M.Arch
Degree Information

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission, students must hold an undergraduate degree in any field. 

Master of Architecture

Applicants to the 3-year Master of Architecture must have received an undergraduate degree in any subject. Admitted Master of Architecture students begin in the summer term.

We recommend that students complete two courses, Calculus 1 and General Physics, before beginning coursework in the fall (late August). These courses can also be completed during the first year of the M.Arch program. These courses must be taken for credit at an accredited institution and the student must earn a C or better in the course. The two prerequisites are:

  • Calculus 1 (3 credit hours minimum – may be taken online)
  • 1 general physics course (lecture and lab) (4 credits – may be taken online)

In order to use AP credit to fulfill either of these prerequisites, a student must have scored a 5 on the Calculus BC exam and/or a 5 on the Physics 1 exam, and submit an original AP score report(s) to the University of Michigan directly. Credit for AP tests on another institution transcript will not suffice. Scores of 4 or below and the Calculus AB exam do NOT fulfill the prerequisites.

We also highly recommend (but do not require) students interested in the 3-year M.Arch program take two studio art or design courses. The purpose of the studio courses is to explore the design process and the art of making, thereby solidifying an interest in architectural study, and to create work to include in the admissions portfolio. Examples of studio courses include but are not limited to:

  • Architecture
  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Design (2D or 3D)
  • Woodworking
  • Ceramics
  • Sculpture
  • Printmaking
  • Metalworking
  • Fashion Design
  • Interior Design
  • Illustration
  • Animation
  • Jewelry Making
  • Photography

Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing

Applicants to the Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing must have a bachelor of science degree in architecture or its equivalent. Admitted Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing students begin in the fall term.

A student must have completed the following prerequisite courses as part of their undergraduate degree in architecture. These courses must be taken for credit at an accredited institution and the student must earn a C or better in every course.

  • 4 sequential architecture design studio courses (5-6 credits each course)
  • 1 construction course (3 credits)
  • 2 structure courses (6 credits)
  • 1 environmental systems course (3 credits)
  • 2 history of architecture courses (6 credits)
  • 1 architecture theory course (3 credits)

Any course deficiencies must be fulfilled in addition to the regular 60 credit hours of the advanced standing curriculum.

Degree Requirements

These requirements apply to the current year. Students who entered the college earlier should refer to the specific degree requirements from the year they entered.

Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing

The Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing degree program requires a student to complete all 60 credit hours in architecture and related professional fields (i.e., planning, landscape architecture, natural resources, public health, engineering, business administration, and other), including a minimum of 45 credit hours of 500/600 level architecture courses.

Master of Architecture (3-year)

The Master of Architecture Degree requires a student to complete 99 credit hours.

Sample Schedule

Our degree’s embrace of a plurality of perspectives is further enhanced by the composition of the college, which includes urban planners, doctoral students, and post-professional students of urban design, and digital and material technologies, and by our context within the nation’s top public research university.

Coursework for the 99-credit curriculum begins in late June.

View Sample Schedule (PDF)