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School of Architecture

Notre Dame's architecture students receive a classical education—one that emphasizes the study of traditional architecture and its building methods, its ways of forming urban space, its definition of aesthetic value–informed by the values of the Catholic Church and the traditions of European thought. Here, young architects learn to respect tradition in a world that too often ignores it.

Notre Dame is the only university that requires its architecture students to spend one year abroad. The Rome Studies Program requires all third–year students to acquire an in–depth understanding and appreciation of the great European center for architecture and urbanism. This emphasis on classical and traditional architecture is widely respected in academia and the professional world; the School of Architecture has consistently been ranked among the top ten undergraduate five–year programs.

Still, if the School of Architecture hopes to firmly establish its position among the best architecture schools in the world, thereby becoming more influential in the study and practice of architecture internationally, it must expand its graduate programs and enhance its international presence.

The Spirit of Notre Dame campaign seeks $10 million to support the goals of the School of Architecture by strengthening its graduate programs with endowed chairs and by renovating the Rome Studies facilities. These improvements will enable Notre Dame to occupy a more influential space in international urban design, a tangible fulfillment of the University's larger mission to be a force for good in the world.