflect on the effects of differences and similarities between different approaches to the exercise.

In about 100-200 words, write a reflection on your creative process while you were drawing and on how you selected the two drawings. Consider the following questions, or anything else that occurs to you:

What types of differences are evident in the two drawings you selected?
Do subtle or obvious differences appeal to you more?
How did applying different approaches to different drawings affect your creativity?
Did you find yourself being intentional or spontaneous during the process; in other words, did you make a plan and stick to it, or let the process lead you tp unexpected results?

Important: there are no right answers to this creative exercise. Don’t overthink your drawings or your reflection, or try to predict what we want. We simply want to see how you work and to hear how you think.

Prepare for Submission

Use a flatbed scanner or a scanning app on your smartphone to create digital images of your chosen drawings.
Create a one-page file in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or a similar program (letter-size or tabloid-size, horizontal or vertical orientation).
Insert the scans and enter your written reflection into that single-page file.
Export the file as a single-page PDF.

Consider the layout of the page carefully, and make sure your images are scan-quality (don't just take pics with your phone).

Instructions for Exercise 2: Paper Compositions

Using white cardstock paper (any size; 100 lb weight recommended for easier handling), make several 3D compositions by folding and/or cutting sheets of the cardstock in different ways.

Experiment with different techniques (one sheet, multiple sheets, different size sheets, folding-only, folding-and-cutting, varying complexity, etc)
Try different approaches for different compositions

This technique is similar to origami, but with a significant difference: the space that your paper composition defines is as important as the paper itself. In other words, don't think of the paper composition as simply a sculpture or an object. Also consider the space around the paper that is being defined your folding and cutting.

Make at least ten compositions, and select two that allow you to reflect on the effects of differences and similarities between different approaches to the exercise.

In about 100-200 words, write a reflection on your creative process while you were forming the compositions and on how you selected the two compositions. Consider the following questions, or anything else that occurs to you:

What types of differences are evident in the two compositions you selected?
Do subtle or obvious differences appeal to you more?
How did applying different approaches to different compositions affect your creativity?
Did you find yourself being intentional or spontaneous during the process; in other words, did you make a plan and stick to it, or let the process lead you tp unexpected results?

Important: there are no right answers to this creative exercise. Don’t overthink your compositions or your reflection, or try to predict what we want. We simply want to see how you work and to hear how you think.

Prepare for Submission

Place one of your chosen compositions on a simple background (like a black sheet on a table, or like the examples provided).
Take several photographs of the composition.
Select two photos of the composition that, together, effectively communicate its 3D qualities.
Repeat that process for your other chosen composition, so that you have four photos total (two of each of your chosen compositions).
Create a one-page file in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or a similar program (letter-size or tabloid-size, horizontal or vertical orientation).
Insert the images of your compositions and enter your written reflection into that single-page file.
Export the file as a single-page PDF.

Consider the layout of the page carefully, and make sure your images do not include distracting backgrounds.

Instructions for Exercise 3: Video Analysis

Go to a space outside of your home that strikes you as a powerful and/or effective space. Your chosen space may be a room, a building, a neighborhood, a street, a park, a city, or any space that you’ve experienced and can visit again. Take videos of the space from different perspectives, capturing the specific qualities that strike you as powerful and/or effective.

Consider how to include people in your footage (you, your friends, or the general public), in order to communicate how the space is occupied or used. Not every clip needs to have people in it, but make sure to capture some footage of people in the space. The films of Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine are great examples of how to show the life of a space (the image above is a still from their film series Homo Urbanus).

Edit your footage into a one-minute video analysis of the space, using your own voice as the narrator. In your analysis, identify why you selected the space and be specific about the qualities that strike you as powerful and/or effective. Consider discussing a balance of objective/physical qualities (size, form, color, light, texture, etc) and subjective/social qualities (how it feels and how it is used).

The maximum length of the video is 60 seconds! Videos longer than 60 seconds will not be viewed. Be mindful of how you use the time you have, and give special consideration to how you begin and end the video (your first and last impressions!).

Try to make a well-crafted and carefully made video, but we are not expecting professional-quality videos. Most importantly, be yourself in your video. We want to get you to know you better through your discussion of a space.

Prepare for Submission

Upload your edited video to YouTube (you’ll need to have a free Google account to do this).
Copy and paste the URL (its web address) into a document, which you will later paste into your application portal.
Important: in YouTube's Settings, set the “Visibility” of the video either to “Public” or “Unlisted” so that anyone with the link can view the video without special permission (the “Unlisted” setting is recommended because it keeps videos hidden from the public but allows anyone with the link to view it).
Verify that your video is not set to "Private."

Note: video files cannot be uploaded to the application or emailed to the SoA. Only YouTube links are accepted.

Instructions for Resumé

Although the main University application allows applicants to upload an optional resumé, the SoA asks all applicants to submit their resumé along with the other required secondary application materials on their Future 49er Portal status page.

This resumé should include any coursework, jobs, or extracurricular activities that may help the admissions committee to evaluate an application.

Instructions for Required Portfolio

Applicants for the 2+2 portal from CPCC's A40100T program must submit a portfolio of their architectural studio work. Portfolios should include concise documentation of your design studios and any professional work relevant to our evaluation.

Follow these format guidelines:

PDF format (must be a single file with multiple pages, not multiple files)
Page size: Letter (8.5” x 11”) or Tabloid (11” x 17”), either vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape) orientation
Page limit: no more than 12 pages, including covers
File size limit: 20 MB maximum

Submission Instructions

Instructions for how to submit your secondary materials in your Future 49er Portal will be posted here by August 1, 2026, when the Fall 2026 admissions cycle opens.

FAQs

When will I be notified of the SoA's decision?

All applicants will be notified of the SoA's decision on their application after UNC Charlotte's Undergraduate Admissions has issued its decision on general admission to the University.

2+2 transfer portal applicants from CPCC's A40100T program will be notified on or by April 1, 2026.

What is the acceptance rate for the program?

The SoA does not publish its acceptance rates because acceptance rates from previous cycles are not necessarily relevant to the current cycle, as the size and qualifications of applicant pool change year-to-year. Additionally, the size of the program changes year-to-year based on institutional variables and pedagogical developments.

Does the program have quotas for 2+2 transfer students?

No, the SoA does not have any quotas for 2+2 transfer students, but enrollment in our program may affect how many seats we can offer, and that number may vary year-to-year.

How do I submit my secondary materials?

Detailed instructions on how to submit secondary materials using your Future 49er Portal will be posted in the "Submission Instructions" tab above by August 1.

Can I submit my secondary materials via email or by using a link to a cloud server?

No, all secondary materials must be submitted through your Future 49er Portal and verified as complete in the Application Checklist section of that portal (if you do not see that section, you did not select “Architecture” as your intended major, contact admissions@charlotte.edu to update that).

What if I submit my application materials shortly after the final application deadline?

Your application will not be considered for Fall 2026 unless space becomes available after May 1, 2026.

How long should I spend on these exercises?

We suggest that you spend no more than a couple of hours on Exercise 1 and Exercise 2 (for a total of about 4 hours). For Exercise 3, we suggest that you spend about two hours capturing footage and about another two hours editing it.

I’m not sure I understand the point of the exercises, can you explain more, so that I know I am doing them right?

Our exercises are not tests or tricks, and there are many “right” ways to do them, including ways we don’t expect and can’t predict. Read (and re-read) the instructions carefully, do some practice experiments, and then just have some fun with them. We are looking for passion and potential, and we understand that critical thinking is an open-ended practice that different people do in different ways. We are open to your interpretations of our exercise instructions.

I’ve never made a video before, so how do I do Exercise 3 without any experience?

Video making is easier than it may seem. Use a smartphone to capture footage, and any basic editing software that comes with your computer to do the editing. Online tutorials can teach you the basics, which is all that is needed (we are not expecting professional-quality videos). Videos communicate a lot of information, even when they are done by amateurs.

Do you have tips for photographing, scanning, and/or manipulating digital images?

- - If you don’t have access to a flatbed scanner, use a scanning app linked to your smartphone camera instead of the camera app itself (this will produce a more scan-like image).
  - When photographing or scanning images, be sure that they are well-positioned, well-lit, in-focus, centered, and appropriately cropped (if needed).
  - Use a neutral-color backdrop for your work (avoid patterns or bright colors).
  - All images should be sized at least 1024 X 768 pixels (landscape) or 768 X 1024 pixels (portrait). Smaller sized images may not exhibit necessary detail; larger may be difficult to upload.
  - All images should have a resolution of 72 dpi/ppi (dots/pixels per inch).
  - Save JPEG files as “Quality 10” images using a “Baseline Standard” option.
  - Always save an original copy of your image and create a back-up of each to ensure that you always have a record of your work.

What are the format guidelines for the required portfolio?

- - PDF format; name your file: “Lastname_SoA_portfolio.pdf” (must be a single file)
  - Page size: Letter (8.5” x 11”) or Tabloid (11” x 17”), either vertical or horizontal orientation
  - Page limit: no more than 12 pages, including covers
  - File size limit: 20 MB maximum

What are the links to the SoA’s and UNC Charlotte's various websites?