Graduate Program: Architecture (MS) - General

General Information

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

Application Requirements

Prospective students are required to submit application materials directly to the University of Arizona Graduate College. Please pay careful attention to the procedures described in the online application portal. You can access the online application system as many times as necessary to prepare your application up until the time you formally submit your materials. Applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required to apply.

All applicants must upload the following documents using PDF format:

• Personal Statement: You will be required to submit a Statement of Purpose, clearly and concisely delineating your focus or interest, special aptitude or personal characteristics and any other relevant factors related to your career aspirations in the profession of architecture. Additionally, discuss your reasons for applying to the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture and the University of Arizona.
• Portfolio: Things you may want to illustrate in your portfolio could include 1) creative and/or utilitarian personal projects: crafts, furniture, home additions, creative/technical writing, pastries or drawings/illustrations, etc., and 2) academic or professional projects that exhibit technical, aesthetic or social experiences. Technical drawings are a plus; preferably drawn with a sensitive hand/eye rather than dry quantitative color-coded line weights (showing architectural potential beyond engineering experience). Students with little or no design background applying to this research program may include research papers, research designs, posters, etc. to emphasize process and research skills.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae: You will be asked to provide a biographical profile/resume including a complete record of academic and professional work.
• Letters of Recommendation: You will be asked to provide the names and contact information (email address) of three persons who can comprehensively evaluate your record and potential for success in the graduate program. A combination of academic and professional recommendations is preferred. As soon as you have entered this information, an automatic email message will be sent to your recommender, explaining what is required and giving him/her instructions on how to log in on our website. On the recommendations site they will be asked to complete a form and will also be able to upload a PDF copy of the letter or enter a supplemental text directly into the application.
• Transcripts: One complete set of official college transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework (diplomas, titulos). If these original documents are not in English, an official English translation must also be included. Submit these documents directly from the issuing institution to the Graduate College Online Application system. An official transcript, at minimum, must be submitted for ALL institutions attended, before the application will be accepted as completed and allow the review process to proceed.

International students must also provide:

• Financial Guarantee: Applicants must submit a Financial Guarantee form certifying they have sufficient U.S. funds for their first year of education. If family members are to accompany the student, additional funds are required. If the student receives a fellowship or an assistantship, the amount of the award will constitute part of the financial guarantee.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency: TOEFL scores are required of applicants who speak English as a second language unless they have completed at least two years of full time academic study in the United States, English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or other official English speaking countries at an accredited institution, culminating in the receipt of a bachelors or graduate degree that is awarded within two years of the term of enrollment.
• Students must have 48 graded semester hours of upper division, undergraduate work or 30 graded semester hours of graduate work. If the student has been residing outside the English speaking country for more than 2 years since completing studies and earning a degree, he or she will be required to submit current TOEFL or IELTS scores as part of the admissions process. TOEFL results are valid for two years only.
• Only scores of 79 or greater on the TOEFL (with a minimum score of 26 required for the Speaking section) and 7 or greater on the ILETS are acceptable. The Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at The University of Arizona offers full-time English-language training for students who have not attained an acceptable score on their TOEFL.

Official transcripts may be mailed to:

CAPLA Graduate Programs Office
University of Arizona
1040 N. Olive
Tucson, AZ 85721

http://capla.arizona.edu/

 

 

 

 

Standardized Tests

Minimum TOEFL: 79
Minimum IELTS: 7

Required test(s): N/A
Required GRE Subject tests: N/A
Recommended tests: N/A
Recommended GRE Subject tests: N/A
Minimum GRE Verbal: N/A
Minimum GRE Quantitative: N/A
Minumum GRE Written: N/A
Minimum GMAT: N/A
Minimum MAT: N/A
 

 

Funding Opportunities

Financial aid is available to qualified students based on the program, by review of portfolio, supplemental application materials, merit, and financial need. Many of our students receive some form of financial aid excluding loans.

• The program provides financial support to offset tuition for its students in the form of: Graduate Tuition Waivers; Fellowship Funds; Program Fee Set Aside Funds; Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships; Program level scholarships; Graduate Access Fellowships; Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) Waivers for UA employees and affiliates; and student travel support offered by the program.
• The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) allows residents of fifteen participating western states to enroll in this participating University of Arizona graduate program and pay Arizona resident tuition rates. To be eligible, students must be admitted and enroll in a participating program, maintain residency in a participating WRGP state as well as apply with and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. WRGP Arizona resident tuition pricing does not include fees, which are not discounted through WRGP. See https://grad.arizona.edu/funding/opportunities/western-regional-graduate-program for more information. Student will need to provide proof of residency upon acceptance of financial offer.
• The University of Arizona and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture have an array of scholarships available to qualified students. Awards are based on need, merit, program, class year, and/or other specifications. Students can apply for additional scholarships through Scholarship Universe (https://financialaid.arizona.edu/scholarshipuniverse). Admitted students will be notified of the opportunity to apply through Scholarship Universe.

Applicants are eligible to apply for federal financial aid through Free Application Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (https://financialaid.arizona.edu) for more information.

 

Admissions Deadlines

FALL 2021

(ALL M. Arch applicants MUST apply for SUMMER 2021, upon application review the faculty will determine your admission into the M. Arch II or M. Arch II track)

January 10: Priority Admissions Deadline

February 4: Round 2

March 7: Round 3 (Deadline for Graduate Assistantship Consideration and International Students without Visa)

April 4: Round 4

May 15: Final Deadline (Domestic/International with Visa, WRGP-Eligible)

The M. Arch program only admits students for Summer/Fall terms.

 

International Conditional Admission

International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.

Other Information

The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

36 

Core Coursework Requirements

Core Coursework/Studios (21 credit hours):

ARC 601 Graduate Research Studio (6 units)

SBE 580 Research Methods Seminar (3 units)

ARC 900 Research Seminar (3 units)

ARC 909|910 Master’s Report or Thesis (9 units)

 

Upon admission to the program, students may demonstrate competency through coursework in another graduate program and may transfer up to 12 units of course work with approval and course equivalence.

 

 

Elective Coursework

Core Electives (2 required courses = to 6 credit hours)

Core Electives are determined by consultation with faculty advisor to emphasis student’s concentration in:

• Design Energy Conservation (DEC)
• Emerging Building Technologies (EBT)
• Health and Built Environment (HBE)
• Heritage Conservation (HC)
• Urban Design (UD)
• Sustainable Market Transformation (SMT)
• Independent Research (IR)

 

 

Graduate Electives (3 required courses = 9 credit hours)

Additional graduate electives are determined by consultation with faculty advisor to assist in skill development or support student’s research studies.

 

Suggested Core Electives (May be taken to fulfill Graduate Electives):

ARC 561d Computer Energy Analysis (DEC)

ARC 561p Environmental Science Technologies (DEC)

ARC 561i Materials: Properties + Tests (EBT)

ARC 596d Special Topics: Daylighting, Health and Behavior (HBE)

ARC 571f Introduction to the Conservation of Cultural Resources (HC)

ARC 597b Special Topics: Sustainable Urban Design (UD)

LAR 570 Introduction to GIS for Planning & Landscape Architecture (UD)

ARC 540c Design Communications (UD,EBT,HBE,DEC)

ARC 561e Sustainable Design & the LEED Initiative (DEC)

ARC 561q Special Topics in Architectural Research (DEC)

ARC 561l Materials Modeling (EBT)

ARC 597b Special Topics: Health and Wellbeing in the Built Environment (HBE)

ARC 596d Special Topics: Social Behavioral Issues in Built Environments (HBE)

ARC 597j Documentation and Interpretation of the Historic Built Environment (HC)

ARC 561a Water Efficiency in Buildings (DEC)

PLG 508 Planning for Urban Resilience (UD)

PLG 573 Transportation and Society (UD)

PLG 595a Geo Design Linkages (UD)

ARC 531f Biomimetics (UD,EBT,DEC)

ARC 521b Integrated Technologies II (Environmental Parametrics) – (UD,EBT,DEC)

ARC 561k Energy and the Environment (DEC)

ARC 561l Energy Use in Buildings (DEC)

ARC 597c Materials Conservation (HC)

RED 501 Introduction to Real Estate Finance (UD)

SBE 5XX Social Foundations of Sustainability (SMT)

SBE 5XX Innovation, Design & Society (SMT)

 

Additional Suggested Electives:

ARC 535 Forms of Critical Inquiry and Expression

ARC 571n Arid Region Urbanism: Arizona/Sonora

ARC 593 Internship (1-3 units, up to 6 units may apply towards elective requirements)

ARC 596b (H/T Elective) The Architecture of International Exposition: Envisioning Healthy Designs for Expo 2027

ARC 596b (H/T Elective) Contemporary Urbanity and Public Space

ARC 597a Research Methods (LAR/PLG 597a)

ARC 597b Special Topics: in Architecture Environmental Science Laboratory

ARC 597d Practice Elective: Reading Architecture

ARC 597k The Portfolio: Advanced Graphics, Presentation, Layout and Design

ARC 596b (002) (H/T Elective) Trans Journal

ARC 535 Forms of Critical Inquiry and Expression

ARC 599 Independent Study (1-9 units may be taken as Independent Study, to apply towards elective requirements)

 

(Courses are subject to title/topic changes each semester)

 

Electives may be taken in various fields with faculty advisor permission.

 

Additional Requirements

Applicants may be required to interview with faculty prior to recommendation for admission.

 

Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.