Architecture, M.Arch.

Master of Architecture Curricula

The Master of Architecture (MArch) First Professional Degree:

The UVA Master of Architecture program is a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited and STEM-designated first professional degree focused on the production of innovative architecture in the context of the global city. The breadth and depth of our faculty expertise teaches students to push experimental boundaries while providing a strong connection to society, scholarship, practice, and technology. 

The Master of Architecture program, rich in instrumental and methodological diversity, exposes students to a rigorous and inventive architectural education. We enjoy a collaborative community, comprised of internationally recognized faculty who are primarily in residence throughout the semester to engage an energetic and culturally diverse student body. The program prepares graduates as design leaders, global citizens, and critical scholars. Our students learn to actively shape the values, boundaries, and methodologies of architectural practice.

We welcome students from diverse scholarly and professional backgrounds who are interested in critically shaping the built environment. As a student here, you have the opportunity to take advantage of UVA’s proud history as a renowned research university, with nationally and internationally ranked programs, distinguished faculty, and robust resources.

The Master of Architecture program welcomes applicants with any four-year Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree consisting of a minimum of 120 credits from an accredited United States college or university or certified equivalent degree. Diverse scholarly and professional backgrounds enrich our educational environment in the first-professional graduate MArch program. Applicants with a previous architecture degree are eligible for advanced-placement.

Enrolled students must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of general studies (not related to architecture) during their undergraduate degree to complete the degree in the time allotted.

Courses taken at other institutions are not accepted for graduate credit in the MArch program. Under exceptional circumstances, a petition along with supporting academic materials (i.e. syllabus and work samples highlighting graduate-level content or equivalence) may be submitted to receive an exemption from taking a required course. Evidence of professional experience is not eligible for course exemption. Candidates are required to fulfill the total degree credit requirement regardless of course exemptions granted.  Petitions are to be submitted to the graduate program director for consideration and final decision. The following Paths are part of the First Professional MArch Degree program:

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE PATH 3

The three-year Master of Architecture (First Professional) is a graduate professional degree intended for individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree  in any field of study from an accredited college or university. The Path 3 program begins in July with the “Summer Design Institute” a four-week intensive introduction to design tools, concepts, and methodologies prior to the first semester of study.  After the introductory summer session, students are expected to complete the program in six semesters.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PATH 2

The two-year Master of Architecture (First Professional) is an advanced placement path, intended for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in architecture and received a recommendation from the admissions committee for advanced placement. Advanced Placement consideration is given to students who have completed a Bachelor of Science Architecture or a Bachelor of Architecture Degree.  

Accreditation

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: The Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, a pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The University of Virginia School of Architecture offers a Master of Architecture (MArch) degree that is NAAB accredited. The Bachelor of Science Architecture, Pre-Professional concentration at Uva. is not an accredited degree but offers the opportunity to receive substantial advanced standing in the top MArch programs around the country, including at U.Va. The paths to achieve the MArch degree and the total number of credit hours are described below.

The University of Virginia’s Master of Architecture program received a full professional eight-year term of accreditation in 2023. This program will be reviewed again in 2031.

Master of Architecture First Professional Degree Curriculum - PATH 3

 PATH 3 Summer Design Institute - Credits: 3

The Summer Design Institute prepares graduate students admitted to the Master of Architecture Path 3 program for rigorous professional study in these design disciplines. Three courses comprise the full-time course of study over a four-week period during the summer prior to the first year

• ALAR 5010 – Introduction to Design - Credits: 1
• ALAR 5020 – Introduction to Design Visualization - Credits: 1
• ALAR 5030 – Introduction to Design Theory and Analysis - Credits: 1

Master of Architecture First Professional Degree Curriculum - Advanced Placement, PATH 2

Public Professional Licensure Disclosure

As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).

Upon completion of the Master of Architecture at the UVA School of Architecture, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.

Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))

Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).