The Master of Architecture, the first professional degree offered by the Department of Architecture, is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The degree program requires two to three years of graduate study, depending on the applicant’s previous academic background and qualifications. It offers a wide range of courses, with particular strengths in the areas of architectural design and integrated practice, ecological/sustainable design, digital design and fabrication, preservation, urban design, and design as a response to the physical, cultural, and social environment.
The Master of Architecture curriculum emphasizes design studio courses. Each of these studios is taught by faculty members who also offer courses in selective subjects.
A study abroad program allows students to combine international travel and study under the tutelage of a departmental faculty member for program credit. The location of the program may vary from year to year. Additional costs of travel, lodging, etc., must be borne by the student.
In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. NAAB, which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. Accreditation of architectural programs takes place on a cycle that may range from every few years to as many as eight years.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Department of Architecture, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
MArch (pre-professional degree + 60 graduate credits)
MArch (non-pre-professional degree + 90 credits)
STEM-DESIGNATED DEGREE PROGRAM
The Master of Architecture is an approved field of study within the U.S. government’s official STEM fields list.
Master of Science in Architecture (MS)
This 30-credit non-professional degree program is appropriate for students who want to develop a personalized and specialized program of architectural studies centered on scholarly studies and research. Graduates will bring specialized knowledge to diverse professional settings that involve collaboration, interaction and communication with other professionals. Students propose their own course of study, to be reviewed and approved by faculty in accordance with the program requirements. Students may use the degree to explore their chosen field of research prior to continuation with PhD studies or, if they are mid-career professionals, may shape or extend their expertise in a particular field relevant to their area of practice.
PhD Program
The PhD Program in Architecture is a community of scholars, practitioners, activists, and educators who are committed to advancing the discipline and practice of architecture. Situated within a professional school of architecture, the program is both curiosity-driven and action-oriented. The faculty and students at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning seek to advance architectural discourse and knowledge at multiple levels of inquiry. They embrace intellectual inclusiveness and critical examinations of society, culture, ecology and technology, while pursuing questions related to architectural history, theory, and criticism, human experience, social justice, and environmental advocacy.
MArch/MUP Program
In cooperation with the Department of Urban Planning, the Department of Architecture offers a Master of Architecture/Master of Urban Planning program that prepares students for careers requiring preparation in both fields. Both the MArch and MUP degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of this program. For more detailed information on this program see Credits and Courses section below.
Additional Notes
Individuals seeking to use the School’s Shop must first provide evidence of personal accident and health insurance to the Dean’s office. Since no accident or health insurance is provided to any user by the University, access to this resource will be prohibited to uninsured individuals.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission to 2-Year Program
An applicant with an undergraduate major in architecture from UWM or a school with an accredited program in architecture similar to the BS in Architectural Studies at UWM must meet Graduate School requirements plus these Department of Architecture requirements to be considered for admission to the program:
- Undergraduate cumulative grade point average in architectural studies of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale).
- Completion of at least five undergraduate design studios.
- Three letters of recommendation from three previous faculty and/or members of the profession.
- Portfolio of architectural studies work.
- For international applicants whose first language is not English, a minimum TOEFL score of 100 iBT, or a score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is required. Applicants with TOEFL scores from 79-99 iBT, or an IELTS score of 6.5 may be considered for admission with the stipulation that further coursework in English be taken.
Admission to 3 Year Program
An applicant with an undergraduate degree in any field other than architecture is normally admitted with two semesters of foundation courses (30 credits) required, must meet Graduate School requirements, and the following Department of Architecture requirements to be considered for admission to the program:
- Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale).
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Portfolio of written and/or visual work.
- For international applicants whose first language is not English, a minimum TOEFL score of 100 iBT, or a score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is required. Applicants with TOEFL scores from 79-99 iBT, or an IELTS score of 6.5 may be considered for admission with the stipulation that further coursework in English be taken.
Admission to MArch/MUP Program
Candidates seeking admission to the MArch/MUP program must apply to and be admitted to both programs. The requirements for admission to the Urban Planning Master’s degree program are detailed in the Urban Planning section of this Catalog.
Credits and Courses
2-Year Program
The minimum degree requirement is 60 graduate credits, 48 of which must be in architecture.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Design 1 | ||
| ARCH 825 | Comprehensive Design Studio: | 6 |
| ARCH 850 | Advanced Design Studio: | 6 |
| ARCH 850 | Advanced Design Studio: | 6 |
| Practice | ||
| ARCH 581 | Law and Professional Practice for Architects | 3 |
| Select one additional course 2 | 3 | |
| Technology | ||
| ARCH 510 | Survey of Structural Analysis and Design | 3 |
| ARCH 516 | Building Construction | 3 |
| ARCH 520 | Environmental Systems: Illumination and Thermal Comfort | 3 |
| Theory | ||
| ARCH 533 | Topics in Architectural Theory: | 3 |
| Select one additional course 2 | 3 | |
| Graduate Electives (M.Arch 3 students must take at least 6 credits in architecture) | 12 | |
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| A 500-level or higher architecture elective | 3 | |
| ARCH 850 | Advanced Design Studio: | 6 |
| or ARCH 825 | Comprehensive Design Studio: | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
- 1
A minimum grade of “B” (3.00) is required in each design studio.
- 2
For list of qualifying courses, contact Student Advising Office, AUP 225 (414-229-4015), sarup-grad@uwm.edu. Students who have completed any of the required courses or their equivalents as undergraduates may substitute architectural electives.
3-Year Program
Consult Student Advising Office for sequencing of courses, (414) 229-4015
An applicant with an undergraduate degree in a field other than architecture is normally admitted with 30 credits of foundation courses required.
The first-year requirements totaling 30 credits are as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| ARCH 300 | Architectural History and Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 301 | Architecture Systems 1 | 3 |
| ARCH 302 | Architecture and Human Behavior | 3 |
| ARCH 303 | Architecture Systems 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 782 | Visualization 1 | 3 |
| ARCH 783 | Visualization 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 810 | Architectural Design I | 6 |
| ARCH 820 | Architectural Design II | 6 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Some of these requirements may be waived by the M.Arch Committee upon an applicant’s acceptance to the program or upon appeal, based on equivalent work. The requirements in the remaining two years include 60 graduate credits, 54 of which must be in architecture.
Transcript-Designated Concentration in Ecological Design
Students wishing to pursue this concentration must be enrolled in the Master of Architecture program and complete a minimum of 21 credits from the following groups of courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological Design Required Core | ||
| ARCH 723 | Fundamentals of Ecological Architecture | 3 |
| Ecological Design Electives 1 | 9 | |
| At least 3 credits taken outside architecture | ||
| Capstone Requirement 2 | ||
| 500-level or higher architecture elective 1 | 3 | |
| ARCH 850 | Advanced Design Studio: | 6 |
| or ARCH 825 | Comprehensive Design Studio: | |
| or ARCH 891 | Master's Project | |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
- 1
For list of qualifying courses, contact Student Advising Office, AUP 225 (414-229-4015), sarup-grad@uwm.edu.
- 2
Ecological design focus.
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
The student must have a professor to advise and supervise the student’s studies as specified in Graduate School regulations.