The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is an independent, professional college in Boston's Back Bay that provides an exceptional design education by combining academic learning with innovative experiential learning and by making its programs accessible to diverse communities. The College offers professional and accredited graduate and undergraduate degrees in architecture, interior architecture, l
andscape architecture, and design studies. The core of the BAC experience is a unique learning model where design education happens in the classroom and in the professional workplace simultaneously. Students acquire vital professional skills and expertise through hands-on projects and real-world employment while attending their classes and studios onsite or online, earning credit and gaining experience in both settings. Founded in 1889 as a club for practicing architects, the BAC has remained closely tied to Boston's professional design community throughout its history. Students are taught, mentored, and advised by over 400 practicing professionals, strengthening the connection between workplace experience and classroom learning. BAC graduates are accomplished designers with impressive resumes, portfolios, and professional networks. The BAC is located in the heart of Boston's historic Back Bay, surrounded by inspiring architecture, museums, performance venues, and colleges and universities, making it a strategic place to study design. Alongside its traditional onsite programs, the BAC offers innovative distance graduate degrees in architecture, interior architecture, and design studies, including pioneering programs in sustainable design, historic preservation, and design for human health. The BAC strives to make the design professions accessible to diverse communities. Its policy of open admission makes a design education possible for many talented students who would not otherwise be afforded such an opportunity. Its student body includes a large population of first-generation college students as well as members of under-represented groups, fostering a rich and inclusive learning environment.
