Master of Architecture
The Master's of Architecture is traditionally a one year degree taken immediately after completing the Bachelor of Science in Architecture and is often considered the "fifth year."
The fifth year Master of Architecture is dedicated to intensive graduate-level classroom and studio work, culminating in a design thesis project.
Degree earned: Master of Architecture (professional) — recognized by all state licensing boards and accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Overview
The Master of Architecture degree curriculum is made up of two components: general studies and professional studies.
General Studies: (39 credits)
University General Education Requirements: (33 credits total, not including 6 credits from the Pre-Professional curriculum)
The following statement is from the NDSU Undergraduate Bulletin:
The purpose of general education at NDSU is to ensure that students acquire knowledge, perspectives, and skills associated with a university education. The program is designed so that graduates will be able to adapt to and anticipate changes in their profession and in society. Graduates also will be able to integrate and use the knowledge and perspectives they have gained to live productive, intellectually rewarding, and meaningful lives.
- Communication: 12 credits
- Quantitative Reasoning: 3 credits
- Science and Technology: 10 credits (includes 1-credit lab)
- Humanities and Fine Arts: 6 credits (met with 6 credits from the professional curriculum)
- Social & Behavioral Science: 6 credits
- Wellness: 2 credits
Additional General Education Courses: (6 credits total)
These courses are general studies courses required by the architecture program beyond the university's general education requirements.
- A third social & behavioral science class: 3 credits
- A philosophy elective class: 3 credits
University General Education Requirements:
- Cultural Diversity
- Global Perspective
- Computer Usage in all Majors: (ARCH 232: Design Technology)
Optional Studies:(21 credits)
- Three undergraduate level elective courses beyond university general education requirements: 9 credits total
- Four graduate level courses (minimum three from department offerings): 12 credits total
Professional Studies: (108 credits)
Courses at the undergraduate level: 88 credits
Courses at the graduate level: 20 credits
Our curriculum is designed to build knowledge and ability in our students in an incremental way as students move through the program. Expectations for increased knowledge, ability and self-reliance continue to rise as student’s approach graduation. This, along with our emphasis on the transfer of knowledge from lecture and seminar courses to active employment in studio projects, constitutes the framework for our professional studies.
Curriculum
Fall | Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENVD 101 | Intro to Environment Design | 3 | ENVD 104 | Env. Design Fundamentals | 1 | |
| ENVD 102 | Drawing Basics for Env. Designers | 1 | ENVD 172 | Env. Design Fund. Studio | 3 | |
| ENVD 130 | Drawing Skills for Env. Designers | 3 | ENGL 120 | College Composition II* | 3 | |
| ARCH 321 | History/Theory of Architecture I | 3 | COMM 110 | Public Speaking* | 3 | |
| ENGL 110 | College Composition * | 3 | ARCH 322 | History/Theory of Architecture II | 3 | |
| Science/Tech. | Science/Tech Gen. Ed.* | 3 | QR | Quantitative Reasoning* | 3 | |
| Wellness | Wellness General Ed* | 2 | ||||
| Total | 16 | Total | 18 |
Selective Admission
Fall | Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 271 | Architectural Design I | 6 | ARCH 272 | Architectural Design II | 6 | |
| ARCH 231 | Architectural Drawing | 3 | ARCH 232 | Design Technology | 3 | |
| ARCH 233 | Math for Designers | 1 | ARCH 344 | Structures 1 | 3 | |
| PHYS 120 | Intro to Physics * | 3 | PSYCH 111 | Introduction to Psychology* . | 3 | |
| ARCH 323 | History/Theory of Arch. III . | 3 | PHIL | Philosophy elective* | 3 | |
| Total | 16 | Total | 18 |
Fall | Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 371 | Architectural Design III | 6 | ARCH 372 | Architectural Design IV | 6 | |
| ARCH 341 | Site Design for Architects | 3 | ARCH 450 | Architectural Detailing | 3 | |
| ARCH 351 | Materials and Construction | 4 | ARCH 454 | ECS II (Active Systems) | 3 | |
| ARCH 453 | ECS I (Passive Principles) | 3 | ARCH 461 | Urban Design | 3 | |
| Science/Tech. | Science Laboratory* | 1 | ENGL 326 | Writing for Design Professions* | 3 | |
| or ENGL 357 | Visual Language and Culture | |||||
| Total | 17 | Total | 18 |
Fall | Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 471 | Architectural Design V | 6 | ARCH 472 | Architectural Design VI | 6 | |
| ARCH 443 | Advanced Structures | 3 | or ARCH 474 | International Design Studio | ||
| ANTH 111 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 | SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology* | 3 | |
| Science/Tech. | Science/Tech Gen. Ed.* | 3 | Elective* | 3 | ||
| Elective* | 3 | Elective* | 3 | |||
| Total | 18 | Total | 15 |
Graduate Admission (for most students)
Fall | Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 771 | Adv. Architectural Design | 6 | ARCH 772 | Design Thesis | 8 | |
| ARCH 763 | Thesis Research | 3 | ARCH 72x/789 | Topics | 3 | |
| ARCH 781 | Professional Practice | 3 | ARCH 72x/789 | Topics | 3 | |
| ARCH 72x/789 | Topics | 3 | or | Non-ARCH Graduate Elective | ||
| ARCH 72x/789 | Topics | 3 | ||||
| Total | 18 | Total | 14 |