Architecture (Archived 2016-17 Graduate Catalog)

Interim Chair: Wilfred Roudebush
Graduate Coordinator: Andreas Luescher
Address: 103 Park Avenue
Phone: 419-372-ARCH (2724)
E-mail: architecture@bgsu.edu
Program Web Page: http://www.bgsu.edu/technology-architecture-and-applied-engineering/departments-and-programs/architecture-and-environmental-design/master-of-architecture.html

Degrees Offered
M.Arch.

Program Offered
Master of Architecture

Accreditation
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has granted BGSU's Department of Architecture and Environmental Design continuing candidacy for its Master of Architecture professional degree. The Accreditation process has involved the following:
    • NAAB Visit for Initial Candidacy: 2013
    • NAAB Visit for Continuing Candidacy: 2015
    • NAAB Visit for Initial Accreditation: 2017​​

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 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 NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within 6 years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented. In order to meet the education requirement set forth by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, an applicant for an NCARB Certificate must hold a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the NAAB; the degree must have been awarded not more than two years prior to initial accreditation. However, meeting the education requirement for the NCARB Certificate may not be equivalent to meeting the education requirement for registration in a specific jurisdiction. Please contact NCARB for more information http://www.ncarb.org/

Prerequisites to Graduate Work
The two-year professional Master of Architecture builds on the four-year pre-professional B.S. in Architecture degree currently in operation—or its equivalent from other institutions. 

Admission Procedure
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate program in Master of Architecture should follow the instructions outlined in the "Graduate Admission" section of this Graduate Catalog.  All application materials should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.

In addition, applicants should review the admissions requirements specific to the program to which they seek admission.  

Additional criteria for the Master of Architecture program includes:   
    1. A statement of intent outlining the applicant’s reasons for applying to the program and why             his/her application should be accepted (limited to one page).
    2. Three letters of recommendation from previous professors and/or employers.
    3. An electronic portfolio which highlights a minimum of five projects with a range of complexity             representing work over the student’s undergraduate career and professional experience, if                 applicable. Each project should include a summary of the applicant’s process as well as brief                 descriptive captions (dates, courses, supervisions, goals). The number of pages and the format             are left to the discretion of the applicant. The portfolio must be submitted in PDF format, and             limited to 10MB.

The submission of the architecture portfolio replaces the requirement for GRE scores.

Degree Requirements
The 52 semester credit hours professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) This degree revolves around the technical explorations of materials, structure, and sustainability in the context of design, and around the historical, urban, and preservation paradigms of buildings and cities. These areas of interest integrate with entrepreneurial theories and strategies as a method to advancing architectural design and practice. A professional practice/entrepreneurship core of courses, including an applied entrepreneurship as well as a business core of courses in collaboration with the College of Business will coalesce to form this unique feature of the M.Arch. Program.

Candidates for the Master of Architecture must fulfill 52 graduate credits through the following core areas:
    · Design Studio (27 credits)
    · Professional Practice (7 credits)
    · Building Technologies (6 credits)
    · History/Theory (6 credits)
    · Business (6 credits)

For a list of the approved Master of Architecture program courses, please see: http://www.bgsu.edu/technology-architecture-and-applied-engineering/departments-and-programs/architecture-and-environmental-design/master-of-architecture.html

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online by clicking the “Browsing Course Catalog” button at http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/courses-and-classes/class-course-information.html. Graduate courses offered by the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design use the prefix: ARCH.