Dr. Diana Martinez

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Diana Martinez is an architecture historian specializing in the history and theory of architecture. She earned her BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley in 2001, followed by a Master of Architecture from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) in 2006 and a PhD from the same institution in 2017. Martinez's research focuses on the built environment of the Philippine Islands as a critical examination of the U.S. imperial project. Her forthcoming book, Concrete Colonialism: Architecture, Urbanism, and the United States' Imperial Project in the Philippines, published by Duke University Press in 2025, analyzes the profound impact of a single material in the context of the U.S. colonial enterprise. She is currently working on another manuscript, Master Plans: Colonial Roots of Urban Renewal, which connects the historic 1905 Plan for Manila with early 20th-century city planning in the United States. Martinez teaches courses like Architectures of U.S. Empire and Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism at UC Berkeley.

Research Interests

Courses

ARCH 179/279 – Architectures of U.S. Empire ARCH 170B – Historical Survey of Architecture and Urbanism

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.