Two graduate degrees are offered in three paths of study. The two-year Master of Architectural Design and Urbanism (M.ADU) is for persons holding a professional degree in architecture. The two-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch) is for persons holding a four-year (pre-professional) degree with a major in architecture. The three-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch) is open to persons holding undergraduate degrees in fields other than architecture. Click on the paths below for more information:
- Path A is a four-semester course of study leading to the Master of Architectural Design and Urbanism (M.ADU) post-professional degree;
- Path B is a four-semester course of study leading to a 2-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch) N.A.A.B.-accredited professional degree; and
- Path C is a six-semester course of study leading to a 3-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch) N.A.A.B.-accredited professional degree.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements include various studio and theory courses in Paths A, B and C, as well as various history and technology courses for Paths B and C. Minimum credit-hour requirements for Paths A, B and C are indicated below, as well as the anticipated time to complete them:
- Path A (M.ADU) - 42 credit-hours (51 max), 2 years
- Path B (M.Arch) - 54 credit-hours (63 max), 2 years
- Path C (M.Arch) - 90 credit hours (99 max), 3 years
Curricular Sequence: Foundations, Concentrations, Terminal Project
All students in all paths begin with foundational courses, spend one year in a concentration, and end with a one-semester terminal project.
Foundations: All graduate students receive foundational instruction in both classical architecture and traditional urbanism, in studios and classes appropriate to their previous levels of architectural education. See the various path sequences and the course descriptions for further information about foundational courses.
Concentrations: In the final three semesters of Paths A, B and C, the studio courses converge, i.e. Path A, B and C students take studios with each other in their final three semesters. Each path requires the student to pursue a concentration in either Classical Architecture or Urban Design for the two semesters prior to their terminal design project semester. All students spend one of those two concentration semesters in Rome; the semester they spend in Rome depends upon which concentration they select. Students in Path C choose their concentration after enrolling in the program. Path A and Path B candidates must indicate in their application Statement of Intent whether they are going to concentrate in Classical Architecture or in Urban Design.
Classical Architecture Concentration: Students choosing to concentrate in Classical Architecture spend extensive time in both South Bend and Rome on studio projects and course work that develop their knowledge of and ability to participate in the 2,500-year-old tradition of western classical architecture descending from Greece and Rome.
Urban Design Concentration: Students choosing to concentrate in Urban Design likewise spend time in both South Bend and Rome, but travel extensively to other towns and cities as well. Both focus upon the formal principles of good urban design,but the second semester studio also introduces students to the political, legal and cultural frameworks of contemporary traditional urban design through a studio-based community design charrette.
Terminal Design Project: The independent semester-long terminal design project is required of all students in their final semester. This project provides an opportunity for students to design in a variety of scales and contexts of their own choosing, in which contemporary architectural issues are explored in projects that require the student to synthesize their academic experience. M.Arch student projects may include an urban design component, but must include the in-depth design of a building.
Discretionary Dual Degree: At the discretion of the School of Architecture Graduate Studies Committee, as many as two M.Arch students per year may be invited to pursue one additional year of study - the Path D/Discretionary Dual Degree (DDD) track, at the end of which the student receives both the M.Arch professional degree and the M.ADU post-professional degree.
Course Descriptions: This list includes courses offered in the Architecture Graduate Program. Course offerings are subject to change.