Curriculum
All of our MArch programs are STEM-designated and offer an accredited first professional degree to students with either an undergraduate degree in architectural studies, or an undergraduate degree in other disciplines.
- The MArch 3 program is a 6-semester, 3-year course of study totaling 105 credits
- The MArch 2 program is a 4-semester, 2-year course of study totaling 75 credits
Course of Study
Fundamental to the graduate curriculum is the architectural design studio sequence. Each semester students select from a range of vertical studio options organized around projects and topics offered by different design instructors. These studios emphasize the development of strong conceptual abilities, thoughtful integration of technical information, and convincing representations of architectural ideas in two- and three-dimensional form, and through a variety of media. The ultimate goal is for each student to develop clear design principles, strong technical resources, and an independent, critical position on the making of architecture in the world. The independent character of a student’s abilities is demonstrated and tested in the final semester through the Degree Project.
Informing and enriching the studio experience for students in the MArch program are courses in architectural history and theory, building technology and structural principles, urban design, professional practice, landscape design, and representational and digital media studies. Great emphasis is placed on a student’s ability to integrate and synthesize the information in these courses into appropriate architectural form in the design studio. While these topics have consistently been a part of the graduate curriculum, their specific content, sequence, and method of instruction is under constant review and development.
Placement
The duration of graduate study varies according to prior preparation and course work in architecture, and the quality and complexity of work in an applicant’s portfolio. The Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design reserves the right to place students at the level the Admissions Committee deems appropriate, on the basis of portfolio evaluation, transcript evaluation, and overall preparation for the intensity of the design curriculum.
MArch 3 Program Requirements
The MArch 3 program forms the overall basis for the graduate program. This full six-semester professional curriculum is for students holding baccalaureate degrees with majors in architecture and with majors other than architecture. The program begins with a series of core studios and courses before students progress into the advanced studio sequence. This 105-credit program leads to a professionally accredited Master of Architecture degree.
General program requirements for students entering in fall 2025 or later are featured below. Full details related to studio requirements and prerequisites can be found in the pdf documents. Courses denoted with an asterisk in the charts below may be waived; waived courses (more than 2) must be fulfilled by general elective. See the Course waiver section for details.
Students admitted to the MArch 3 program have the opportunity to waive the following courses:
- Building Systems (ARCH 3340)
- Structures I (ARCH 4340)
- Structures II (ARCH 4350)
- Architectural History I (ARCH 2210)
- Architectural History II (ARCH 2220)
- Architectural History III (ARCH 4230)
- Environmental Systems I (ARCH 3310)
- Shared Ecologies (LANDARCH 2040)
Six waived credits count toward the degree, and all others must be replaced with general elective credits.
MArch 2 Program Requirements
Students with strong backgrounds in architectural studies (a BS in Architecture, typically) are considered for selective entry into the four-semester MArch 2 program. To be considered for advanced placement, students must also have completed an Architectural History I course that includes coverage on the following topics: Greco Roman Classicism, European Middle Ages, Renaissance + Baroque, and 18th/19th century Neoclassicism and the Industrial Revolution. Students are also expected to have been exposed to non-Western content, such as Pre-Columbian, Islamic, South Asian, or East Asian. The MArch 2 curriculum is a four-semester, advanced placement course of study, beginning always in a fall semester. Students are considered for placement in the MArch 2 curriculum on the basis of design portfolio evaluation and the extent of their undergraduate architectural studies. Placement in this curriculum is highly selective. The MArch 2 sequence begins with the final, comprehensive core studio (419) and concludes with the Degree Project. This 75-credit program leads to a professionally accredited Master of Architecture degree.
General program requirements for students entering in fall 2025 or later are featured below. Full details related to studio requirements and prerequisites can be found in the pdf documents. Courses denoted with an asterisk in the charts below may be waived; waived courses (more than 2) must be fulfilled by general elective. See the Course waiver section for details.
Students admitted to the MArch 2 program have the opportunity to waive the following courses:
- Building Systems (ARCH 3340)
- Structures I (ARCH 4340)
- Structures II (ARCH 4350)
- Architectural History I (ARCH 2210)
- Architectural History II (ARCH 2220)
- Environmental Systems I (ARCH 3310)
- Architectural History III (ARCH 4230)
- Shared Ecologies (LANDARCH 2040)
Six waived credits count toward the degree, and all others must be replaced with general elective credits.
Special Note: MArch 2+
As part of recent revisions to our curriculum, we are discontinuing the MArch 2+ curriculum; no new students are being admitted to this program beyond fall 2019. This five-semester, advanced placement course of study begins with the final, comprehensive core studio (419) and concludes with the Degree Project. The 75-credit program leads to a professionally accredited Master of Architecture degree. Contact Ellen Bailey (ebailey@wustl.edu) for program requirements.