Skip navigation

Section navigation

Architecture

Admission Requirements Degree Requirements

Mailing Address:
School of Architecture (MC 030)
845 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7024

Campus Location: 3100 A&A
Program Codes: 20FS0249MARC (MArch); 20FS5046MS (MS in Architecture); 20FS5127MS (MS in Architecture in Health Design); 20FS5245MA (MAD-Crit)

Telephone: (312) 996-3335
E-mail: archadmissions@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.arch.uic.edu/admissions.php
Director, School of Architecture: Robert Somol
Director of Graduate Studies: David Brown
Academic Advisor: Stephanie Niebuhr, sniebuhr@uic.edu

The School of Architecture offers four graduate degrees: an NAAB-accredited* professional Master of Architecture degree (MArch), a post-professional Master of Science in Architecture degree (MS), a post-professional Master of Science in Health Design degree (MSAHD), and an academic Master of Arts in Design Criticism (MAD-Crit).

The three-year Master of Architecture (MArch) program, for those holding a bachelors degree in any field, provides a studio-centered curriculum supported by required and elective course work in architectural technology and theory. Applicants to the MArch program must have completed a calculus course with analytical geometry, as well as a year-long survey in architectural history or art history, prior to enrolling in the program. See program Web site: http://www.arch.uic.edu/programs/m-arch.php for more information.

The one-year Master of Science in Architecture (MS) program, starting with a summer term, is designed for holders of a first professional degree in architecture, or its international equivalent, and consists of studio-centered work in architecture and urbanism supported by elective course work in advanced technology and contemporary theory and criticism. See program Web site for more information: http://www.arch.uic.edu/programs/ms-arch.php.

The two-year Master of Science in Architecture in Health Design (MSAHD) program, including a required summer preceptorship, immerses the student in this rapidly evolving field through design-centered studios and related technical and research seminars. Given the school’s larger focus and expertise, the program is especially concerned with the reinvention of the design of health delivery systems in an age of globalization and pandemics. In order to accommodate design professionals who may already be working in this area, the program may be taken part-time. See program Web site for more information: http://www.arch.uic.edu/healthdesign/index.php

The Master of Arts in Design Criticism (MAD-Crit) is a two-year program that develops textual and visual argumentation in the areas of architecture, urbanism, landscape, and allied design practices. The program, open to those holding a bachelors degree in any field, is intended for students, including postgraduate and mid-career professionals, who are interested in re-focusing on research, writing, and publication. In addition to those with architectural backgrounds, the program is also suitable for those from other fields who are already practicing as critics, journalists, or curators but who want to develop expertise in the design areas considered; or those who would like a terminal, graduate degree in order to pursue an academic career. Revolving around intensive writing seminars and publication workshops, the MAD-Crit program aims to solicit and expand the audience for design criticism and reposition the significance of design in public discourse. See program Web site for more information: http://www.arch.uic.edu/programs/mad-crit.php.

The School of Architecture also offers a four-year MArch and MAD-Crit joint degree that provides the graduate with a greater range of opportunities in their pursuit of professional and academic careers.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the program requirements as listed below. For more information on the School of Architecture application instructions, please see: http://www.arch.uic.edu/admissions.php.

 

Master of Architecture

Master of Science in Architecture

Master of Science in Architecture in Health Design

Please note: The Master of Architecture in Heath Design has been suspended effective Fall 2010. Contact the department for more information.


Master of Arts in Design Criticism

Master of Architecture and Master of Arts in Design Criticism Joint Program

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the degree vary according to the student’s previous studies and level of preparation. The Graduate Admissions Committee of the school will specify, at the time of admission, the program to which each student has been accepted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Architecture

Master of Science in Architecture

Master of Science in Architecture Health Design

Please note: The Master of Architecture in Heath Design has been suspended effective Fall 2010. Contact the department for more information.

Master of Arts in Design Criticism

Master of Architecture and Master of Arts in Design Criticism Joint Program

 

*Required text from National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB): “In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (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. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Master’s degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.”