Architecture, MArch: Real Estate Development
Master of Architecture (MArch I)
The Master of Architecture (MArch I) is a professional accredited degree that prepares you to become a licensed architect. Our curriculum develops innovative designers, thinkers and leaders in fields such as architecture, ecological design and sustainability, urban design, community development, design and construction and more.
The MArch I two-year program is ideal for students with a pre-professional degree in architecture. The MArch I three-year program is intended for students with a bachelor's degree in any field, which means you can become an architect no matter what your undergraduate degree is in.
Stem-Designated Degree Program
The Master of Architecture is an approved field of study within the U.S. government’s official STEM fields list.
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 1-Year Program
An applicant with an undergraduate major in architecture from UWM or a school with an accredited program in architecture equivalent to the Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) at UWM with 150 credits must meet Graduate School requirements plus these Department of Architecture requirements to be considered for admission to the program:
- Completion of at least eight undergraduate design studios.
- Portfolio of architectural studies work.
- A short personal statement.
- 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 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:
- Completion of at least four undergraduate design studios.
- Portfolio of architectural studies work.
- A short personal statement.
- 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:
- Portfolio of written and/or visual work.
- A short personal statement.
- 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
1-Year Program
The minimum degree requirement is 30 graduate credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 718 | Topics in Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARCH 800 | Design Elective: (Topics Vary, take 2 classes) 1 | 12 |
| ARCH 801 | Special Topics: (Topics vary, take 5 classes) | 15 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
2-Year Program
The minimum degree requirement is 60 graduate credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 718 | Topics in Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARCH 741 | Professional Practice I 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 743 | Professional Practice III 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 751 | Survey of Architectural History & Theory 3 | 3 |
| ARCH 800 | Design Elective: (Topics vary, take 3 classes) 1 | 18 |
| ARCH 801 | Special Topics: (Topics vary, take 5 classes) | 15 |
| ARCH 812 | Graduate Design III: 1 | 6 |
| ARCH 821 | Building Technology III 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 822 | Building Technology IV 2 | 3 |
| ARCH 823 | Building Technology V 2 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
3-Year Program
The minimum degree requirement is 90 graduate credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 711 | Graduate Design I 1 | 6 |
| ARCH 712 | Graduate Design II 1 | 6 |
| ARCH 718 | Topics in Professional Practice | 3 |
| ARCH 721 | Building Technology I | 3 |
| ARCH 722 | Building Technology II | 3 |
| ARCH 741 | Professional Practice I | 3 |
| ARCH 743 | Professional Practice III | 3 |
| ARCH 751 | Survey of Architectural History & Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 752 | History & Theory III | 3 |
| ARCH 771 | Representation I | 3 |
| ARCH 772 | Representation II | 3 |
| ARCH 800 | Design Elective: (Topics vary, take 3 classes) 1 | 18 |
| ARCH 801 | Special Topics: (Topics vary, take 5 classes) | 15 |
| ARCH 812 | Graduate Design III: 1 | 6 |
| ARCH 821 | Building Technology III | 3 |
| ARCH 822 | Building Technology IV | 3 |
| ARCH 823 | Building Technology V | 3 |
| ARCH 985 | Advanced Research Methods in Architecture | 3 |
| Total Credits | 90 | |
- 1
A minimum grade of “B” (3.00) is required in each design studio.
- 2
UWM BSAS students who have completed these required courses as undergraduates may substitute architectural electives.
- 3
Required for students with undergraduate BSAS degrees from schools other than UWM. Students with a BSAS degree from UWM may take an ARCH 801 Special Topics elective instead.
No course equivalencies are granted for SARUP classes that satisfy NAAB requirements: ARCH 751, ARCH 353/ARCH 753, ARCH 718, ARCH 741, ARCH 743, ARCH 812, ARCH 822, ARCH 823. For students applying with BSAS degrees from institutions other than UWM, a portfolio review is required to determine satisfaction of NAAB PC2.
Transcript-Designated Concentration in Real Estate Development
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Required Core | ||
| ARCH 780 | The Built Environment and Real Estate Development | 3 |
| BUS ADM 481 | Real Estate Finance & Asset Management | 3 |
| or BUS ADM 483 | Property Development and Management | |
| Real Estate Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Capstone Requirement 2 | ||
| 500-level or higher architecture elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 6 | |
| Design Elective: | ||
| Graduate Design III: | ||
| 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
Real estate 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.
Architecture MArch Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Master of Architecture (MArch) program will be able to:
- Navigate the paths to becoming licensed as an architect in the United States and the range of available career opportunities that utilize the discipline’s skills and knowledge.
- Describe the role of the design process in shaping the built environment and the methods by which design processes integrate multiple factors, in different settings and scales of development, from buildings to cities.
- Explore the dynamic between built and natural environments, and leverage ecological, advanced building performance, adaptation, and resilience principles, in their work and advocacy activities to mitigate climate change.
- Explain the histories and theories of architecture and urbanism, framed by diverse social, cultural, economic, and political forces, nationally and globally.
- Engage and participate in architectural research to test and evaluate innovations in the field.
- Exhibit leadership in multidisciplinary teams, diverse stakeholder constituents, and dynamic physical and social contexts, and apply effective collaboration skills to solve complex problems.
- Explore and understand diverse cultural and social contexts, and design built environments that equitably support and include people of different backgrounds, resources, and abilities.
- Analyze the impact of the built environment on human health, safety, and welfare at multiple scales, from buildings to cities.
- Apply and navigate the professional ethics, regulatory requirements, and fundamental business processes relevant to architecture practice in the United States, and the forces influencing change in these subjects.
- Apply the fundamental principles of life safety, land use, and compliance with current laws and regulations that apply to buildings and sites in the United States, and engage in the evaluative process architects use to comply with those laws and regulations as part of a project.
- Effectively use established and emerging systems, technologies, and assemblies of building construction, and apply methods and criteria to assess those technologies against the design, economics, and performance objectives of projects.
- Make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating synthesis of user requirements, regulatory requirements, site conditions, and accessible design, and consideration of the measurable environmental impacts of their design decisions.
- Make design decisions within architectural projects while demonstrating integration of building envelope systems and assemblies, structural systems, environmental control systems, life safety systems, and the measurable outcomes of building performance.