Architecture and the building industry are rapidly changing, and professionals need to be more effectively prepared to innovate and challenge a workforce that is far more dynamic, complex and diverse than it was 20 years ago. Professional architecture firms and offices no longer specialize in building design only, they have expanded into related fields that compel architecture education to become more comprehensive and advanced than ever.
Students can both complete the accredited architecture degree content and gain additional credentials for another master's degree or certificate that supports their individual interests. This enables students to pursue concurrent options in related areas, such as construction management, sustainability, real estate development, urban planning, landscape architecture, interior architecture, business and other subject areas. Students also may simultaneously join other programs across ASU such as health, education or fine arts.
Each semester of the program includes a design studio and two other courses, such as technology, representation, history, theory, research and practice. Students craft the design and plan the construction of economically and ecologically sustainable built environments and communities. They are rigorously trained on advanced design and digital prototyping, innovative building systems and new technologies, as well as in the research and advocacy of the expansive public role of architects within a broader civic dialogue and social justice aspirations.
The program is offered in two distinct learning modalities --- in-person and online --- providing further opportunities for students to earn the same National Architectural Accrediting Board-accredited professional degree.
Students who successfully complete the requirements for Master of Architecture program and their chosen electives for their certificate can choose to continue for an additional year in their added field and turn their certificate into the second master's degree. Students pursuing concurrent degrees earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas, allowing them to pursue their own personal or professional interests effectively.
The mission of The Design School is to prepare students for professional success, while continuing to innovate and advance the discipline of architecture through an emphasis on place, context and contemporary culture, this emphasis recognizes the school's responsibility and commitment to social and environmental justice within Arizona, the region, nation and the world.
