SoA Change of Major

Application Materials for Bachelor of Arts in Architecture Program: Fall 2027 Admission Cycle

Current UNC Charlotte Students seeking a Change-of-Major

The Fall 2026 admissions cycle for current UNC Charlotte students seeking a change-of-major to architecture is now open.

In order to request a change-of-major into Architecture, current UNC Charlotte students must use their UNC Charlotte email account to complete this Google Form, which includes the submission of the following items:

Exercise 1: Aggregations
Exercise 2: Thresholds
Exercise 3: Reflections
Resumé
Optional Portfolio

The exercises do not have "right" answers, but they do have specific instructions, so read those instructions below carefully.

These exercises are designed to evaluate curiosity, rigor, ambition, and passion - not specific abilities or knowledge. We are looking for students who are eager to explore and to challenge themselves, regardless of their current skills and experiences. We will provide our students with what they need to pursue their interest in architecture, from a foundational understanding to specialized training. The application exercises expose prospective students to the creative processes that students at the SoA execute throughout their education.

WARNING regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence: We understand that applicants enter our exercise prompts into Artificial Intelligence engines, and we strongly discourage that practice. When applicants use AI engines, we see many versions of the same “solutions” given by those engines, which makes it more difficult to evaluate creativity and critical thinking. It is obvious to us when applicants use AI and when they do not, and we place far greater value on original work compared to work generated by an AI engine.

NOTES

@Charlotte email: Requests for access to the Google Form from personal email accounts will be denied; students must use their UNC Charlotte email account to complete the form.
GPA requirement: no current UNC Charlotte student will be considered for admission into the program until early 2027, after Fall 2026 grades have been posted. All students seeking a change-of-major into the Architecture program must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 by that time in order to be considered.
High School/Transfer Transcripts: for students with less than 30 credits earned in residency at UNC Charlotte by the end of the Fall 2026 semester, high school and/or transfer-institution transcripts will be evaluated in addition to their UNC Charlotte transcripts (the admissions committee has access to these transcripts).

In the below tabs, please see instructions for completing thea pplications items, instructions for how to submit the items on through the Google Form, and FAQs for the application process.

FALL 2027 CALENDAR FOR CHANGE-OF-MAJOR APPLICANTS

Deadlines & Calendar for Current UNC Charlotte students seeking a Change-of-Major

August 1, 2026: Admissions Cycle Opens!

Application instructions for Fall 2027 admission posted on our website.

January 1, 2027 (11:59 pm)

Priority deadline for current UNC Charlotte students seeking a change-of-major.
Applicants in these cohorts who complete their SoA application materials by this date will be notified on a rolling basis beginning in January 2027.
Applicants who miss this deadline will be considered for Round 2 of the process and notified on a rolling basis before April 1, 2027

February 15, 2027 (11:59 pm)

Final deadline for all SoA application materials required by UNC Charlotte and the SoA

April 1, 2027

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, 2027

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
If space allows, new secondary, SoA application will be accepted

Spring 2027 (multiple dates)

Admitted student events for applicants admitted to the SoA including tours, virtual Q&A sessions, and an open house
Dates to-be-announced after Early Alert notifications

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXERCISE 1: AGGREGATIONS

Exercise Prompt:

Architecture is often made from simple parts that are repeated, connected, and assembled into larger spatial systems. In this exercise, you will investigate how a commonplace paper object can become the basis for a spatial construction.

Choose a mundane object made entirely of paper—such as an index card, coffee filter, paper plate, paper cup, or paper towel tube.

Design a connection that allows multiple objects to join together. Through repetition and variation, construct an aggregation that creates an interior, enclosure, threshold, or other spatial condition.

Exercise Parameters:

Select one everyday object made entirely of paper and use a minimum of 20 identical objects.
Design one repeatable connection that joins identical copies of your chosen object. Do not use tape, glue, string, staples, or additional fastening materials.
Photograph your completed aggregation from at least three viewpoints that clearly communicate the connection, the overall system, and the spatial qualities of the assembly.

Submission Instructions:

Place your final 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.
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 with appropriate captions or descriptions.
Consider the layout of the page carefully, and make sure your images do not include distracting backgrounds.
Export the file as a single-page PDF saved as "YourLastname_Exercise1.pdf"

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXERCISE 2: THRESHOLDS

Exercise Prompt:

Architecture shapes how we move between spaces and how we recognize boundaries between them. A threshold marks a transition from one spatial condition to another. Thresholds may be obvious and definitive, like a door between the inside and outside of a building, or subtle and suggestive, like a change in material, light, sound, or scale.

Identify a threshold condition that you encounter outside of your house or apartment and create a video, no longer than 30 seconds, that documents and analyzes how you experience it. Use moving images, recorded sound, and your own voice to communicate the spatial qualities that make the threshold significant. Your video should demonstrate careful observation of your surroundings while also revealing something about how you perceive and experience space. Note: A smartphone and basic editing software are sufficient to complete this exercise. We are evaluating your ideas, observations, and ability to communicate spatial experiences—not your filmmaking experience or access to equipment.

Exercise Parameters:

Look and Scale: Observe and record your threshold from different viewpoints, distances, and angles. Experiment with framing, lighting conditions, movement, and the presence or absence of people to reveal different spatial qualities of the threshold. Include at least one person as a scale figure to help viewers understand the size of the space relative to someone who occupies it. The scale figure can be yourself or others and you may include several scale figures.

Listen and Analyze: Pay attention to how sound contributes to your experience of the threshold. Record sounds at the threshold or in other locations and consider how they can be combined with your images. Include a brief voiceover, in your own voice, that communicates what you observe about the threshold and why it is significant. Be concise and allow the other sounds in your video to be heard.The use of background music is not allowed.

Edit and Iterate: Combine your images, recorded sounds, and voice into a final video of no more than 30 seconds. Consider pacing, sequence, and juxtaposition. Pay attention to how the video begins and ends. Experiment with different approaches to recording and editing before completing your final video. Return to the threshold, test different ways of capturing it, and revise your edit as you discover new ways to communicate its spatial qualities.

Submission Instructions:

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. Video files cannot be uploaded to the application or emailed to the SoA.
Important: Verify that your video is not set to "Private." 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).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXERCISE 3: REFLECTIONS

Exercise Prompt:

After you complete exercises one and two, compose a 100 to 150-word written reflection on your experience completing the two exercises.
In your reflection, describe the qualities of the final result, and reflect on what you learned during the iterative process about creativity and discovery. Explain one or more of the decisions that contributed to your final versions. Compare the two types of media and processes of making - the analog model building and the digital filmmaking.
AI may (or may not) be used to edit your text, but it may not be used to generate the text. All text will be analyzed to determine the extent of its reliance on AI.

Submission Instructions:

Create a one-page file in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or a similar program (letter-size, horizontal or vertical orientation).
Export the file as a single-page PDF saved as "YourLastname_Exercise3.pdf"

INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESUME

The SoA asks all applicants to submit their resumé along with the other required secondary application materials.This resumé should include any coursework, jobs, or extracurricular activities that may help the admissions committee to evaluate an application.

Name the file "YourLastname_Resume.pdf"

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTIONAL PORTFOLIO

The SoA does not require a portfolio for its secondary application process. The admissions committee looks primarily at an applicant's academic record and the required secondary application materials.

Regarding content, note that evidence of drafting coursework and/or CAD skills are considered “professional skills” that are not evaluated during our review process, as the SoA Admissions Committee looks only for evidence of creativity and critical thinking skills. Architectural drawing that is part of a creative process is more relevant, and all work included in the optional portfolio should show evidence of your creative activities, which may or may not include architectural design.

Applicants who wish to include a portfolio with their application are asked to include creative work follow these 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 10 pages, including covers
File size limit: 20 MB maximum

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Submit your items using the Google Form, following the file-naming instructions and the prompts on the form.

FAQs

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

Current UNC Charlotte applicants who submit their materials by January 1, 2027, (Round 1) will be notified by February 1.

Current UNC Charlotte applicants who submit their materials by February 1, 2027, (Round 2) will be notified by April 1.

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 internal change-of-major applicants?

No, the SoA does not have quotas. Change-of-major applicants are evaluated alongside external applicants for the same seats in our first-year class.

Will any specific courses or extracurricular activities help my application?

No, the admissions committee will look primarily at your application exercises, your general academic performance, and your overall extracurricular activities. No specific classes or types of extracurricular activities are valued more than others.

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

No, all secondary materials must be submitted through the Google Form.

What if I submit my application materials shortly after the Round 1 deadline?

Your application will be considered for Round 2.

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

Your application will not be considered for Fall 2027 unless space becomes available after May 1, 2027.

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.

Does submitting the optional portfolio increase my chances of admission?

No, the SoA Admissions Committee is not looking for any specific type of experience in their applicants, and it gives the same full consideration to all applicants who complete the required secondary materials. Additionally, in previous cycles, our records show that half of our accepted students did submit a portfolio, and half of them did not.

What are the format guidelines for the optional 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 10 pages, including covers
  - File size limit: 20 MB maximum

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