Graduate

Master of Architecture

The School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation offers the Master of Architecture professional degree program for entering graduate students who hold a preprofessional B.A. or B.S. in Architecture degree. Our goals include preparing students to enter the profession of architecture, to prepare for licensure, to provide for a sufficient depth of understanding of the components of architectural practice and to understand the diverse nature and variety of roles for architects in relation to other fields. The program encourages the mastery and skillful integration of environmental, social, historical, artistic, technical and philosophical concerns into carefully scaled designs that enhance their context.

Students develop design, visual and digital communication skills; knowledge of building techniques; and an understanding of human problems in a variety of local, regional and international contexts. In a world of continuous technological change, these timeless values and skills exist as relevant tools for contemporary life and practice, and as a means toward advancing the cause of a humane and civilized environment for all.

Course Offerings towards the Master of Architecture Degree

or

Electives: One Advanced History/Theory Elective, and four Architecture Electives, with three minimum at the graduate level

Architecture Elective Options

History/Theory Advanced Level Course Options:

Graduate Architecture Electives: Four Required (a minimum of three at the graduate level):
Students are encouraged to look at these electives as a means to explore various concentrations available within the MS in Architecture program. Graduate electives are grouped in the areas of Sustainable Design, Urban Design, Digital Media and Historic Preservation. In addition some Integrative Core MS in Architecture courses are available as Architecture Electives. Students from other pre-professional programs may apply one undergraduate Architecture Elective to this requirement; otherwise all four should be taken at the Graduate level.

Master of Science in Architecture (M.S.)

The School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation offers post-professional education to students with a professional degree (B.Arch., M.Arch. or D.Arch.) in architecture. The Master of Science in Architecture program proactively engages contemporary trends in the profession of architecture such as the growing need for specialization within the profession in order to keep pace with the increased sophistication of building systems and methods of project delivery.. Students are introduced to the program within a collaborative multidisciplinary framework from which they can then explore advanced knowledge in one of four areas of concentration: Design (SD), Urban Design (UD), Digital Media (DM), and Historic Preservation (HP).

The Master of Science in Architecture program is open to both full-time on-site student and part-time online/limited residency students. Full-time student can complete the 30 to 34 credit hours program within one-year over three semesters. Part-time students must complete their degree within the five years as outlined in the graduate section of the RWU University catalog.

Students who complete this degree program will master new skills and gain new insights in their area of concentration and also will develop their ability to operate and lead in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments. The program prepares students for advanced independent inquiry in their area of concentration, while also situating the investigation within a broader collaborative framework that reflects the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of today’s interventions on the built environment and the shared authorship across many different specialists who work together in the “inbetween” realm that separates their respective specialties.

Course Offerings towards the Master of Science in Architecture Degree
Student in the M.S. program must complete 30 to 34 credits with at least 30 graduate credits of coursework. Students take common courses required across all areas of concentration, four graduate courses in the area of concentration may select an option regarding an end-of-study culminating experience that fits their needs.

The common required courses across all areas of concentration are:

and at least one of the following two courses:

Concentration Requirements:
Participants are required to take four Graduate courses in the area of concentration (or three courses and an approved graduate level Design Studio in the area of concentration)

End-of-Study Options:
The end-of-study options include a coursework track and a thesis track. In the thesis track, students first take ARCH 641 Graduate Research Seminar and then complete either ARCH 613 Graduate Thesis Studio or ARCH 633 Independent Graduate Research Thesis. In the coursework track, students take graduates courses in order to complete the degree programs’ required credit total. In one of the terminal courses, the student writes a scholarly paper that demonstrates that he/she has learned, synthesized and is able to apply the knowledge/material he/she has encountered during their course of study.

Sustainable Design Concentration

or

and three of the following:

Urban Design Concentration

and two of the following:

Digital Media Concentration

and three of the following:

Historic Preservation Concentration

and three of the following:

Master of Architecture and & Master of Science in Architecture with Concentration options

The elective categories above reflect the concentrations available within the Master of Science degree option. Students in the Master of Architecture program may apply six credits from that degree toward a Master of Science degree.

Post-professional Studies In Architecture and the Intern Development Program
Recognizing the trend toward the development of post-professional studies in Architecture, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has recently decided that completion of a post-professional degree such as this will offset nearly 20 percent of the documented work experience that intern architects (IDP) take prior to the professional licensure exam.

Graduate Course Grading, GPA and Graduation Requirements
The minimum passing grade in SAAHP graduate level courses is a B- (2.67). The minimum GPA for Master of Science in Architecture graduates is a 3.0 in 500 and 600 level courses.