Spend your summer immersed in the world of architecture, urban design, and sustainable city planning on the UC Berkeley campus. embARC is an engaging college-level course that offers you the chance to study at the top-ranked public university for architecture and the built environment alongside students from all over the world.
Challenging design assignments, one-on-one reviews with instructors, field trips around the Bay Area, and a design/build project for a community nonprofit introduce you to the skills, ideas, and culture of an environmental design education. You'll leave the program with a strong portfolio for your college applications in any area of environmental design and credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript.
Location(s)
- UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Schedule
- July 7th - August 1st, 2025
Cost/Compensation
- Tuition for residential and commuter students: $3,900
- Housing for residential students: $5,300
Eligibility Requirements
- High school students who will be rising seniors (entering 12th grade). We will also consider exceptional rising high school juniors (entering 11th grade).
- Students must be at least 16 years old before the program start date
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
Deadline
- Priority Deadline (includes deadlines for financial aid and housing): February 18th, 2025
- Final Deadline: April 15th, 2025
- Applications are subject to close at any point after February 18th if the program becomes full
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed embARC online application with essay
- $75 application processing fee
- High school transcripts that include all grades from 9th grade through the fall semester preceding your application
- Letter of recommendation from a high school guidance counselor, teacher, principal or community leader
- International students should check this web page for additional requirements
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
- A small number of scholarships and stipends are available to accepted students with U.S. citizenship or residency. The awards are based on financial need. CED Summer Program financial support is not federally subsidized. Applicants have the opportunity to request financial aid when filling out the SlideRoom application for their program of interest. The SlideRoom program application must be submitted before the scholarship deadline to be considered for financial aid.
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
Have other questions?
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a public research university located in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1868, it is the oldest of the ten campuses of the University of California system and is one of the top public universities in the country. The university is home to more than 42,000 students and over 2,000 faculty members, making it one of the largest universities in the United States. UC Berkeley is known for its strong academic programs in a wide range of fields, including engineering, computer science, business, economics, political science, and the arts and humanities. UC Berkeley has produced 107 Nobel laureates, 25 Turing Award winners, and 14 Pulitzer Prize winners, among many other distinguished alumni.
