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Students
Tuition Fee
Start Date
Medium of studying
Duration
Program Facts
Program Details
Degree
Masters
Major
Architecture | Building Design | Construction Management | Urban Planning
Area of study
Architecture and Construction
Course Language
English
About Program

Program Overview


Architecture Master of Architecture Degree

Overview

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.


Why Study RIT's Master of Architecture Program?

  • STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.
  • An emphasis on design: The program's studio curriculum integrates construction technologies, material science, and mechanics into design.
  • Gain hands-on career experience: A professional co-op helps you build your resume before you graduate.
  • On campus or online options: Study in a traditional on-campus experience and through a 100% online setting.

M.Arch. Courses: What You'll Learn

In RIT's M.Arch. degree, you will engage in a comprehensive curriculum that covers a range of courses in areas such as:


  • Sustainability: With a global need for a more sustainable world, including buildings and their impact on energy consumption and carbon footprints, the focus of many courses reflect the conditions of sustainable design and practice.
  • Technology: Design exploration is enhanced through the understanding of the implication of technology on both design process and product.
  • Urbanism: The complexity of the urban environment requires an interdisciplinary approach to architecture education—one that references economics, public policy, sociology, and regional culture.
  • Integrated Learning/Practice: From the outset, students often approach design problems within teams, learning to value and leverage collective and collaborative participation.

Program Settings

  • Campus: Designed as a full-time in-person program, courses are offered on campus in the fall and spring semesters, primarily during the day.
  • Online: Designed as a flexible and remote program, courses are offered through 100% online instruction during the fall, spring, and summer semesters using both synchronous and asynchronous instruction.

Program Tracks

  • Advanced Standing Track: For students with previous experience and an undergraduate degree in architecture, the advanced standing track requires you to complete a two-year, 60- or 63-credit curriculum starting in a fall term.
  • Standard Admission Pathway: For those students with no prior experience or background in architecture, the standard track requires you to complete a three-year, 90-credit curriculum.

Careers and Salary Info

  • Typical Job Titles: Architect (upon licensure), Project Designer, Project Manager, Intern Architect, Sustainable Design Specialist, Building Science Specialist/Technician, Assistant Professor.
  • Post-Graduation Salary and Career Info: RIT’s master of architecture program has a 100 percent job placement rate among our graduates.

Featured Work and Profiles

  • Central Avenue Gateway: "Central Crossing" by Doug Templeton, Xingyan Wang, Yao Yao.
  • Domus Aqua Inn & Suites by Blair A. Benson.
  • Joseph J. Nicholson III ’19.
  • Sabyasachi Das ’17.
  • JD Harper ’15.
  • Boutique Hotel by Yao Yao.

Curriculum

  • First Year:
    • ARCH-611 Architectural Representation I
    • ARCH-612 Architectural Representation II
    • ARCH-621 Architectural History I
    • ARCH-622 Architectural History II
    • ARCH-631 Architectural Design I
    • ARCH-632 Architectural Design II
    • ARCH-641 Fundamentals of Building Systems
    • ARCH-662 Sustainable Built Environment
  • Second Year:
    • ARCH-699 Coop Architecture (summer)
    • ARCH-731 Architectural Studio I: Site
    • ARCH-734 Architectural Studio II: Urban
    • ARCH-741 Integrated Bldg Systems I
    • ARCH-742 Integrated Building Systems II
    • ARCH-763 Sustainable Building Metrics
    • ARCH-771 Professional Practice
    • GRCS-701 Research Methods
  • Third Year:
    • ARCH-698 Global Experience (summer)
    • ARCH-733 Architectural Studio III: Adaptive
    • ARCH-735 Architecture Studio IV: Integrative
    • ARCH-743 Integrated Building Systems III
    • ARCH-744 Integrated Building Systems IV
    • ARCH-753 Thesis Preparation
    • ARCH-790 Thesis

Admissions and Financial Aid

  • Application Details: Complete an online graduate application, submit copies of official transcript(s), hold a baccalaureate degree, satisfy prerequisite requirements, submit a current resume or curriculum vitae, submit a personal statement of educational objectives, submit two letters of recommendation, submit a portfolio.
  • Cost and Financial Aid: Graduate tuition varies by degree, the number of credits taken per semester, and delivery method. A combination of sources can help fund your graduate degree.

Accreditation

  • NAAB Accreditation: The master of architecture program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
  • STEM Designation: The program is now designated as a STEM program in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology (CIP code 04.0902) making international graduates eligible to extend their F-1 visas for up to three years in order to work in the United States.

Program Outline

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.

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Students are also interested in: Industrial Design MFA, Construction Management MS, Integrative Design MS

This program is also offered online. View Online Option.

Careers and Salary Info

Typical Job Titles

Architect (upon licensure) Project Designer
Project Manager Intern Architect
Sustainable Design Specialist Building Science Specialist/Technician
Assistant Professor

Salary and Career Information for Architecture M.Arch.


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