Master of Architecture (MARCH)

The purpose of the Master of Architecture degree program is to educate students toward ultimate leadership positions within the profession of architecture. Within a broad curriculum, design as a discipline and a process are emphasized.

About The Program

Students are encouraged to give rich visual and material substance to both theoretical and pragmatic ideas. The context for design at The University of Texas at Arlington focuses on the contemporary urban condition, a viewpoint especially appropriate for a school at the heart of a diverse, expanding, and internationally oriented region such as Dallas-Fort Worth. There are three distinct programs of study in architecture, which provide options to graduate students with different backgrounds and needs. Path A requires approximately three and a half years, Path B two years, and Path C one year.

Career Opportunities

• Architect
• Product Designer
• Industrial Designer
• Animator
• Graphic Designer
• Video Game Designer
• Theatrical/Scenic Designer

Degree Options

Path A

Degree: Professional degree in architecture

Credit Hours: 104 credits hours, recommended path three and a half years

Requirements: Any four-year bachelor's degree

Path A is for applicants who hold a bachelor's degree, but do not meet the minimum requirements of a Bachelor of Science in architecture.

A minimum of 104 credit hours in architectural design, theory, and practice is required of Path A candidates for the professional degree in architecture. Due to the rigor of the program (not unlike any other professional school, law, or medicine), students entering this program are advised to discontinue outside employment.

Advancement in Professional Degree Program Path A is predicated upon successful and timely completion of required coursework, as well as an annual review of the student’s portfolio of design work by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Architecture Program.

• Path A is for students with a baccalaureate degree but no specific background in architecture and requires approximately three and one-half years of study. It leads to a professional degree in architecture.
• A minimum of 104 credit hours in architectural design, theory, and practice is required.

Path B

• Path B is for students with a baccalaureate degree in architecture. Assuming that students have already completed satisfactory core studies, it requires approximately two years of advanced professional studies. It leads to a professional degree in architecture.
• 57 credits hours
• Admission requirement: four-year bachelor's degree in architecture
• Students with a five-year professional undergraduate architecture degree who are desiring a second professional degree may apply for advanced standing in the Path B Program.

Path C

Path C is for applicants who hold a five-year professional degree in architecture (B. Arch) or a four-year degree in architecture and acceptable professional experience including registration. It leads to a non-professional degree in architecture.

• 33 credits hours, recommended path one year
• Admission requirement: five-year professional bachelor’s degree in architecture

Curriculum

First Year

• ARCH 5301 - 3
• ARCH 5304 - 3
• ARCH 5303 - 3
• ARCH 5343 - 3
• ARCH 5342 - 3
• ARCH 5364 - 3
• ARCH 5591 - 5
• ARCH 5592 - 5

Second Year

• ARCH 5670 - 6
• ARCH 5323 - 3
• ARCH 5324 - 3
• ARCH 53xx Arch Elective - 3
• ARCH 5325 - 3
• ARCH 5326 - 3
• ARCH 5357 - 3
• ARCH 5594 - 5
• ARCH 5593 - 5
• ARCH 53xx History or Theory Elective - 3

Third Year

• ARCH 5331 - 3
• ARCH 5327 - 3
• ARCH 5328 - 3
• ARCH 5670 - 6
• ARCH 5336 - 3
• ARCH 5333 - 3
• ARCH 5671 - 6
• ARCH 5672 - 6
• ARCH 53xx Technical/Practice Elective - 3
• ARCH 53xx Elective - 3

3844328 / pixabay

Why Choose Us?

• Nationally and internationally recognized faculty in areas focused on the transformation of the social and built environment.
• Located in one of the fastest-growing regions of the United States with over 3,000 AEC firms in the DFW region for employment opportunities upon graduation.
• Cutting-edge research in areas of sustainability, public interest design, building performance, design-build, digital fabrication, urbanism, among others with many opportunities to work with faculty in graduate assistantship positions to gain valuable experience.
• Extensive opportunities for study abroad and foreign exchange programs to extend the educational experience globally.
• Home to the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture (https://blog.uta.edu/dilloncenter/) and the Digital Architecture Research Consortium (http://darc.uta.edu/).

Admission Requirements

Unconditional Admission

Path A: For unconditional admission to the Path A program, the candidate must meet the following requirements:

• B.S. or B.A. Degree - Hold a 4-year B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited program.
• GPA of 3.0 - Have a GPA of 3.0 as calculated by Graduate Admissions.
• GRE score of 297 - Have a minimum total score of 154 in the verbal and 143 in the quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
• 3 Letters of recommendation - Submit three letters of recommendation from sources who are familiar with the applicant's academic record, preferably former professors. (For applicants who have been out of school for an extended period, letters of recommendation may be from professional sources if academic ones are no longer available).
• 200 Word Essay

Submit a short 200-word personal statement providing evidence of professional or academic goals consistent with the Architecture Program.

• For applicants whose native language is not English, a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 79 is required. Further, when the TOEFL iBT is taken, sectional scores of at least 22 on the Writing section, 21 on the Speaking section, 20 on the Reading section, and 16 on the Listening section are preferred. For otherwise highly qualified candidates, this requirement may be eased.
• Portfolio Submission (Optional)

Submission of a design portfolio is not required. If a candidate does have a portfolio of creative work showing freehand drawings or sketches, painting, graphic design, architectural or furniture design, he/she is encouraged to submit it.

Path B: For unconditional admission to the Path B program, the candidate must meet the above requirements, and in addition must:

• Portfolio Submission (required)

Submit a portfolio of design work and/or professional involvement, which shows evidence of design capability on a level expected in the graduate program as determined by the Graduate Architecture Admissions Committee. (Design work produced in an office as an employee carries less weight because of the difficulty in determining the applicant's exact contribution to the work shown). The best indication of probable success in the program is the quality of work demonstrated in the portfolio.

Path C: For unconditional admission to the Path C program, the candidate must meet the requirements of the Path A and Path B programs (except the requirement of a B.A. or B.S. degree) and must:

• Professional Architecture Degree

Have a professional architecture degree (B.Arch. or M.Arch. or the international equivalent) from an accredited architecture program.

Probationary Admission

Path A: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path A, will be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on four of the following six criteria:

• Undergraduate performance in relevant courses
• Work experience
• GPA
• GRE
• Portfolio review (optional)
• Letters of recommendation

Path B: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path B may be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. And/or they may also be required to take one or more Path A and/or fourth-year design studios as determined by the graduate advisor on review of their portfolio before continuing with the Path B design studio sequence.

To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on three of the following five criteria:

• Undergraduate performance in relevant courses
• GPA
• GRE
• Letters of recommendation
• Portfolio review

Path C: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path C, may be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on three of the following five criteria:

• Performance in relevant courses in a program leading to the B.Arch or M.Arch degree.
• GPA
• GRE
• Letters of recommendation
• Portfolio review

Note: Applicants whose native language is not English who do not meet the program's minimum TOEFL score, may be asked to complete extramural training in English through the Pathways Admission Program described in the Admission section of this Catalog.