University of Miami School of Architecture

What University of Miami School of Architecture does

The University of Miami School of Architecture (U-SoA), founded in 1983 with graduate programs initiated in 1989, is a private non-profit academic unit within the University of Miami, headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida. It educates undergraduate and graduate students through a portfolio that includes a NAAB-accredited, STEM-designated Master of Architecture (M.Arch I and M.Arch I AP), a Master of Urban Design (M.U.D.), a Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U, jointly with Miami Herbert Business School and the School of Law), a Master of Professional Science in Urban Sustainability and Resilience, a Master of Science in Architecture with a Digital Fabrication and Technology track, and the interdisciplinary Murphy Construction Program with the College of Engineering. Experiential learning is delivered through the Design/Build program (constructing prototype buildings for underserved communities since 2009), the Rome Program (semester-long residency at the school's own Rome Center established in 2008), the Open City Studio itinerant summer workshop, and the Grand Tour of Europe.

Research is organized around specialized labs: the RAD Lab (Responsive Architecture + Design Lab) focuses on embedded technology and ubiquitous computing in buildings and landscapes, the Lu_Lab targets littoral and coastal urbanism, and the Center for Urban and Community Design (CUCD, founded 1992) coordinates climate resilience research and outreach via a joint initiative with the University of Miami Climate Institute. Fabrication is supported by the BuildLab and FabLab. The school maintains the Archive of the New Urbanism, a research collection that anchors the M.U.D. program.

U-SoA generates revenue through tuition and fees (graduate programs plus differential fees for the Rome Program), donations and endowments (including named positions such as the Tony Goldman Endowed Director of Real Estate Development + Urbanism and a $50 million gift from Kenneth C. Griffin supporting the RAD Lab–Sylvester Cancer Center collaboration), and research grants from foundations including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Barr Foundation for community design projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. International programs have expanded the operating footprint to Italy (Rome Center), the Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic), and the Middle East (UAE), positioning Miami as a hemispheric gateway for tropical and subtropical architecture, urbanism, and climate resilience research.

Name

University of Miami School of Architecture

Legal name

University of Miami School of Architecture

Website

https://arc.miami.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The University of Miami School of Architecture is a NAAB-accredited, STEM-designated private academic unit offering graduate degrees in architecture, urban design, real estate development, construction, and urban sustainability, with hands-on programs in Design/Build, Rome, and climate resilience research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Architecture Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Architectural Services (541310), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Graduate architecture education
• Urban design programs
• Historic preservation studies
• Real estate development education
• Design build studios

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including differential tuition for specific programs. Additional fees for programs such as the Rome Program.
2. Donations and Endowments: The school receives donor support for programs including Design/Build. Named endowments such as the Tony Goldman Endowed Director of Real Estate Development + Urbanism. U-Serve day of service initiated by the Dean.
3. Research Grants: Grant funding from foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Barr Foundation for community design projects, and $50M gift from Kenneth C. Griffin for RAD Lab collaboration with Sylvester Cancer Center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Miami School of Architecture is an academic unit offering graduate-level degree programs in architecture, urban design, historic preservation, and real estate development plus urbanism. The school emphasizes hands-on design/build experiences, research lab engagement, and international study through its Rome Center in Italy. It serves individual graduate students seeking accredited professional and post-professional degrees.

Product overview

The University of Miami School of Architecture (U-SoA) is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of graduate and undergraduate degree programs in architecture, urban design, and real estate development. The core graduate programs include the NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture I/I AP (STEM-designated), Master of Urban Design (M.U.D.), Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U), Master of Professional Science in Urban Sustainability and Resilience, Master of Science in Architecture, and the Murphy Construction Program. U-SoA distinguishes itself through experiential learning programs including the Design/Build program (giving hands-on building experience for community benefit), the Rome Program (a semester-long study abroad in Italy), the Open City Studio (global summer workshop), and the Grand Tour of Europe. Research is supported by specialized labs including the RAD Lab (responsive architecture and embedded technology), Lu_Lab (littoral urbanism), and the Center for Urban and Community Design (CUCD). The school also maintains fabrication facilities (BuildLab, Fab Lab), the Archive of the New Urbanism, and offers summer programs for high school students. The institution holds NAAB accreditation for its M.Arch programs and STEM designation for qualifying degrees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MRED+U: Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism graduate program
• M.U.D.
• CUCD
• RAD Lab

Products and services

• Master of Architecture (M.Arch)
• Master of Urban Design (M.U.D.)
• Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U)
• Rome Center Study Abroad Program
• Design/Build Programs
• Research Labs

Quantifiable outcome

• Design/Build program has completed multiple community projects since 2009 including Eco-Tent for Everglades National Park, Mobile Coffee Kiosk, and Mobile Chicken Coop
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.

• Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024RAD Lab collaboration with Sylvester Cancer Center made possible through Kenneth C. Griffin's $50M gift, focusing on research at intersection of architecture, health, and technology.
• State University of New York (SUNY)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration on SVLC (Sustainable Village and Learning Community) masterplan project in Haiti, co-authored grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
• University of Miami Climate InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992CUCD is a joint initiative of the University of Miami Climate Institute and School of Architecture, integrating climate resilience research with architectural education and community outreach.
• Youthbuild InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner for Luly Vocational School project in Haiti, providing education, job skills and counseling to at-risk youth.
• Pedro Martinez FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation donating schools and housing to Dominican Republic communities; CUCD led masterplan for sustainable town development at Manoguayabo.
• Miami Herbert Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between School of Architecture and Business School for MRED+U (Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism) interdisciplinary program.
• College of Engineering (Murphy Construction Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary program between College of Engineering and School of Architecture preparing construction leaders through practice-oriented graduate degrees.
• Florida International University School of DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on South Dade Planning Charrette following Hurricane Andrew, working with local AIA, ASLA, and APA chapters.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Graduate School of Design: GSD is the leading global architecture school and benchmark competitor; U-SoA benchmarks curriculum, faculty prestige, and applicant selectivity against Harvard despite operating at a far smaller scale and reputation.
• MIT School of Architecture and Planning: MIT SA+P is a global benchmark for architecture/urbanism education with strong overlap with U-SoA's STEM-designated M.Arch and research lab structure (RAD Lab mirrors MIT Media Lab-style research integration).
• Columbia University GSAPP: Columbia GSAPP offers NAAB-accredited architecture and urban design graduate programs that overlap directly with U-SoA's M.Arch and M.U.D. programs in urban design research and practitioner-led teaching.
• Yale School of Architecture: Yale's prestigious NAAB-accredited M.Arch and undergraduate programs compete for the same top applicants as U-SoA's graduate programs, with deep overlap in curriculum focus on design research and theoretical discourse.

Direct peers

• USC School of Architecture: USC Architecture is a comparable-scale NAAB-accredited program with similar practitioner-led teaching, international travel studios, and STEM-designated M.Arch, making it a direct competitor in the private-school tier.
• Florida International University School of Architecture: FIU's architecture school is the most direct peer — also located in South Florida, also NAAB-accredited, with overlapping focus on community-engaged design, climate resilience, and Caribbean/Latin American outreach, making it the closest competitor for regional students.
• Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: Cornell AAP is a longstanding NAAB-accredited architecture school offering the parallel B.Arch/M.Arch combinations and interdisciplinary urban design that U-SoA emulates, competing for similar East Coast/international graduate students.
• University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning: UF's College of Design, Construction and Planning offers NAAB-accredited architecture and closely-related construction/urban programs, competing head-to-head with U-SoA for in-state Florida applicants and research funding.
• Tulane University School of Architecture: Tulane's School of Architecture is a Gulf Coast peer with overlapping focus on climate-responsive design, historic preservation, and community-engaged studios in New Orleans — directly comparable in mission to U-SoA's hurricane-resilience work.

Emerging players

• Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc): SCI-Arc is an independent, design-research-intensive architecture school with strong practitioner-faculty culture and travel/experiential programs paralleling U-SoA's design/build and travel-studio model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UM_SoA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UM SoA
• Facebookfacebook.com/umarchitecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/u_soa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/um-school-of-architecture

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Miami School of Architecture