Typical Job Titles
Architect (upon licensure) | Project Designer |
Project Manager | Intern Architect |
Sustainable Design Specialist | Building Science Specialist/Technician |
Assistant Professor |
The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) program at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a STEM-designated, NAAB-accredited degree that emphasizes design, research, and sustainability. The program is available in both on-campus and online formats, with advanced standing and standard admission tracks.
In RIT's M.Arch. degree, you will engage in a comprehensive curriculum that covers a range of courses in areas such as:
Sustainability concerns are changing how we think about architecture. Buildings account for a large percentage of the world’s energy expenditures and carbon emissions, which has driven demand for more sustainable architecture. In RIT’s accredited master of architecture program, we’re moving sustainability forward to elevate the value of architectural design. As a student here, you’ll learn how to design with context and substance in areas such as positive energy, performance building, climate-responsive designs, passive resiliency, and more.
Our accredited architecture program offers an immersive program focused on investigating the complexity of designing buildings with people, space, and the environment in mind. Whether you have a background in the building design sector or are new to the field, the program will prepare you for a path to positively contribute to the design of tomorrow’s buildings, neighborhoods, and communities.
Our program offers foundation courses as well as more in-depth classes exploring integrated building systems, urban planning, industrial ecology, and more. You’ll also have the flexibility to choose electives in other subject areas based on your unique talents and career goals, such as business, engineering, energy, or additional design skills.
The RIT master of architecture program is available in a traditional on-campus setting or through a fully online format. The program also provides advanced standing or standard admission pathways for both the on-campus and online settings. We work with each student individually to determine the best setting and pathways and can customize course requirements based on levels of prior experience.
Program Settings
Program Pathways
RIT’s master of architecture program is proud of the 100 percent job placement rate among our graduates. Our alumni are employed in architectural firms around the world and are working in diverse fields, from community development to smart growth to green building materials. Within firms and elsewhere, they serve as architectural designers, research scientists, sustainability consultants, planning engineers, start-up entrepreneurs, and more. Plus, our professional co-ops are a compelling program requirement that often leads to employment offers from architects and other firms working in construction, urban design, and facilities management.
Enhancing the value of design requires constructive collaboration and a breadth of skills and viewpoints, interwoven in a way that elevates and celebrates everyone’s differences and strengths at RIT. Behind our focus on creativity and innovation is a dedication to diversity and inclusion that is fundamental to our mission. The master of architecture degree is suited for students with or without a background in the architecture or sustainability fields. Many of our students have been former art teachers, film students, engineers, interior designers, lawyers, and more before beginning their studies. They bring these backgrounds to the program in ways that enriched conversations and perspectives about design and human needs. Plus, approximately one-third of our students are international students, bringing cultural experiences and architectural design concepts from every continent.
Students are also interested in: Industrial Design MFA, Construction Management MS, Integrative Design MS
Architect (upon licensure) | Project Designer |
Project Manager | Intern Architect |
Sustainable Design Specialist | Building Science Specialist/Technician |
Assistant Professor |