Course description
PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT
For students desiring a career of leadership in society and practice, the University offers the M. Arch. Professional degree program. This degree offers the academic credentials for professional licensing and admission to the field of architecture.
The objective of the Master of Architecture (M. Arch. ) degree program is to combine professional studies in architecture with advanced liberal education courses. Academic course work combines graduate studies in architectural design and theory, self-driven selective research, professional practice studies, advanced liberal education courses and interdisciplinary studies, and an intensive Masters Class studio of visiting professors. A rich variety of architectural elective courses are lead by an outstanding faculty, allowing the opportunity to specialize in one of five concentrations.
PROGRAM SUMMARY
Lawrence Tech's College of Architecture and Design is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). The M.Arch. degree holds the maximum six year accreditation term by the National Architectural 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 degree; 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 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." - NAAB
The one academic year and two summers M. Arch. degree program develops a core curriculum covering the range of knowledge a graduate needs in creative practice. A focus of the program is the Master Class studio that is taken in the first summer and is led by a practitioner who has a critical practice. Past Master Class practitioners have included William Massie, Marlon Blackwell, Mark Sexton, Betsy and Shane Williamson and Dan Wood and Amale Andraos from WorkAC. Building from the core of required courses, self-motivated students can elect their own area of concentration or explore new directions.
The M. Arch student has the opportunity to pursue a specialized professional interest by selecting an area of concentration:
Sustainable Architecture - cutting edge material, design, and technology
Critical Studies in Architecture - historical and theoretical research
Urban Design - emphasis on urban planning issues
Design and Practice - coordinating design research and practical application
Interior Architecture - focusing on issues such as environmental psychology and space planning
The M. Arch. Professional degree program is open to highly qualified graduates of college/university architectural programs who meet all admission requirements. Students who work while earning the M. Arch. Degree should plan to distribute course work over two to four years.
