Master of Architecture (M.Arch)
The Master of Architecture program in the Sam Fox School at WashU offers a two- or three-year practice-oriented experience focused on the role of architects in society and culture.
We believe in craft, in risk, and in delivering sophisticated strategies that push architectural ideas and abilities into the future.
As a tier-one research institution, the WashU Master of Architecture program is rooted in faculty research and combines the theoretical and practical, artistic and technical. We attract students who are drawn to studies that are interdisciplinary by nature.
Learning from making is at the core of our pedagogy. Our students learn to create spaces that are beautiful to inhabit and designed responsively, in consideration of the environment, technology, and people. Their work reflects the complexity of contemporary concerns at the confluence of environmental and social issues.
Chair, Graduate Architecture | Associate Professor
NAAB-Accredited & STEM-Designated Graduate Architecture Program
M.Arch Program at a Glance
Program Tracks
- M.Arch 3
- M.Arch 2
- Dual Degree Options
Credits
- 75 credits (M.Arch 3) or
- 105 credits (M.Arch 2)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Full and partial tuition scholarships
- Fellowships
- Paid assistantships
- Loans
Facilities and Shops
- Digital fabrication lab
- Wood shops
- Metal shop
- Ceramics shop
- and more
Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Curriculum
Fundamental to the Master of Architecture program is the architectural design studio sequence. Students progress through core studios in design, representation, architectural history, and building and environmental courses. Following the core sequence, M.Arch students select from a range of advanced options studios related to faculty research.
Informing and enriching design studios are courses in history, theory, research and writing, urban issues, design thinking, technical systems, professional practice, and ecology. The program culminates in the Degree Project, when each student demonstrates their independent character and abilities.
Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Program Tracks
Our M.Arch programs lead to a first professional degree for students with either an undergraduate degree in architectural studies, or an undergraduate degree in other disciplines. Students may also choose to pursue a dual degree to broaden their education at the graduate and post-professional level.
Socially Engaged Practice and M.Arch Travel Opportunities
The Master of Architecture program fosters a culture that values curiosity, experimentation, diversity of perspectives, and engagement with communities—from local to global.
Office for Socially Engaged Practice
M.Arch students can participate in a wide variety of courses, fellowships, workshops, projects, and programming offered through the Sam Fox School’s Office for Socially Engaged Practice during the academic year and summer months that meaningfully engage in community-driven work.
International Programs
With culture, economies, and ecosystems more connected than ever before, international perspectives are vital to the graduate student experience. Travel opportunities range from week-long intensives to a semester-long studio in Barcelona, Spain taught by local practitioners and core faculty.
Career Paths for M.Arch Graduates
Our Master of Architecture program fosters the leadership and design skills that prepare you for an expansive, ambitious career. From founding their own practices like HOK, to starting furniture and design businesses like the Egg Collective, to teaching at top universities and winning the Wheelwright Prize, our graduates are making their mark.
“My time at WashU was instrumental in shaping how I think about cities and my role within them,” shared alum Hallie Nolan, MArch/MUD ’18.
Melisa Betts Sanders, MArch/MUD ’15, is the founding principal of BlackArc, a design collaborative dedicated to advancing racial, economic, and social equity through community-centered design.
Over the years, our new hires from the graduate architecture programs at WashU have been among the best prepared in terms of professional readiness and design ability.
Graduate Architecture Scholarships & Financial Aid
M.Arch Admissions Requirements
Students with a bachelor’s degree in architecture or in any major are welcome to apply. Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores for admission to our graduate architecture programs. Connect with a graduate recruitment specialist for any questions about applying.
Graduate Architecture Application
Application opens
September 1
Application fee starts
December 15
Application due
January 3
Materials required
- Curriculum vitae
- Transcripts
- Personal essays (2)
- Portfolio
- References
- English test scores (international students only)
- Application fee (free through December 14)
Graduate Recruitment Specialist, Architecture
Preparing your M.Arch Portfolio
Students are asked to submit a digital portfolio showing 10-12 examples of design work or work in the visual arts. The work represented in the portfolio should be the best examples of your efforts. For more information about putting together your portfolio, visit the admissions page, attend an upcoming virtual event, or reach out to us.
As you put together your portfolio, get inspiration from the work of our Master of Architecture students.