School of Architecture & Community Development
Building on our heritage of over 55 years and our unique relationship with Detroit as our home, the School of Architecture & Community Development is internationally recognized for our social, economic and environmental justice-driven and student-centered approach. The School is divided into two departments, Architecture and Community Development, and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, an applied teaching and research center.
The School is strongly committed to a broad-based liberal arts education that prepares architects to understand the spectrum of human endeavors. The School intentionally keeps its enrollment small to maintain relationships with each student. SACD advocates an open dialogue about architectural issues and philosophies, then searches for deeper architectural meaning than that offered by trend, fad or style.
Thanks to the Downtown Boxing Gym for creating this video and for its use.
The curriculum provides a foundation in design excellence, and also addresses contemporary issues, including a focus on urban revitalization, and issues of environmental justice and sustainability. This foundation is provided through both in-class and out-of-class experiences that develop a student's understanding of societal concerns.
The School is actively involved in the life of the community. Through its design studios and Master of Community Development, and through the Detroit Collaborative Design Center — an outreach of the School — SACD serves the community of which it is a part. The ability to gain real world understanding is further enhanced through the mandatory cooperative education program and through the optional international studies programs.
The Architecture master’s program offers a National Architectural Accrediting Board-accredited professional degree. Read more on NAAB accreditation.
Learn more about our programs in our own words.
Studio Culture
Community Engagement
Practice-Ready Graduates
Study Abroad in Italy
Study abroad in Poland
Workshops and Labs
Faculty Mentors
Home Away from Home
Financial Aid
Alumni Success
About MCD
A multi-disciplinary, nonprofit design center based in Detroit Mercy's School of Architecture & Community Development
Presented by the Great Lakes Fabricators and Erectors Association
School of Architecture & Community Development News
September 04, 2024
University of Detroit Mercy ranked No. 43 in U.S. by The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse as it welcomes a record first-year class
The 2025 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranking has put UDM at No. 43 in the nation, nine places higher than it ranked the University last year.
August 09, 2024
30|45|60 Anniversary Celebrations
University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development is celebrating three major milestones: 30th anniversary of the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, 45th anniversary of our Warsaw, Poland exchange program and 60th anniversary of the School of Architecture & Community Development
June 23, 2024
Alumna's 'me + you' installation featured in Michigan Central Station reopening
Suchi Reddy, a 1991 graduate from the School of Architecture & Community Development, will debut a new iteration of her "me + you" design for the reopening, set for June 6-16 in Detroit.