Master of Architectural History

Admission

Students in the Architectural History M.A. program hold a wide variety of undergraduate degrees from accredited colleges or universities. Recently these have included architecture, art history, English, history, biology, French, American Studies, engineering and historic preservation as well as architectural history. Admitted students without a strong background in architectural history typically take ARH 5611 (Architectural Field School: The Cultural Landscape of Birdwood) and ARH 1004 (History of Architecture) the summer before their first semester in the program. Reading knowledge of a foreign language is also required. Students normally begin the M.A. in the fall semester although exceptions are possible with departmental approval. Students applying from within the University of Virginia to the fifth year MARH program should check Other Opportunities - Architectural History  for their requirements.

Curriculum

Our program teaches a critical understanding of architecture as the broadest possible expression of the built environment-including vernacular, landscape and urban form. The MARH degree requires 36 credits at the graduate level.  Typically students take credits beyond the 36 required during their four semesters of residency, generally attaining 48 credits by the end of the program.  Those interested in historic preservation can complete the requirements for the Certificate in Historic Preservation  and the M.A. in Architectural History within two years.

Historic Preservation Certificate Program

Students wishing to enter the Historic Preservation Certificate Program must be admitted to one of the graduate degree programs in the School of Architecture. In order to ensure proper academic advising and program coordination, students interested in the Historic Preservation Program should attend the program meeting at the start of the fall semester. Upon arriving at the Architecture School they should also file a program participation form with the Architecture School’s registrar. Students who complete the required 21 credits of preservation course work receive a Certificate in Historic Preservation, in addition to their master’s degree. There are individual courses that fulfill the requirements of the historic preservation certificate curriculum that also fulfill requirements within the architectural history department curriculum. Thus, students normally complete the course work for the historic preservation certificate during the same period in which they complete their degree program. The certificate program courses fulfill the degree program’s requirement for minor field of study. The courses in Group B of the Foundations of Preservation Core can count towards a major field requirement in American architectural history. 

Placement Examination

Shortly before the beginning of their first semester, all admitted M.A. students take a diagnostic placement exam.  Based on the results of this exam, a student may be asked to take ARH 7010 (History of Architecture Part I) or ARH 7020 (History of Architecture Part II) during his/her first year.  Only one of these courses may be counted towards the degree; it replaces the open elective.

Language Qualification

Candidates are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language appropriate to the student’s major field of study. This requirement may be satisfied by earning the grade of B or better in an intermediate-level university course in the language within two years prior to admission to the University of Virginia graduate program. Alternatively, the student can take the ETS Graduate School Foreign Language Test and pass with a score of at least 550, or take University of Virginia language courses at the intermediate level, or pass the language departmental reading test. Architectural History students should fulfill the language requirement before or shortly after entry into the program.

Course Distribution

Course requirements are intended to provide a solid grounding in the methods and theories of architectural history as well as a broad understanding of diverse periods and cultures.  The thesis requirement provides the opportunity for an in-depth research project undertaken with the close supervision of a faculty member. Three credits must be in ARH 8001 (Methods in Architectural History), one credit in ARH 5001 (Library Methodology), and three credits in ARH 8994 (Thesis).  In addition, each student must have at least twelve credits, or four courses at the 9000 level and at east one course from each of the following distribution areas: the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean.  In addition, the content of at least of these courses must focus primarily on material before 1450.  Students are encouraged to take additional ARH or ARAH  graduate courses, and graduate courses elsewhere in the University or courses that fulfill the requirements for the Historic Preservation Certificate  . Courses taken at other institutions are normally not accepted.  Fifth year MARH students should consult with the Director of the Graduate Program concerning their requirements.

Under exceptional circumstances, a petition to request and exemption from a required course may be submitted to the graduate director along with supporting materials such as a syllabus and associated papers.  Candidates are required to fulfill total degree credit requirements regardless of course exemptions granted

Major and Minor Field Areas

Students must complete a major field consisting of three courses or nine credits and a minor field consisting of two courses or 6 credits from these distribution areas: the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean. Students may also select Historic Preservation as their minor. Cultural landscapes may also be chosen as a major or minor field in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. The 36 credits required for the degree must be from ARH or ARAH courses with appropriate architectural history content.  In extraordinary circumstances, and with prior departmental approval, students may substitute graduate courses from other departments.

Thesis

The thesis is a major piece of independent work completed under the close supervision of a faculty member who is the director of the three-member thesis committee that oversees the project.  This committee may consist entirely of faculty from the Department of Architectural History or it may include one person from outside the Department.  The director has final approval of the committee members. The thesis (ARH 8994) is taken as a three-credit course, normally during the student’s fourth semester.  It is possible to explore the thesis topic in greater depth through an independent study course taken in the previous semester.

Typical Program of Study

Architectural History Course Descriptions

• ARH 5500 - Selected Topics in Architectural History Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 5601 - Historic Preservation Theory and Practice Credits: 3
• ARH 5602 - Community History Workshop Credits: 3
• ARH 5604 - Field Methods I Building Archaeology Credits: 3
• ARH 5607 - Historic Preservation at UVA Credits: 3
• ARH 5993 - Independent Studies in Architectural History Credits: 1 to 4
• ARH 7010 - History of Architecture I Credits: 3
• ARH 7020 - History of Architecture II Credits: 3
• ARH 7100 - History of Medieval Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7101 - Early Medieval Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7102 - Later Medieval Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7201 - Italian Renaissance Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7202 - Italian Architecture, 1550-1750 Credits: 3
• ARH 7203 - European Classical Architecture Outside Italy, 1400-1750 Credits: 3
• ARH 7204 - Italy, Spain & The Ottoman Empire, 1400-1700 Credits: 3
• ARH 7205 - Rome, Istanbul, Venice Credits: 3
• ARH 7206 - Mediterranean Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7207 - Arts and Architecture of the Islamic World Credits: 3
• ARH 7401 - History of Modern Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7402 - Postwar Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7500 - Special Topics in Architecture History Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 7601 - East Meets West Credits: 3
• ARH 7602 - World Buddhist Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7603 - Archaeological Approaches to Atlantic Slavery Credits: 3
• ARH 7604 - Historical Archaeology Credits: 3
• ARH 7605 - Drawing Historic Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7606 - Landscape Archaeology Credits: 3
• ARH 7701 - Early American Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7702 - Later American Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7703 - Nineteenth-Century American Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7704 - Twentieth-Century American Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7801 - Adv. East Asia Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7802 - Modern Japanese Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 7993 - Independent Study: Architectural History Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 8001 - Methods in Architectural History Credits: 3
• ARH 8002 - Digital Technologies in Architectural History Credits: 3
• ARH 8994 - Thesis Credits: 3
• ARH 8995 - MA Thesis Research Credits: 3
• ARH 8999 - Thesis Project Credits: 6 to 12
• ARH 9100 - Seminar in Medieval Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 9202 - Borromini & Baroque Rome Credits: 3
• ARH 9510 - Seminar in Medieval Architecture Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 9520 - Seminar in Renaissance Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 9530 - Seminar in 18th/19th Century Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 9540 - Seminar in 20th/21st Century Architecture Credits: 3
• ARH 9550 - Seminar in Ancient/Archaeology Architecture Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 9560 - Seminar in Theory, Comparative, & Other Topics Credits: 3
• ARH 9570 - Seminar in Architecture of the Americas Credits: 3
• ARH 9580 - Seminar in Architecture of East, South, and Southeast Asia Credits: 1 to 3
• ARH 9590 - Seminar in Architecture of Africa or Islam Credits: 3
• ARH 9993 - Independent Studies in Architectural History Credits: 3
• ARH 9999 - Non-Topical Research Credits: 3 to 12