Program Overview

Master of Architecture (MArch) Degree

The program leading to the MArch degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Program Learning Outcomes for the MArch Degree

Upon completing the MArch degree, students will be able to:

1. Innovate the knowledge and practice of architecture through advanced critical thinking, experimentation, and research.
2. Develop or augment a comprehensive knowledge of the technical aspects of design and construction including an understanding of their impact on design and the environment at a level commensurate with advanced study.
3. Develop a comprehensive knowledge of diverse, advanced building technologies and their application to the design, construction, and operation of buildings, including environmental, material, structural, and mechanical systems, using leading computer applications and tools.
4. Develop or augment a comprehensive understanding of architectural practice and foster the development of innovative forms of practice at a level commensurate with advanced study.

Requirements for the MArch Degree

The MArch degree can be either a thesis or a non-thesis master's degree depending on the option the student pursues.

• A minimum of 93 credit hours or 131 credit hours, depending on the option pursued, to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
• For the Non-Thesis MArch degree program options, a minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of full-time graduate study at Rice University.
• A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit.
• The requirements for one degree program option (see below for options).
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
• A minimum program GPA of 3.00 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the thesis master's degree or the non-thesis master's degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.

Programs of Study

There are two program options at the Master of Architecture (MArch) level: Option 1 and Option 2.

• Option 1: Offered to individuals who hold a four-year undergraduate degree with a major in a field other than Architecture or a major in Architecture with fewer than eight semesters, or equivalent, of architectural design studio.
• Option 2: Offered to individuals who hold a four-year undergraduate degree with a major in Architecture.

Option 1 - MArch Degree Program

• Total Credit Hours Required for the MArch Degree: 131
• Core Requirements:
  • ARCH 501: CORE STUDIO I - DESIGN CULTURE (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 502: CORE STUDIO II - CONTEXT (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 503: COMPREHENSION I - ASSEMBLY (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 504: COMPREHENSION II - URBAN COMPLEX (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 507: TECHNOLOGY I (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 509: TECHNOLOGY II (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 514: TECHNOLOGY III (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 516: TECHNOLOGY IV (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 525 / HART 525: INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL THINKING (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 601: ADVANCED OPTION STUDIO - RESEARCH PLATFORMS 1 (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 602: ADVANCED OPTION STUDIO II- RESEARCH PLATFORMS 1 (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 623: PROFESSIONALISM AND MANAGEMENT IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 645 / HART 645: FOUNDATIONS AND THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE I (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 646 / HART 506: FOUNDATIONS IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE II (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 652: FOUNDATIONS IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE III (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 655: CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES IN ARCHITECTURE (3 credit hours)
• Thesis Requirements:
  • ARCH 701: THESIS PROPOSAL (1 credit hour)
  • ARCH 703: DESIGN THESIS STUDIO (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 729: THESIS WRITTEN DOCUMENT (3 credit hours)
• Elective Requirements: Students must complete 9 additional courses (27 credit hours)

Option 2 - MArch Degree Program

• Total Credit Hours Required for the MArch Degree: 93
• Core Requirements:
  • ARCH 503: COMPREHENSION I - ASSEMBLY (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 504: COMPREHENSION II - URBAN COMPLEX (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 507: TECHNOLOGY I (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 509: TECHNOLOGY II (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 514: TECHNOLOGY III (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 516: TECHNOLOGY IV (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 525: INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL THINKING (3 credit hours)
  • ARCH 601: ADVANCED OPTION STUDIO - RESEARCH PLATFORMS 2 (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 602: ADVANCED OPTION STUDIO II- RESEARCH PLATFORMS 2 (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 623: PROFESSIONALISM AND MANAGEMENT IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE (3 credit hours)
  • Select 2 courses from the following: ARCH 645, ARCH 646, ARCH 652, ARCH 655 (6 credit hours)
• Thesis Requirements:
  • ARCH 701: THESIS PROPOSAL (1 credit hour)
  • ARCH 703: DESIGN THESIS STUDIO (10 credit hours)
  • ARCH 729: THESIS WRITTEN DOCUMENT (3 credit hours)
• Elective Requirements: Students must complete 4 additional courses (12 credit hours)

Policies for the MArch Degree

School of Architecture Graduate Program Handbook

The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the school of Architecture publishes a graduate program handbook.

Transfer Credit

For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the MArch degree should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:

• No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the degree.

Opportunities for the MArch Degree

Master of Architecture (MArch) Thesis Requirement

Thesis is when students build upward and outward from what they've learned over the years, giving back to the school by providing new disciplinary insights and knowledge. Our students discover and invent new territories within architectural and urban paradigms. All MArch degree candidates are required to propose an independent thesis, articulating an ambition, and envisioning its architectural specificity.

RSA Paris

MArch degree (Option 1 and Option 2) students may apply to RSAP to complete one semester in Paris: Option 1 students may do so in their fifth or sixth semester, Option 2 in their third or fourth semester.