Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture (BEDA)

Build a Sustainable Future with an Environmental Design Degree

The four-year, pre-professional Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture (BEDA) degree at Marywood is intended for students who will pursue a career in the design of the built environment or advanced study in the field of architecture. To this end, Marywood students who have earned an Environmental Design degree are eligible for up to 60 credits of advanced standing in the Master of Interior Architecture program.

Focused on acquiring the skills needed to design buildings and their environments, this accredited degree option trains students to anticipate the impact of their designs on physical, aesthetic, social, and ecological environments. Students in the BEDA program will benefit from an integrative curriculum that requires:

Eight sequential semesters of design studios of increasing complexity culminating in an integrative building design project
Building technology courses introducing building structures and environmental systems, onsite renewable energy sources, and passive design strategies for energy efficiency
Hybrid representation courses, including skill building in hand drawing, digital and physical model making, as well as digital rendering, animation, and fabrication
Architectural history and theory courses with a broad understanding of how cultural, philosophical, political, and religious traditions influence the cultural relevance of the built environment
Program electives that have included courses in community design build, global urban ecologies, architectural details, lighting, as well as materials and methods
Semester abroad in Italy studying with ISI Florence (International Studies Institute) in the Palazzo Rucellai

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Young man in a light blue collared shirt smiling outside with trees in the background.

Marywood has brought me so many wonderful experiences throughout my 4 years of attendance. The architecture program helped guide me into the career I always dreamt of pursuing. It taught me lifelong skills and brought me lifelong friends. The importance of collaboration and attention to detail has helped me tremendously in the working world. I came into college unsure of what the future held for me, and left excited and equipped for everything the world had to throw at me. Marywood has given me so much to be thankful for and looking back, I couldn't have imagined myself anywhere else.
Kyle Colucci, BEDA 2021 Read All Testimonials

Design Your Future '25

An Inside Architecture + Design Summer Program

From June 21st to June 28th 2025, students enrolled in the Design your Future Program will be actively participating in the eight – days combination of fun design projects and competitions, organized and guided by our school’s experienced faculty.

Students will be exposed to a number of practical and theoretical questions presented as part of guest lecture and workshop series, and will have the opportunity to converse with practicing architects and designers.Students enrolled in the program will have the opportunity of seeing in action various laboratories and shops (wood / metal / 3D printing / CNC router / laser cutting / etc.).

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Outcomes & Opportunities

MUSOA American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) , Women in Architecture and Design , National Organization of Minority Architecture Students

and more clubs to get involved on campus »

Published Faculty Director of the Virtual Architecture Program, Ryan Scavnicky, is a published author »

Student Viewsin Best Architecture Schools in Pennsylvania by PLEXUSS »

Success Stories From Our Alumni »

Top Employers

Architecture
Construction
Design
Environment

Top Career Paths

Architectural Designer
Construction Manager
Industrial Designer
Interior Designer
Project Manager
Stage and Film Set Designer
Urban Designer
Video Game Environment Designer

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Admission Requirements

If you have any questions about this program, we're here to help.

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Undergraduate Admissions Requirements

Completed application
Official transcripts
Letter of recommendation
Official SAT and/or ACT test scores (Marywood is test optional)
Essay (optional)

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Facilities & Technology

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The front of Marywood's architectural studies center

Center for Architectural Studies

201 Morgan Road
Map & Directions

The School of Architecture is housed in this spacious adaptation of Marywood's former gymnasium. The building features a variety of green components, including a vegetative roof and an innovative heating and cooling system that utilizes geothermal energy from abandoned mine shafts beneath campus.

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School of Architecture Classrooms

Map & Directions

The School of Architecture is a state-of-the-art example of sustainable design. It's a spacious, adaptive re-use of Marywood's former gymnasium and natatorium.

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Blue desks with computers and a long wooden desk to the left

Architectural Studies Computer Lab

Map & Directions

Room 203 (Architecture Students Only). Printer available.

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Scholarships & Tuition

Scholarships

Morris K. Udall Scholarship

The Udall Foundation seeks future leaders across a wide spectrum of environmental fields, including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, and economics. The Foundation also seeks future Native American and Alaska Native leaders in public and community health care, tribal government, and public policy affecting Native American communities, including land and resource management, economic development, and education.

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