Student life in any architecture program is intense and demanding, and the rewards are numerous. Through the various student organizations our students become involved in the architectural profession at the regional and national level. Recent opportunities have included:

American Institute of Architecture Students Chapter (AIAS) and
National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS)
Our students attend national conferences, serve as officers in regional and national committees, participate in national design competitions, receive software discounts, and have the chance to serve as student members of visiting accreditation teams.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Students in our Department have received internships and generate design proposals as part of an “Urban Fusion: Education for Community Life” grant, a cooperative effort with Hampton communities to advance environmental education and neighborhood rehabilitation in the city.

Travel
It has been a tradition and a requirement in the Department of Architecture, for our urban design studio students to travel abroad and study significant urban and cultural locations. In the recent past students and faculty have visited the Czech Republic, Greece, Egypt, Thailand, Hong Kong, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Peru.

Architectural Internships and Cooperative Education
In coordination with the Chair of the Department of Architecture, a number of prominent Hampton Roads area firms have offered competitive summer internships to upper-level students. Among the firms are Clark-Nexsen, Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, Kelso and Easter, The Livas Group, and SMBW. Our students have also received summer internships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and SOM.

In the design studios, students collaborate with a variety of organizations such as Fort Monroe, Armada/Hoffler, and International Competitions, as well as with civic groups in our area, such as Norfolk Neighborhood Design Center.

Recent graduates have been accepted into architecture, art, urban design, planning, and law programs at the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Virginia, University of Southern California, and University of Texas, Austin, among other leading graduate programs.