Program Overview

Architecture, M.Arch. Program Information

The Master of Architecture thesis-based program consists of a combination of coursework and a design component.

Admission Information

Admission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Application and Admission Procedures are found in the Academic Guide. Admission requirements for Master's students are found in the Master's Degrees General Regulations section of the Guide.

M.Arch. Admission Requirements

There are different ways to become eligible to apply for the Master of Architecture Program:

• DIRECT ENTRY: All applicants must meet the general admission and entrance requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The entry level into the program will be determined by the Department of Architecture Admission Committee's evaluation of the individual's application and supporting documents. Direct admissions to the M.Arch Program requires that applicants have a minimum of a four-year undergraduate degree in one of the following: Architecture, Architectural Design, Architectural Science, Environmental Design/Architecture option, or the equivalent, from a recognized college or university, with minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent B in the last two full years (60 credit hours) of study.
• ARCHITECTURE Pre-Master's Qualifying Program: Students with undergraduate course deficiencies as determined by the Admissions Committee may be admitted to a Pre-Master's Qualifying program to complete the necessary background requirements. The Department Head or designate is responsible for assigning the courses and monitoring the progress of each student.

Degree Requirements

• Degree Requirements: 48 credit hours
• Faculty of Architecture's Cooperative Education/Integrated Work program (Co-op/I) Graduate Option: Students may apply to the Faculty of Architecture's Cooperative Education/Integrated Work program (Co-op/I) graduate option. Students must complete a minimum of two and maximum of three 4-month work terms to have the Co-op/I option acknowledged on their graduation parchment. For each work term, students must enroll in the appropriate course: ARCG 7150 and, subsequently, ARCG 7250 and/or ARCG 7350. Each course requires submission of a written report and portfolio covering the work completed for the professional assignment. Work term courses are valued at zero credit hours and evaluated as pass/fail. These are above and beyond graduate course requirements. Additional fees will apply.

Accreditation

In Canada, all provincial/territorial associations/institutes/orders recommend a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit Canadian professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of accredited degrees: the Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and the Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch). A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.

Progression Chart

The plan of study grid is as follows:

• Year 1:
  • GRAD 7300: Research Integrity Tutorial (0 hours)
  • GRAD 7500: Academic Integrity Tutorial (0 hours)
  • Select 3 credit hours from the following:
    • ARCH 7000: Advanced Technology Topics I
    • ARCH 7010: Advanced Technology Topics 2
  • Select 3 credit hours from the following:
    • ARCH 7020: Research Topics: History and Theory 1
    • ARCH 7030: Research Topics: History and Theory 2
  • ARCH 7040: Professional Practice (3 hours)
  • ARCH 7050: Arch Studio 5 and Comprehensive Program Report (9 hours)
  • ARCH 7060: Arch Studio 6 (9 hours)
  • ARCH 7350: Legal Aspects of Architectural Practice (3 hours)
• Year 2:
  • ARCH 7070: Design Research Studio (9 hours)
  • ARCH 7080: Technology Thesis Report (3 hours)
  • Select 6 credit hours from the following:
    • ARCH 7000: Advanced Technology Topics I
    • ARCH 7010: Advanced Technology Topics 2
    • ARCH 7020: Research Topics: History and Theory 1
    • ARCH 7030: Research Topics: History and Theory 2
  • GRAD 7090: Design Thesis (0 hours)

Courses

Architecture

• ARCH 6450: Inquiry by Design (3 hours): An exploration of design/research, to contrasting design and research via dialectical and practical inquiry.
• ARCH 7000: Advanced Technology Topics I (1.5 hours): One five-week seminar and/or project-based topics offering in-depth study of advanced building systems, technology, and methods.
• ARCH 7010: Advanced Technology Topics 2 (1.5 hours): One five-week seminar and/or project-based topics offering in-depth study of advanced building systems, technology, and methods.
• ARCH 7020: Research Topics: History and Theory 1 (1.5 hours): One five-week lecture, seminar and/or project-based topics offering an in-depth study of an historical and/or theoretical subject.
• ARCH 7030: Research Topics: History and Theory 2 (1.5 hours): One five-week lecture, seminar and/or project-based topics offering an in-depth study of an historical and/or theoretical subject.
• ARCH 7040: Professional Practice (3 hours): Is concerned with the duties and responsibilities of an architectural practice; its divisions, office organization and administration, in Manitoba and Canada.
• ARCH 7050: Arch Studio 5 and Comprehensive Program Report (9 hours): Develop design explorations and seek to clarify relations between architectural criteria and the urban
  atural environments in national or international contexts.
• ARCH 7060: Arch Studio 6 (9 hours): The previous term's investigations are further developed into a comprehensive architectural design proposal.
• ARCH 7070: Design Research Studio (9 hours): This final design studio involves concerted research and design explorations of an individually defined subject of inquiry, within a selected studio thematic focus.
• ARCH 7080: Technology Thesis Report (3 hours): Technology Thesis Report is an advanced project-based course done in conjunction with the Design Thesis project.
• ARCH 7100: Advanced Technology Topics (3 hours): Seminar and/or project-based topics offering in-depth study of advanced building systems, technology, and methods.
• ARCH 7120: Research Topics: History and Theory (3 hours): Lecture, seminar and/or project-based topics offering an in-depth study of an historical and/or theoretical subject.
• ARCH 7350: Legal Aspects of Architectural Practice (3 hours): Discusses the importance of the knowledge of law as it relates to professional practice of architecture, including a discussion of the historical development of legal responsibilities of a practicing professional generally and of architects specifically.

Regulations

• Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.
• Supplementary Regulations: Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations.
• Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR): Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.
• All students must:
  • maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
  • meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
  • meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).