What’s It Like to Study Architecture at Notre Dame? | Stories & News | Visit & Engage | Undergraduate Admissions

Whenever I introduce myself and mention that I am studying architecture at Notre Dame, the usual responses I get are either “That’s so cool!” “I wish I were artistic enough to study it,” or “How was Rome? Do you miss it?” (Yes, every day). Few people realize just how distinctive Notre Dame’s architecture program is or what it really means to be an “Arkie” (slang for architecture major). As your fellow Arkie admissions intern, here’s an inside look at what makes this program special.

1. Classical Approach

It’s important to note that the program focuses solely on classical architecture. This does not mean that you are limited to designing only with this approach, but it is what’s primarily taught in all of our architecture-related courses. It is one of the few architecture programs that still emphasize new classical and traditional architecture across various fields, including urbanism, landscape, sustainability, and much more.

What’s most special about this program is its hands-on approach: from teaching you how to use a T-square to hand-drafting and watercoloring your entire design on massive sheets of watercolor paper. Technology and design software aren’t introduced until your fourth year, which means I finally learned how to use AutoCAD this past semester (hooray!). While learning software later in the game has its drawbacks, knowing how to hand-draft is a valuable skill that is increasingly rare but highly useful in the real world as an architect. Believe me, hand-drafting all those Corinthian columns and entablatures does pay off when you know all the proportions of the handbook by heart at the end of the day.

2. Rome Study Abroad

If you’ve spoken to anyone who has studied abroad for a semester, they’ve probably told you it was the most life-changing experience they’ve had. They’re not wrong. As an Arkie, having two whole semesters in Rome rather than just one is a game-changer. It’s like everything you studied in your first two years of college comes to life when you’re in Rome.

The faculty-guided field trips to different regions of Italy were one of the biggest highlights for me. I won’t lie—they were exhausting at times. Even though we were abroad, our workload was essentially the same as it was in South Bend. These week-long field trips didn’t mean we were exempt from class; they just meant that class moved locations—a lot of locations. We used to visit about two to three towns in a day, stay the night wherever we ended up, and repeat it all over again the next day. Regardless of how much we were on the move, we still didn’t get enough of all the regions we visited.

The layout of the year in Rome is a one-of-a-kind experience that no other institution offers, and the faculty in Rome are incredibly knowledgeable about both the culture and the architecture (I miss them every day!). I could speak for ages about how inspiring my year in Rome was, but to keep it brief, it helped me grow into a better person and a future architect.

3. Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a tricky topic when you’re in a time-consuming major like architecture. Given that the program is very hands-on, it usually requires a lot of time physically spent in the studio to get work done. Sophomore year is when things start to pick up quickly and take a toll on you. I will say my time management skills have improved significantly since then, but sophomore year is really a time of trial and error—figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t.

One thing I know for sure doesn’t work for me (or anyone else) is pulling all-nighters (unfortunately, I learned that the hard way). Instead, I found that waking up early and becoming more of a morning person allowed me to finish earlier, giving me more time to spend with friends. I know it sounds obvious—getting work done earlier rather than later—but once you pull one all-nighter, you’re automatically trapped in a vicious cycle of not sleeping at night and sleeping all day. Now, in my fourth year of architecture, with the same heavy workload, I’ve managed to maintain a healthy relationship with the studio while keeping up with my friendships outside of architecture!

4. Fifth Year

As many people know, Arkies get a bonus year at Notre Dame as part of our accredited program—we get promoted from seniors to super-seniors! Even though I’m still one semester away from being a fifth-year, it’s all starting to feel like it’s happening sooner rather than later. Your friends outside of architecture are about to graduate and move all over the country, while you’re still completing one more year of college. It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling.

Yes, the friends you’ve spent the past four years with are leaving the place that brought you all together and starting new lives elsewhere. But at the same time, it means we get one more year of college! One more year with the family I built within architecture! One more football season! I could go on forever listing the “one mores” we get to experience as Arkies.

In short, while our second semester as fourth-years is filled with “lasts” with our non-Arkie friends, it’s also filled with so many “one mores.” And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Notre Dame community and the friendships I’ve made, it’s that I’m strong enough to handle all the big changes coming my way.