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Boston Architectural College’s online master of architecture is the first primarily online program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The coursework for this program is practice-based, highly flexible, and is conducted online through several formats. Each semester is rounded out by a week-long intensive residency, either onsite or online.
Made up of 36 credits, the program includes courses such as sustainable systems; practice management; architecture studio; building systems; project management; architecture thesis research strategies; and construction and evaluation.
This four- to six-semester online program is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in design or architecture and a satisfactory portfolio. The program will allow students to engage in professional practice experiences with community projects, design firms, research, and more. Also, by enrolling in NCARB's Architectural Experience Program (AXP), students may be eligible to take their licensing exams while they earn their degrees.
Graduates of the program will be prepared for a range of professional careers in the architectural field, including architectural education, architectural design, and architectural history.
The college also offers a 30-credit online master of science in interior architecture (MSIA), which is a post-professional online degree designed for interior designers who wish to pursue further studies in design strategies and research.
Academy of Art University’s NAAB accredited master of architecture program is offered in two tracks: M.Arch 1 and M.Arch 2. The placement for these degree tracks is determined individually, based on portfolio reviews and transcript evaluations. Classes in both these programs are offered on-site and online. They may be available in 7.5-week or 15-week formats.
The faculty of the program includes practicing and knowledgeable professionals who enable students to become responsible leaders in their field. Students in these programs will be prepared to provide meaningful contributions to the environment through the practice of urban design and architecture.
The M.Arch Track I is made up of 63 credits, while the M.Arch Track II comprises 87 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as structures; advanced design studio; sustainable design; digitally generated morphology; digitally generated fabrication; architectural history; construction documents and building codes; architectural theory; architectural professional practices; and spatial composition.
Lawrence Technological University
Lawrence Technological University offers a NAAB accredited online master of architecture (M.Arch) program combining asynchronous and synchronous experiences focusing on project-based learning.
Moreover, Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design was accepted in 2016 to participate in the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) initiative. Through this initiative, selected students will have the opportunity to complete the requirements for licensure while earning their degrees.
The program offers three different tracks for better serving students’ differing educational backgrounds.
Track II comprises 47 credits and is for students with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from another accredited institution. Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree from LTU can complete this track in just 36 credits.
Track III is for those who hold an undergraduate degree in a field other than architecture. This track consists of 89 credits.
Track IV is for those who have an undergraduate degree in interior design, environmental design, and interior architecture. This track has two options: a 60-credit program for those with a bachelor’s in interior design from LTU and a 79-credit program for those who have undergraduate design degrees from schools other than LTU. Students in this track will be required to work on campus for a week.
Courses include an arch foundational studio; comprehensive design studio; critical practice studio; basic structures; intermediate structures; advanced structures; construction systems; acoustics, electrical, and illumination systems; history of the designed environment; HVAC and water systems; and professional practice.
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology also offers a NAAB-accredited online master of architecture program, providing students with a well-balanced education that integrates technology, research, and design with sustainability and prepares them to enter this modern field of architecture.
The program requires students to visit RIT’s campus for a minimum of two required in-person immersions where they will participate in live critiques, collaborate with their classmates on competitions and projects, and experience the RIT culture firsthand.
The program is offered in two pathways depending on the students' educational background and their experience in architecture. These online pathways feature the same advanced curriculum as the on-campus program and have the same distinguished faculty members.
The standard pathway is for those with little or no background in architecture and is made up of 105 credits. The advanced pathway is for students with a bachelor’s degree related to architecture and consists of 78 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as architectural studio; integrated building systems; urban and regional planning; architectural theory; industrial ecology fundamentals; and sustainable building metrics.
Graduates of the program can pursue careers such as architects, architectural designers, intern architects, and junior architects.
Arizona State University also has an online master of architecture program that is NAAB-accredited. Exploring the practice and theory of how buildings are designed and put together, students will gain professional experience and will discover how to use architecture for enhancing the natural environment and the lives of people. The program covers all aspects of architecture from practice and design to theory and research.
The program has a flexible curriculum offering two tracks to accommodate students of varying experiences. The two-year, 48-credit track is for those who have an undergraduate degree in architecture, while the three-year 72-credit track is for those who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than architecture. Both tracks can be completed entirely online.
As part of the program, students learn topics such as project-based architectural studio; conventions in architectural technology; history and conventions of architectural drawings, models, diagrams, and other forms of representation; integrative design process; exploration and analysis of advancing techniques, advancing innovations in architectural technology; and architectural practice.
Applicants to the program must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in the last 60 hours of their bachelor's program, a completed graduate application, official transcripts, a personal statement, a portfolio of creative work, and two letters of recommendation.
Upon completing the program, graduates can take roles such as architects, BIM managers, construction managers, developers, energy modelers, facilities managers, regional planners, and urban planners.
Southern Illinois University’s online master of architecture program is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, meeting the education requirements needed for becoming licensed architects in the U.S. states and the provinces of Canada.
Admission requirements for the program include a bachelor of science degree in architectural studies or its equivalent, a minimum grade point average of 2.7, a statement of intent, a portfolio of work, two letters of recommendation, and TOEFL scores for international students. The GRE is not required for admission.
The program consists of 42 credits, including coursework in environmental design; research methods and programming; construction management and operations; budget and cost management; global traditions in architecture; architectural systems and the environment; urban design and community; architectural visualization; and construction and evaluation.
Students at the University of Missouri can pursue either a master of science or a master of arts program in architectural studies, emphasizing environment and behavior studies. The MS program culminates in a thesis. Those interested in a non-thesis program can consider the MA program. Both programs can be completed entirely online. No campus visits are required for this program. Emphasis areas include aesthetics of design, facility management and design, design education, housing and neighborhood design, and sustainable design.
To get accepted into the program, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, a minimum GPA of 3.0, transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, three letters of recommendation, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for students whose native language is not English. GRE scores are not required for admission.
The program comprises 30 credits including courses such as sustainable technologies and systems; readings in environmental design; energy-efficient building design; problems in environmental design; theories in architectural and interior design; information visualization and visual analytics; and philosophy of environmental design research, among others.
Graduates of the program can take up teaching and researching positions in universities, architecture consulting or interior designing, and also take up environmental design initiatives.
Maria Bellalta Boston Architectural College, MLA, BA
Maria Bellalta is a faculty and dean of landscape architecture at the Boston Architectural College teaching courses in advanced studios and design theory. She is also the director of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studios and a chair of Foundation Studies.
Before coming to Boston Architectural College, Bellalta was the design director for Martha Schwartz Partners where she oversaw multiple international projects. She holds a master of landscape architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.
Bellalta has worked for prestigious firms in the Boston area throughout her career, such as Copley Wolff Design Group, Sasaki Associates, and her own LTX Urban Landscapes Studio. Maria has also worked on urban design and planning projects throughout the United States and the Middle East.
Julius J. Chiavaroli Rochester Institute of Technology, MBA, B.Arch
Julius Chiavaroli is a professor in the department of architecture at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, teaching several courses such as coop architecture; architectural studio; integrated building systems; and independent study.
Currently, Chiavaroli’s areas of interest are sustainability, community engagement, publishing, and urbanism. Before joining Golisano Institute for Sustainability, he was a professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT. He received his MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology and his bachelor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame.
Farheen Gani has researched a wide array of topics related to engineering since 2018. She has written about electrical and computer engineering programs, structural engineering programs, mechanical engineer salaries, environmental engineering programs, and many other subfields of engineering. She...
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