Program Overview

Architecture Program

The Architecture Program at South Dakota State University is committed to using its surrounding public and professional context as its primary laboratory for investigation, through the study of the technological, ethical, and cultural implications of making things that make places.

Degrees Offered

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture (B.F.A.)
• Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Master of Architecture

The Master of Architecture degree is offered in two formats:

• Two-year Master of Architecture: Students with a four-year undergraduate degree in architecture are eligible to apply.
• Three-year Master of Architecture: Students with an undergraduate degree in disciplines other than architecture are eligible to apply.

Admission Criteria

• Deadline for two-year Master of Architecture: January 31 of the year starting in fall
• Deadline for accelerated Master of Architecture: March 31 during junior year in B.F.A. in Architecture
• Deadline for three-year Master of Architecture: January 31 of the year starting in fall

Program Details

• The program has a mandate of no more than 220 students, making it one of the smallest architecture programs in the U.S.
• The program is housed in the Chicoine Architecture, Mathematics and Engineering Hall, which features a 13,000-square-foot workshop outfitted with state-of-the-art manual and CNC fabrication and construction and manufacturing tools.

Scholarship Information

• American Institute of Architects (AIA) South Dakota Merit Award: A scholarship given to one student based on an application and portfolio review.
• AIA South Dakota Enrichment Award: An award that gives students an opportunity to broaden their perspective and deepen their passion for the architectural profession.
• TSP/Architecture Scholarship: Awards given every fall to undergraduate students exhibiting excellence in design and professional promise.
• Harold Spitznagel Architectural Graduate Studies Fellowship: A work experience and scholarship fellowship offered annually to outstanding graduate architecture students.

Accreditation

• The professional Master of Architecture degree program was granted an eight-year term of accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) in 2019.
• The next accreditation visit is scheduled for 2027.

Program History and Future

• The program was established in 2009 with the support of the Architecture Founders Group and the College of Arts and Sciences.
• The program has grown to include seven full-time faculty members and has become one of the most active research programs on campus.
• The program is community-focused and graduates young professionals into an underserved region.

Long Range Planning Goals

• Pursue academic excellence through innovative program development, student engagement, and a dynamic teaching and learning environment.
• Engage in discovery, encourage innovation, and produce architectural works that enhance the quality of life for South Dakota and the Upper Great Plains Region.
• Broaden the impact of the program through strategic partnerships and collaborations.
• Secure human and fiscal resources to provide an infrastructure that ensures high academic and scholarly achievement.

Research Areas

• The program is focused on the disciplinary relationship between the practical means, "building arts," and our professional ends, "public works," in teaching, research, and service.
• The program explores the technological, ethical, and cultural implications of making things that make places.