Architecture (MArch)
Our master of architecture degree allows students to complete a professional degree, leading to licensure, in a stimulating academic environment that is characterized by cooperation, rigor, and a commitment to human quality in the built environment.
The program is studio-based, with a full complement of professional courses with opportunities to focus on an area of special interest. Students can take advantage of numerous on and off-campus opportunities for expanding their academic experience. We offer a full array of foreign-study programs, internships in architectural offices, and various opportunities to work directly with communities.
Track I
Eligible applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited four-year U.S. college or university OR hold an equivalent credential from a qualifying international institution.
Track II
Eligible applicants must have a pre-professional degree in architecture from a regionally accredited four-year U.S. college or university OR hold an equivalent credential from a qualifying international institution. A four-year program is considered qualified if the school has an accredited graduate program.
The Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The program leading to the M.Arch degree is a vibrant and collaborative learning environment that prepares students to be value-based leaders in the architecture and design disciplines as well as within the communities in which they work and live.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of issues of social justice and environmental sustainability as core components of a dynamic between built and natural environments.
- Demonstrate the critical thinking, values, knowledge, skills, and practices they need to create meaningful architecture that resonates with people and their cultural, physical, and ecological worlds.
- Develop a holistic design process that integrates human experience and building systems across a range of scales considering innovative approaches, methods and technologies.
- Develop a critical understanding of the histories and theories of architecture and urbanism as framed by diverse social, cultural, economic, and political forces, nationally and globally.
- Develop a capacity for leadership, collaboration and research along with a capacity to engage diverse constituencies.
- Demonstrate understanding of the paths to becoming licensed as an architect and the associated professional ethics, regulatory requirements, and fundamental business processes relevant to architecture practice in the United States.
Professional Master of Architecture Degree Requirements
The professional, NAAB-accredited master of architecture (MArch) degree program prepares students for careers in architectural practice and careers in allied professions that contribute to shaping the built environment.
The department offers two tracks of study, both of which lead to the MArch degree. Track I typically takes ten terms to complete and requires 144 credits.
Track I students typically complete all or most of the MArch degree program requirements at the University of Oregon, and begin the program the summer before their first full academic year of study. Students with bachelor’s degrees (BA, BS) other than a preprofessional degree in architecture must apply to the Track I program.
Students with degrees in related design disciplines (e.g., landscape architecture, interior architecture, environmental design, or architecture degrees from programs at schools that are not accredited) may be given advanced standing, up to a maximum of three terms of studio credit for equivalent prior studio work. Track I students may apply to transfer to Portland after completing the introductory design studio sequence in Eugene.
MArch Track I
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Architectural Design Studios | ||
| ARCH 680 & ARCH 681 & ARCH 682 | Introductory Graduate Design and Introductory Graduate Design and Introductory Graduate Design | 18 |
| Intermediate Architectural Design Studios | ||
| ARCH 584 | Architectural Design (repeatable studio for all professional-degree students) 1 | 30 |
| Advanced Architectural Design Studios | ||
| ARCH 585 & ARCH 586 | Advanced Architectural Design I and Advanced Architectural Design II | 16 |
| Design Media and Communication | ||
| ARCH 523 | Media for Design Development: [Topic] | 3 |
| ARCH 611 | Graduate Design Process | 3 |
| An Additional Course to be chosen in consultation with an advisor | 2 | |
| Architectural Design Theory and Practice | ||
| ARCH 530 | Architectural Contexts: Place and Culture | 4 |
| ARCH 540 | Human Context of Design | 4 |
| ARCH 550 | Spatial Composition | 4 |
| Building Technology | ||
| ARCH 561 | Structural Behavior | 6 |
| ARCH 562 | Structural Design | 6 |
| ARCH 570 | Building Construction | 4 |
| ARCH 571 | Building Enclosure | 4 |
| ARCH 591 & ARCH 592 | Environmental Control Systems I and Environmental Control Systems II | 8 |
| Advanced building technology elective | 4 | |
| Professional Practice | ||
| ARCH 517 | Context of the Architectural Profession | 4 |
| Architectural History | 12 | |
| Approved 500- or 600-level courses in architectural history 2 | ||
| Architectural Electives | 12 | |
| Approved 500- or 600-level courses in architecture or allied fields | ||
| Total Credits | 144 | |
| 1 | LA 589 Site Planning and Design, IARC 584 Interior Design, or IARC 586 Furniture Design may be substituted for one of the required ARCH 584 Architectural Design studios. |
| 2 | Students must take at least one course in each of the following historical periods: ancient, Renaissance, and modern. |
Courses required for the program must be passed with a grade of at least C- or P or P* to count toward the program. There is no minimum graded credit requirement for Architecture, however, the Division of Graduate Studies requires a GPA of a 3.0 to remain in good standing. |
Of the required 144 credits, 15 credits must be applied to an advanced study cluster or 16 credits must be applied to a specialization or 12 credits must be applied to one of the department’s graduate certificate programs. Students who complete a concurrent master’s degree in an allied field are exempt from this requirement. This work may include an independent research project.
MArch Track I Sample Plan of Study
Professional Master of Architecture Degree Requirements
The professional, NAAB-accredited master of architecture (MArch) degree program prepares students for careers in architectural practice and careers in allied professions that contribute to shaping the built environment.
Track II is a six-term advanced placement program that requires approximately 87 credits (the exact number determined on the basis of individual evaluation of prior course work at the time of admission).
Track II is for applicants who have a four-year preprofessional degree in architecture from an institution where the four-year degree is part of a “four plus two” NAAB-accredited degree program. Students admitted into Track II begin their studies fall term. Applicants who have a four-year preprofessional degree in an environmental design discipline and an equivalent amount of professional studio and course work may be considered for Track II. Track II students must fulfill the same professional curriculum requirements as the Track I program, but are admitted with advanced standing in studio and subject-area courses. The extent of this advanced standing is determined by the department before beginning the program. This preliminary evaluation of course waivers is provisional, pending satisfactory completion of three terms in residence.
MArch Track II
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Architectural Design Studios | ||
| ARCH 584 | Architectural Design (repeatable studio for all professional-degree students) 1 | 18 |
| ARCH 683 | Graduate Architectural Design: Track II | 6 |
| Advanced Architectural Design Studios | ||
| ARCH 585 & ARCH 586 | Advanced Architectural Design I and Advanced Architectural Design II | 16 |
| Professional Practice | ||
| ARCH 517 | Context of the Architectural Profession | 4 |
| Architecture Seminar | ||
| ARCH 607 | Seminar: [Topic] | 3 |
| Architectural Core and Subject Area Electives 2 | 40 | |
| Media for Design Development: [Topic] | ||
| Architectural Contexts: Place and Culture | ||
| Human Context of Design | ||
| Spatial Composition | ||
| Structural Behavior | ||
| Structural Design | ||
| Building Construction | ||
| Building Enclosure | ||
| Environmental Control Systems I | ||
| Environmental Control Systems II | ||
| Experimental Course: [Topic] | ||
| Graduate Design Process | ||
Advanced Building Technology Courses | ||
Approved 500- or 600-level courses in Architectural History | ||
Approved 500- or 600-level courses in allied fields | ||
| Total Credits | 87 | |
| 1 | LA 589 Site Planning and Design, IARC 584 Interior Design, or IARC 586 Furniture Design may be substituted for one of the required ARCH 584 Architectural Design studios. |
| 2 | Architectural Core requirements will vary depending on prior coursework credits after an evaluation of academic transcripts by the Director of Graduate Studies. All possible core courses students may be required to take are shown. Architectural Core and Subject Area Electives make up the remaining degree credit requirements to total a minimum of 87 credits earned for the degree. |
Courses required for the program must be passed with a grade of at least B- or P or P* to count toward the program. There is no minimum graded credit requirement for Architecture, however, the Graduate School requires a GPA of a 3.0 to remain in good standing. |
Of the required 87 credits done in residence, 15 credits must be applied to an advanced study cluster or 16 credits must be applied to a specialization or 12 credits must be applied to one of the department’s graduate certificate programs. Students who complete a concurrent master’s degree in an allied field are exempt from this requirement. This work may include an independent research project.
Students admitted into the Track II program are expected to have completed professional courses in building technology, architectural history, architectural design, and other subject areas in their undergraduate degree program. Students with insufficient preparation may be admitted with deficiencies. Satisfaction of the specific deficiencies may require additional course work for the degree. Students intending to enroll in the Track II program in Portland may be required to fulfill deficiencies on the Eugene campus before they may commence study in Portland.