Architecture - Archived 2019-20 Graduate Catalog

Director: Arsenio Rodrigues, School of the Built Environment
Graduate Coordinator: Andreas Luescher
Address: 103 Park Avenue
Phone: 419-372-ARCH (2724)
E-mail: architecture@bgsu.edu
Program Web Page

Degrees Offered
M.Arch.

Program Offered
Master of Architecture

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Master's degree, students in the Architecture program are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to build abstract relationships and understand the impact of ideas based on the study and analysis of multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental contexts. In addition, students will demonstrate the ability to use a diverse range of skills to think about and convey architectural ideas, including writing, investigating, speaking, drawing, and modeling. 
• Demonstrate the ability to comprehend the technical aspects of design, systems, and materials and be able to apply that comprehension to architectural solutions. In addition, the impact of such decisions on the environment must be well considered. 
• Demonstrate the ability to synthesize a wide range of variables into an integrated design solution. 
• Demonstrate an understanding of business principles for the practice of architecture, including management, advocacy, and the need to act legally, ethically, and critically for the food of the client, society, and the public. 

Accreditation
In the United States, most 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 professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a preprofessional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the preprofessional 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 expects to achieve initial accreditation within six 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.

Bowling Green State University, Department of Architecture and Environmental Design is in candidacy for accreditation of the following NAAB-accredited degree program: 

    M. Arch. (preprofessional degree + 52 graduate credits)

    Initial Candidacy granted: 2013

    Last visit for continuation of candidacy: Fall 2017

    Next visit for initial accreditation: Fall 2019

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 required graduate materials should be uploaded to Slate.

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 the webpage.

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.