Founded in 1889 as the Boston Architectural Club, the BAC originally provided a forum for architects to gather and discuss design projects, while also providing an opportunity for their apprentices to learn from experienced professionals. Today, as an independent, accredited college located in the historic Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, a city with an extensive and diverse history of architecture, the BAC offers degree programs in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and design studies.

The Boston Architectural College has maintained its tradition of professional education through its concurrent learning model. Students at the BAC work in design firms during the day, earning education credits as paid employees, and attend classes in the evening (typically just a few nights a week). These classes are taught primarily by practicing professionals, who have a working knowledge of current issues in the profession. This joining of practice-based learning and classroom-based learning has allowed the BAC to become one of the leaders in graduating skilled, experienced design professionals.  Additionally, BAC graduates gain a competitive advantage in the workforce, having already built strong professional resumes with several years of real-world experience in design firms. In fact, students at the BAC are often already employed in supervisory positions before they graduate.