Master of Architecture (Track II and Track III)

Students who have completed or are completing a bachelor's degree in architectural studies (non-accredited, pre-professional degree) or non-architectural subject area who wish to pursue professional careers as licensed architects may apply for admission to this program.  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 three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted varying terms of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformity with established educational standards.

Master's degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education.  However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

This Master of Architecture degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Students who have completed previous coursework in an approved NAAB architecture curriculum or a pre-professional architectural degree program may achieve advanced standing. All requests for advanced standing are evaluated using the minimum qualifications for graduate study at KU, the student performance criteria established by NAAB, and procedures approved by the architecture graduate studies committee. This degree requires a sequence of 6 semesters and 2 summers of architectural design studio/synthesis experiences, each of which is accompanied by associated professional graduate courses.  The program also has a required study abroad component, planned to occur during a student's summer or winter semester. The degree plan is constituted of a total of 63 (Track II) and 123 (Track III) credit hours.

There are 2 tracks and 4 typical entry points to this curriculum:

Track III (Degree designed for candidates who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than architecture, 3-Year)

1.  Students without backgrounds in architecture who hold bachelor's degrees in non-design-oriented disciplines enter the first year of the curriculum which begins in the summer session.  The first year of the curriculum is 2 academic semesters and 2 summer sessions. The total number of credit hours required is 117-123 depending on the student's background.

2.  Students without backgrounds in architecture who hold bachelor's degrees in a design discipline usually begin course work with the fall semester of the first year. Other curricular requirements may potentially be waived after careful vetting of the student's educational background. The total number of credit hours required for graduation is likely to be approximately 108.

Track II (Degree designed for candidates who have a pre-professional degree in architecture, 2-Year)

3.  Students with a pre-professional degree in architecture, such as a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, are likely to be placed in the second year of the curriculum if they have a background in architecture design studios.  This is commonly referred to as the 4+2 option.  Students interested in being placed in this way should make this clear in their statements. These students normally are asked to complete four studios (synthesis experiences), a study abroad experience, and architecture support courses whose number and content are determined on a case-by-case basis. The total number of credit hours required for graduation depends on the student's previous preparation and is highly variable, but is likely to be approximately 63 hours.

4.  Students who already possess an accredited professional Bachelor of Architecture degree generally enter a three-semester program that requires a study abroad experience during a summer or winter session as well as the final year of the curriculum. The total number of credit hours required for graduation depends on the student's previous preparation and is highly variable, but a minimum of 36 hours is required.

Graduate Admission

Regardless of background or career goals, a person whose previous records indicate the ability to succeed with advanced work may be admitted to one of the graduate programs. Admission requires a bachelor’s degree and a grade-point average of 3.0 from KU or another accredited institution or foreign university with substantially equivalent requirements for the bachelor’s degree.  A complete application for admission consists of the following materials:

1. Graduate application.
2. A portfolio of work demonstrating the candidate’s strengths. Examples may include design or creative work and writing samples. The portfolio is limited to 10 megabytes (not zipped) in PDF format. Upload under other documents.
3. Official transcript from your highest earned degree is required
4. Due to NAAB Accreditation Standards the Masters of Architecture program minimum GPA is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, any applicant with a GPA lower than the required minimum will not be considered. 
5. Resume is required.
6. A supplemental architecture/interior architecture essay is required. It should be a statement of interest indicating the applicant’s career goals and the relationship of these goals to KU’s M.ARCH program (Those seeking advanced placement in the M.Arch. program should make this clear in this statement).
7. Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to comment on the applicant’s intellectual abilities and probable success in graduate study
8. For international students, a financial statement showing minimum financial support for the first year of study (see the admissions page on the school’s website).

Additional Requirements for International Applicants

Applicant must also meet KU’s International Admissions’ requirements here

For international applicants whose native language is not English, you are required to submit English Proficiency Proof. Please see the detailed requirement for English Proficiency Proof here

• Students who are admitted in the Full Proficiency band are not required to complete Applied English Center (AEC) testing.
• All other non-native speakers of English who gain admission to campus-based programs are required to complete AEC testing prior to enrollment.

Admission with Advanced Standing

Applicants to the Master of Architecture with Advanced Standing must have a Bachelor's degree in architecture or its equivalent. Advanced standing is awarded at the discretion of the admissions committee during the time of application review. The admissions committee will determine advanced standing individually for each student during the admissions review. Each student’s undergraduate curriculum will be compared against the basic curriculum of the Master of Architecture program at KU. Students might be granted waiver of some required courses if they have completed equivalent courses in their undergraduate program. Any course deficiencies must be fulfilled in addition to the regular credit hours of the advanced standing curriculum.

Evaluation of Preparatory Education and Admission 

The M.Arch Admissions Committee utilizes a systematized process for evaluating academic history to ensure the preparatory education alignment with NAAB accreditation standards.

Review Committee

The Admissions Committee is composed of members of the Student Success Committee, the Chair of the Department of Architecture, and the Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Management. The student Success Committee is a standing committee of five members appointed by the Chair of the Department.

Review Process

The M.Arch Admissions Committee members each independently review all applications from the applicant pool, ranking them based on the portfolio (e.g., creativity, design skills, spatial sensibility, effectiveness of visual communication, and technical skills), academic record, statement and cover letters (dedication to design, passion, ability to communicate effectively, teamwork, potential to leadership), and recommendation letters. The Admission Committee members make a recommendation to either admit/ leaning admit/ leaning deny/deny. Each Admission Committee member will develop a ranked list of applicants with recommendations and written comments to share with the rest of the Admissions Committee. The applicants who have received “deny” recommendations from all members will not be forwarded to the next round of discussion.

In late February, a meeting will be held for all members of the Admissions Committee to discuss the recommendations for each applicant. A final ranked list will be developed to inform the final admission decisions. The Admissions Committee will also determine the Advanced Standing of the applicant, which curriculum track to admit students into the program, and recommend studio placement based on portfolio and transcript.

For admitted applicants, the Director of Enrollment and Admission Management will further review the transcript, course catalog descriptions and syllabi and crosscheck with our M.Arch. II curriculum and course requirements. The evaluation will use the KU Architecture Preparatory Education Evaluation form.

The final decision on curriculum tracks, studio placement, and recommended degree plan is communicated to the applicants in their offer letters at the time of admission. 

Master of Arts (MA)

Master of Arts (MA) in Architecture degree is a 36-credit academic/research track for students with an undergraduate degree in architecture or a related discipline.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Architecture degree is a 49-credit terminal degree involving rigorous coursework, independent research, culminating in a dissertation.

Graduate Certificates

Graduate Certificates in Architectural Acoustics, Architecture of Health & Wellness, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Design-Build, Historic Preservation, and Urban Design all require 12 credit hours. Anyone admitted to KU can pursue a graduate certificate in these subject areas. 

Submit your graduate application and upload all application materials online. Please contact the Admissions Coordinator if you have any questions:

The University of Kansas
Department of Architecture
Marvin Hall
1465 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 206
Lawrence, KS 66045

Be sure to check the school’s website for updates to the admission process or requirements.

NOTE:  Students admitted to the Master of Architecture degree prior to 2023 will follow the curriculum in place at the time of their admission (see the KU Archived Academic Catalogs). 

Students who have completed previous coursework in an approved NAAB architecture curriculum or a pre-professional architectural degree program may achieve advanced standing and are likely to be placed in the second year of the curriculum.