Washington Alexandria Architecture Center Virginia Tech

About This Campus

Since 1980, the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) has served as an urban extension of the Virginia Tech School of Architecture. The WAAC began with a straightforward mission: to use the city as a laboratory and classroom, an immersive environment in which to learn about architecture, the city, and life. Located in historic Alexandria, VA, less than eight miles from Washington, DC, the WAAC offers a unique professional learning environment with an individual focus. The WAAC allows students to address the complexities of urban areas, using the Washington metropolitan area as a resource laboratory for design and research. Our pedagogy emphasizes freedom and responsibility as partners in ethical design practice. Students have the freedom to choose their own studio and thesis projects, then take on the responsibility to realize those projects. We inspire students to chart their own career paths and become the architects or urban designers they want to become.

We are not on a conventional campus; instead, the City of Alexandria is right outside our door.

The nation's capital is just across the river with world-class museums and architectural attractions.

We're a small program so everyone knows your name, but we're in a big city to explore.

Spending a semester or two with us is easy as we have typically accepted all placements. We offer many of the required courses in a NAAB accredited Architecture program, including comprehensive/integrated design studio and professional practice. Students have the opportunity to work part-time in the numerous design firms located in Alexandria and DC. Our campus is located with easy access to Washington's excellent Metro system, as well as Amtrak for travel to the cities of the Northeast.

Location Information

All of our facilities are located within the Old Town district of Alexandria, VA, within a historic urban campus. Our building at 1001 Prince Street has become the embodiment of the pedagogy of the WAAC. Originally built as a school in the early 20th century, the building experienced first abandonment, then adaptive re-use as an office building before becoming a home for the WAAC in 1991. Since then, faculty and students have dismantled, altered, augmented, inserted, and reconfigured the building in an ongoing exercise of design/build and stewardship. 1001 Prince contains the WAAC’s administrative offices, faculty offices, classrooms, and studio space. It also houses our library, computer lab, printers/plotters, laser cutters, and darkroom.

REGISTRATION:

TERM DATES:

Fall Start Date: 08/24/2026 - Fall End Date: 12/16/2026

Spring Start Date: 01/19/2027 - Spring End Date: 05/12/2027

OPTIONS:

Honors Access: No

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS OPEN TO NSE STUDENTS:

Architecture
Architecture and Related Services
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES
Design
Industrial Design
Sustainable Design/Architecture
Urban Studies

GPA AND OTHER ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS:

General Eligibility Requirements

EXCHANGE PREFERENCES:

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (Visa Students):

Receive from Canada: Will Accept Pay
Does your campus accept International Students (those already in the U.S. on a student visa)?

CANADIAN EXCHANGE:

Learn More

Accept international students studying in Canada on a visa? - No
Accept Canadian students on J1 visa or F1 visa? -

Figures per Semester are current as of 11/25/2025

TUITION:

Campus Budget
Fees are subject to change without notice
Home Tuition Payment: Not Available
Away Tuition Payment: Available
Estimated cost: $7000

MAXIMUM CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER:

Host Payment: 18

IMPORTANT NOTES:

NSE students pay the equivalent of in-state tuition plus fees, which are set in the summer by the Board of Visitors of the University.

Canadian students may incur additional fees relating to their student visa and services provided by the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office.

Financial Aid for NSE Students. Regardless of Payment Plan, financial aid is awarded by and disbursed from your home campus.

Figures per Semester are current as of 10/01/2024

ON-CAMPUS HOUSING PER SEMESER:

Is on-campus housing available?

Off-CAMPUS HOUSING:

Off-Campus Housing

NOTES ABOUT OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING:

Virginia Tech's housing resources for the DC area are a convenient first stop. Our program administrator, Stephanie Woodson, can also connect incoming students with area landlords and current students seeking roommates.

MEAL PLANS:

Are meal plans available on campus? No

Fees are subject to change without notice.

Priority Placements for Academic Year 26/27

If this is your top choice campus...

N/A

This campus is not accepting students on this tuition payment plan.

Open

This campus usually accepts all eligible applicants. Apply and start packing your bags!

If this is your alternate choice campus...

N/A

This campus is not accepting students on this tuition payment plan.

Open

This campus usually accepts all eligible applicants. Apply and start packing your bags!

CAMPUS RESOURCES/LINKS:

Campus Homepage

CAMPUS SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram

Washington Alexandria Architecture Center Virginia Tech

Alexandria, Virginia

About This Campus

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