Good news! Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California is currently open. The University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design welcomes applications for the program. Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California was created in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design to uphold the investigation of architecture as a social art. Every year the PRIZE Committee chooses a topic vital to the understanding of the collaboration of people and the built world that becomes the focus of the Essay Competition.
The Committee posts a Question on this website linked to the topic. Usually, scholars admitted in any recognized undergraduate architecture program or diplomas in architecture program throughout the world are invited to submit a 500-word essay proposal in English responding to the Question. This year, architecture students must team up with undergraduates from allied arts and social sciences programs and submit proposals in teams of two.
From the collection of essay proposals received, nearly 25-28 are handpicked by the PRIZE Committee as particularly promising. The selected student teams become Semifinalists. These Semifinalists are summoned to submit a 2,500-word essay, again in English, intensifying on their proposals. A set of readers, composed of Committee members and invited colleagues, picks five-to-eight of the best essays and forwards these Finalist essays to a jury of international academics and architects to pick the winners.
Deadline: Applications are due by November 1, 2020
Institution: University of California
Level of Study: Undergraduates
Country: USA
Benefits of Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California
- There is a whole prize of 35,000USD, minimum 7,500USD first prize. The remaining prize is to be allocated at the decision of the Jury.
- At the close of the Essay Competition submittals, all Semifinalists are also requested to submit a proposal for a BERKELEY PRIZE summer Fellowship. This time, the opportunity is a Community Service Fellowship. Specifics for this new Fellowship will be publicized in early 2021.
Eligibility for Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California
- Every proposals must be submitted by a two-member team.
- Essays must be submitted in English.
- Both finalists will be asked to provide evidence of current registration in the form of duplicates of actual school transcripts. You are still qualified to participate if both of you were an undergraduate student on September 15, 2020, but one or both of you graduate before the awards are programmed to be given.
Judging Criteria for Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California
Essay competition is judged on a numeric system. The members of the BERKELEY PRIZE Committee are requested to assess each essay in terms of the following criteria:
- Does the Proposal address the Question?
- How innovative, or creatively developed, is the Proposal?
- Would the Proposal be presentable to a wide audience?
- How does the Proposal rank in respect to writing style?
- How socially significant is the Proposal?
- What is the potential for evolving this Proposal into a solid essay?
Every criterion is awarded a score of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The top approximately 25 scoring Proposals become Semifinalists.
How to Apply for Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California
- Meet the Requirements listed.
- Compose a 500-word proposal for an essay on this year’s Essay Question, as posted.
- Submit one photograph each of your selected projects.
- Submit the essay and photographs online.
Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of Californiawas created in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design to encourage the investigation of architecture as a social art. Yearly the PRIZE Committee picks a topic vital to the understanding of the relations of people and the built world that becomes the focus of the Essay Competition.
From the group of essay proposals received, about 25-28 are selected by the PRIZE Committee as mainly promising. The selected student teams become Semifinalists. These Semifinalists are summoned to submit a 2,500-word essay, once more in English, growing on their proposals. A set of readers, composed of Committee associates and invited colleagues, picks five-to-eight of the finest essays and directs these Finalist essays to a jury of international academics and architects to choose the winners.
Click here for more details and to apply for Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Design Excellence at University of California.