Master of Architecture

The Master of Architecture degree is the first accredited architecture degree at a public institution in New England.
Course offerings are organized around an interdisciplinary curriculum involving faculty and students from architecture, studio art, art history, public history, landscape architecture and regional planning, building construction and wood technology, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, computer science, and management. Students may also take classes through the Five College Consortium, including Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges.

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 term, an eight-year term with conditions, a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a nonaccredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the nonaccredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The application process includes:

Transcripts (these are evaluated by the admissions committee and the graduate school, for GPA as well as courses taken)

3 letters of recommendation

Personal statement, no more than 3 pages. We encourage applicants to ask themselves Why a Master of Architecture degree? Why now? Why UMass? and What will I contribute?

Portfolio and/or documentation of previous creative work and/or research. A portfolio of creative work should include no more than twenty pages of art, architecture, and/or design work. (This is evaluated by the admissions committee for breadth of experience, technical skill, evidence of design thinking, and relative experience, to make decisions about the recommended track).

Language tests are required of foreign student applicants, and requirements are listed on the Graduate School website.

The GRE is not required for the 20232024 application cycle.
All prospective students should apply via Slate using the guidelines below. Graduates from a BA or BS in Architectural Studies or an equivalent degree may be given advanced standing in the Master of Architecture, and this decision will be outlined in your acceptance letter. Acceptance letters are typically emailed to applicants by March 1 of any given application cycle, although applications received after the priority deadline will be evaluated on a rolling basis.
IELTS: 6.5
TOEFL: 80
Duolingo: 105
PTEA: 53
GPA- 3