MIT is one of the foremost research universities in the world, and its School of Architecture and Planning is one of the oldest and most respected schools in the country. The programs offered are research-based, broad, and leading-edge. The school offers bachelor’s, master's, and doctorate degrees across five departments and three special programs:

• Architectural Design: Focuses on architectural design in the context of contemporary practice, incorporating all the elements that shape architecture today's, such as climate change, globalization, and technology. After establishing a basis in a core curriculum, MIT makes extensive use of design studios, where students focus on design projects of increasing complexity. With introductory design studios, students develop basic design concepts. In the intermediate studios, students explore different design solutions presented by different faculty. Advanced studios allow graduate students the opportunity to sharpen their skills and develop their own approaches toward design. Finally, in their theses, students carry a project of their own from concept through theory and design to a final product. Degrees offered: BSA, SMArchS, MArch

• Art, Culture, and Technology: Focuses on research and exploration of the history of art, applying rigorous critical artistic practice and practice-driven theory. It focuses on art history and its complex interaction with global history, culture, science, technology, and design. Degrees offered: BSA, SMACT

• Building Technology: Focuses on the research, development, and application of new building technologies for building structures, materials, industrialized building systems, energy and lighting, air control, and building simulation. Degrees offered: BSA, SMArchS, SMBT, PhD

• Computation: Focuses on the development of innovative computational tools, design processes, and theories to solve challenging design problems. This utilizes a variety of computational tools such as visualization, video, and animation; rapid prototyping; CAD/CAM technologies; building information modeling (BIM); and application design for real-world design problems. Degrees offered: BSA, SMArchS, PhD

• History, Theory, and Criticism: Focuses on scholarly analysis of the history, theory, and criticism of architecture, art, and urban form. The school has an international scope and focuses attention on interdisciplinary issues in contemporary practice, which distinguishes it from the art history departments of universities. Degrees offered: BSA, SMArchS, PhD

• Media Arts and Sciences and the Media Laboratory This department focuses on the intersections of the physical and virtual worlds and their interfaces. It explores the interaction between human beings and technology and all its elements, such as usability, aesthetics, and related technologies. Important and popular inventions have come to this laboratory, such as wireless networks, field sensing, and web browsers. Degrees offered: MAS, PhD

• Center for Real Estate: This department focuses on applying academic discovery to solve problems in the real estate environment. The program aims to build better living and working environments as they relate to real estate development. Degrees available: MSRED

• The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture is dedicated to the study of Islamic architecture, urbanism, environmental design, and landscape design. This is not a degree program but offers financial and logistical support to students studying Islamic architecture.

• Urban Studies and Planning: This department conducts research in the areas of urban development. Particularly, the focus is on city design and development, environmental policy and planning, housing, community and economic development, international development, and city design. Degrees offered: SB, MCP, SM, PhD

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