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Architecture Schools and Programs in Brazil

12 schools in Brazil teach Architecture.

Architecture Studies in Brazil

Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasiTeatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasi

In Brazil, architecture is studied as a single bachelor's degree (bacharelado) in Arquitetura e Urbanismo, which combines building design with urban planning and landscape design. The course normally takes five years (ten semesters), is taught in Portuguese and leads to the diploma of Arquiteto e Urbanista. Architecture is one of the regulated professions for which a bacharelado is required.

SpainExchange lists 12 universities in Brazil for architecture. In São Paulo they include the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and FAAP; in Rio de Janeiro, the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio); and in the capital, the Universidade de Brasília (UnB). The others are spread across the country, among them the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-Campinas), the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB) in João Pessoa, the Universidade Federal de Goiás in Goiânia, the Universidade Federal de Viçosa and the Universidade Federal do Ceará in Fortaleza.

How the degree is organised

Schools present the course as generalist training: graduates should be able to work on buildings, cities and landscapes, and on the conservation of built heritage. Design studio work runs through the whole degree and ends with a final project. Some examples:

  • UnB: 10 semesters, in a full-time or an evening version, with 140 places a year (80 full-time and 60 evening)
  • PUC-Rio: 5 academic years, 246 credits and a total workload of 3,705 hours, built around integrated design studios and an internship programme
  • PUC-Campinas: 10 semesters and 4,597 hours
  • FAAP: 5 years in ten semesters, with classes limited to 35 students

At the Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo e de Design of USP (FAUUSP), created in 1948 from the former engineer-architect course of the Escola Politécnica, students work on architecture, urbanism and landscape projects, structural systems, construction techniques, environmental comfort, heritage restoration, and also graphic and object design. The UnB course dates from 1962 and had Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer as its first coordinators. The PUC-Rio curriculum includes structural systems, building services, urban and regional planning, landscape design and construction planning alongside the design studios.

After the bachelor's degree, graduates can continue with a specialisation course (lato sensu, at least 360 hours) or with a master's degree, which lasts two years on average, and a doctorate, which lasts four years on average.

Admission and language

Public universities select most students through Sisu, the Ministry of Education's system that ranks candidates by their results in the national secondary school exam (Enem); foreigners may also sit the Enem, which includes an essay in Portuguese. Universities can have their own routes as well. UnB admits students through its vestibular, its PAS programme and an Enem route, and FAUUSP stopped using specific aptitude tests in its entrance exam in 2017. Private institutions use their own vestibular or the Enem: FAAP accepts Enem results from the last five years and requires at least 550 points.

Students from countries that take part in the Programa de Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação (PEC-G) can apply at a Brazilian embassy or consulate for a free place on a full degree, without an entrance exam. All candidates must prove proficiency in Portuguese, for example with Celpe-Bras, the official Brazilian exam of Portuguese as a foreign language, and they commit to returning to their country after graduating.

Foreigners who come to Brazil for a regular course must, as a general rule, apply for a Temporary Visa IV (VITEM IV) at a Brazilian consulate, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (page updated on 6 July 2026).

Costs

Public higher education institutions in Brazil do not charge students tuition fees. Private institutions do: FAAP states a monthly fee of R$ 7,110 for architecture in the 2027 academic year. The academic year runs from February or March to November or December.

Professional recognition and careers

The profession is regulated by Law 12.378 of 31 December 2010, which created the Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Brasil (CAU/BR) and the councils of the states and the Federal District. Their function is to guide, discipline and supervise the practice of architecture and urbanism, and they handle professional registration.

Brazil has no agreement for the automatic revalidation of foreign degrees. An undergraduate degree obtained abroad can only be revalidated by a Brazilian public university that offers the same or a similar course; applications are made through the Plataforma Carolina Bori. Students who plan to return home with a Brazilian degree should check the recognition rules of their own country.

According to PUC-Rio, architects and urbanists prepare, coordinate and supervise projects, plan and monitor building works, and act as consultants and expert assessors, in fields that range from buildings and interiors to landscape architecture and urban and regional planning. FAUUSP notes that its graduates work both in the private sector and in public bodies.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an architecture degree take in Brazil?

Five years (ten semesters) at the schools described here. UnB allows its course to be completed in a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 18 semesters.

Is architecture in Brazil taught in Portuguese?

Yes. The Enem includes an essay in Portuguese, and candidates for the PEC-G programme must prove proficiency in the language, for example with the Celpe-Bras certificate.

How much does it cost to study architecture in Brazil?

Public universities do not charge tuition fees. Private institutions set their own fees; FAAP, for example, charges R$ 7,110 per month in the 2027 academic year.

Can I work as an architect in Brazil with a foreign degree?

A foreign degree must first be revalidated by a Brazilian public university with the same or a similar course. Professional practice is supervised by the architecture and urbanism councils (CAU).