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Architecture

Link to a list of faculty for this program.

Contact Information—School of Architecture, College of Design, University of Minnesota, 145 Rapson Hall, 89 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-7866; fax 612-624-5743; http://arch.cdes.umn.edu).

Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that apply to all major fields.

Curriculum—Architecture encompasses the making and study of the buildings and environments that we inhabit. The concerns of architecture involve a wide variety of areas of study, including the art of representing built projects through drawings and computer graphics; the technology of building structure, building materials, and natural and mechanical systems; the history, theory, and art of making, using, and understanding buildings as cultural artifacts for human use; and the practice of architecture in the context of sustainable environmental systems, urban form, and business economics.

The department offers one NAAB accredited professional degree, the master of architecture, and two non-professional research degrees, the M.S. in architecture-with a sustainable design track and the M.S. in architecture with concentration in heritage conservation and preservation.

The master of architecture degree is the accredited three-year professional program that prepares students for licensure and practice in the discipline of architecture as a speculative, analytic, and investigative endeavor. Through rigorous methods of inquiry developed in the design studio, lectures and seminars, students acquire the breadth of knowledge required of the professional architect: the techniques and processes of representation, communication, and analysis; the history and theory of making architecture and urban form for human use; and the technology, systems, processes, and economics of construction and practice. The 90-credit M.Arch. professional degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). A portfolio for admission is required.

The master of science in architecture is a nonprofessional degree offering advanced studies and research methods in sustainable design and in heritage preservation and conservation. The nonprofessional M.S. seeks advanced students from architecture, building science, art history, geography, archaeology, landscape architecture, environmental design, or related disciplines to pursue multidisciplinary graduate study and research in sustainable building practices and historic preservation. The School of Architecture also offers a dual degree program that combines the M.Arch. professional degree and the M.S. in architecture with a sustainable design track.

Prerequisites for Admissionto the M.Arch—Students entering the three-year M.Arch. program have varied educational backgrounds that add to a diverse student body. There are several different paths into and through the M.Arch. program. Students who have a B.A. or B.S. degree with a major in architecture or environmental design, generally enter the three-year M.Arch. program.
Students who have earned a bachelor degree in a field other than architecture and little or no background in architecture apply for the 3+ Option, enrolling in a summer semester to establish the foundation needed to succeed in the professional program. The majority of candidates have earned an undergraduate degree with a major in architecture or in a preprofessional architecture program at an NAAB accredited school of architecture. All M.Arch candidates complete the master of Aarchitecture as either a Plan C with a master's design project or a Plan A thesis in their final studio in the spring semester. Information about each of these paths and the requirements for admission appears on the following page.

The 3+ Option—This option is designed for students with a broad range of academic backgrounds in undergraduate fields other than architecture. Students who are admitted to the 3+ program receive graduate level preparation through a rigorous summer semester of studies in drawing, architectural history-theory, technologies, and design studio. The ensuing fall semester, 3+ students merge with all other M.Arch. three-year program candidates for the remaining complement of design studios and courses.

Advanced Standing/Post-Professional—The standard M.Arch professional degree program is three years in length. However, candidates may request admission with advanced standing, and if admitted, may complete the degree in two years; these are exceptional students with a B.S. with a major in architecture degree from accredited NAAB schools. Applications from students who already hold a five-year B.Arch. professional degree, often international students, may be admitted as post-professional degree students. The director of graduate studies tailors advanced and post-professional students' programs to comply with NAAB requirements upon graduation. Post-professional students must be in residence a minimum of three semesters and complete 33 credits.

Prerequisites for Admission to the M.S. in Architecture—Master of science in architecture sustainable design track applicants should have an undergraduate degree with a major in architecture, environmental or building sciences, engineering, or a related field. Applicants seeking a concentration in heritage preservation should have an undergraduate degree with a major in architecture, landscape architecture, art history, urban studies, geography, archaeology, or a related field. Application requirements include a statement of purpose, a writing sample related to the field, a portfolio of related works or design projects, transcripts of all coursework, and three faculty recommendations. The GRE is required. The two- to three-page statement must outline a probable research agenda, topics or themes that the applicant wishes to pursue, including information about the applicant's preparation for the field and career goals. The statement and portfolio are submitted directly to the school of architecture by January 15.

Special Application Requirements—Admission to the M.Arch. program is highly competitive. In addition to meeting Graduate School application requirements, all students applying to the M.Arch program, whether Plan A or Plan C option, must submit all of the following: a portfolio that demonstrates design talent, transcripts of all coursework, three faculty recommendations, responses in English to two of three school of architecture questions posted on the electronic application. GRE scores are only required if selecting the Plan A Thesis option. The portfolio should be no larger than 8.5″ x 11″. International students must submit scores from the TOEFL or the MELAB. For all applicants, the department may waive requirements for required courses when they are equivalent to those offered by the department.

For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section of this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.

Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).

mouse image For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.

Accreditation and Licensing—Preparation for the profession of architecture requires both formal education and practical experience followed by a professional examination and registration. In the United States, most state 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 U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the bachelor of architecture and the master of architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Master's degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. The master of architecture degree program at the School of Architecture, University of Minnesota College of Design is fully accredited by the NAAB.

Courses—Refer to Architecture (ARCH) in Twin Cities Courses on the University Catalog Web site for courses pertaining to the program.

Use of 4xxx Courses—
4xxx courses cannot be included on Degree Program Forms without the permission of the adviser and director of graduate studies.

M.Arch. Degree Requirements

The professional M.Arch. curriculum requires completion of 78 course credits and a 12-credit design studio Plan A Thesis. M.Arch. students can expect to complete the program in six semesters (three years), including the thesis studio design. The fall semesters include integrated core curriculum of studio, building and environmental technologies, history-theory, or digital methods. The spring semesters are organized as half-semester elective modules in studio-like projects and seminars in urban/suburban-rural, building technology and sustainable practices, history-theory-culture themes. May term study abroad options are available for qualified students in any summer semester.

Language Requirements—None.

Final Exam—An individual design proposal and submission of the written research are required for both the Plan A or Plan C M.Arch professional degree.

M.S. Degree Requirements

Students are admitted to the M.S. in architecture–sustainable design track or the concentration in heritage preservation under either Plan A or Plan B. The M.S. in architecture–sustainable design track requires a total of 34 credits, typically completed over one-and-a-half years. Coursework includes the following: four sustainable design courses (12 cr); two electives in architecture (6 cr); two courses outside the department in disciplinary studies (6 cr); and either a 10-credit Plan A thesis or Plan B masters project(s).

The M.S. in architecture–heritage conservation and preservation concentration requires a total of 33 credits, typically completed over one-and-a-half years. Coursework includes the following: three foundation courses (12 cr); two electives in architecture (6 cr); two electives outside of architecture (6 cr); and either a Plan A thesis (10 cr) or Plan B project(s) (9 cr).

M.Arch./M.S.–S.D. Dual Degree Requirements

Students earn both the master of architecture (M.Arch.) and a master of science in architecture–sustainable design track (M.S.-S.D.) by careful coordination of coursework. Typically, students achieve both professional degrees in three-and-a-half to four years by overlapping up to 24 credits of specified courses, depending on the preprofessional academic preparation. Students elect the Plan A or Plan C option for the M.Arch. and have the option of Plan A or B for the M.S.-S.D. part of the dual degree. Consult with the director of graduate studies for details. Refer to the School of Architecture M.S. in architecture–sustainable design track Web site for more specific dual degree requirements.

Language Requirements—None.

Final Exam—An oral presentation, a visual presentation of the thesis, and the submission of the written thesis document are required for the M.S. Plan A. The Plan B or Plan A M.S.-S.D. requires an oral examination.

Faculty

For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>.

Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).

Professor

Renee Cheng, AIA, M2
Thomas Fisher, M2
Lance A. LaVine, M2
Julia Robinson, M2
Ignacio San Martin, M2
Leon G. Satkowski, M2
Leslie Van Duzer, M2
Adjunct Professor
Robert Mack, FAIA, AM2
Dale M. Mulfinger, FAIA, AM2
Duane Thorbeck, FAIA, AM2

Associate Professor
Lee B. Anderson, M
Arthur H. Chen, M2
William F. Conway, AIA, M2
Gunter Dittmar, M2
Mary M. Guzowski, M2
Cynthia Jara, M2
Andrzej Piotrowski, M2
Katherine M. Solomonson, M2
J. Stephen Weeks, AIA, M2

Adjunct Associate Professor
James Lutz, AIA, AM
Thomas A. Meyer, FAIA, AM2
Ralph K. Nelson, AIA, AM2
Todd J. Rhoades, AIA, AM2
Lee E. Tollefson, FAIA, AM2

Assistant Professor
Ritu Bhatt, M2
Blaine Brownell, M2
Joihn Comazzi, M2
Gregory Donofrio, M2
Benjamin Ibarar-Sevilla, M2
Ozayr Saloojee, M2
Mark Swackhamer, M2

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Loren Abraham, AIA, AM
William Anthony Blanski, AIA, AM
Dave Dimond, AIA, LEED-AP, AM
Nina Ebbighasuen, AIA, AM
Mic Johnson, AIA, AM
Martha McQuade, AIA, AM
Nancy A. Miller, M2
Mark Tambornino, AM
Jennifer A. Yoos, AIA, AM

Lecturer
Jim Dozier, AM
Sharon Roe, AM2

Adjunct Instructor
Lucas Alm, AIA, AM
Christian Dean, AIA, M
Kristen S. Paulsen, AM
Douglas Pierce, AIA, LEED AP, AM2
Marcelo Valdes, AIA, AM

Research Associate

Louise Goldberg, AM
Kathleen Harder, AM

Research Fellow
Jonee K. Brigham, AIA, LEED-AP, M2
Virajita Singh, M2
Richard B. Strong, M2
William Weber, M2

Director
John Carmody, M2

     
 
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