Master of Architecture (MArch) Degree

The program leading to the MArch degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), https://naab.org.

MArch Degree

Upon completing the MArch degree, students will be able to:  

1. Innovate the knowledge and practice of architecture through advanced critical thinking, experimentation, and research.
2. Develop or augment a comprehensive knowledge of the technical aspects of design and construction including an understanding of their impact on design and the environment at a level commensurate with advanced study.
3. Develop a comprehensive knowledge of diverse, advanced building technologies and their application to the design, construction, and operation of buildings, including environmental, material, structural, and mechanical systems, using leading computer applications and tools.
4. Develop or augment a comprehensive understanding of architectural practice and foster the development of innovative forms of practice at a level commensurate with advanced study.

MArch Degree

MArch degree can be either a thesis or a non-thesis master's degree depending on option student pursues. For general university thesis master's degrees, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. For general university non-thesis master's degrees, please see Non-Thesis Master’s Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, . Students pursuing MArch degree programs must complete:

• A minimum of 93-95 credit hours or 535-533 credit hours, depending on option pursued, to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at 500-level or above).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
• For Non-Thesis MArch degree program options, a minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory). 
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of full-time graduate study at Rice University.
• A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
• one degree program option (see below for options). MArch degree program offers two options:
  • Option 5 (Thesis or Non-Thesis), or

  • Option 2 (Thesis or Non-Thesis).

• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework. 
• A minimum program GPA of 3.00 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies thesis master's degree or non-thesis master’s degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.

Master of Architecture (MArch) degree program understands architecture to be a generalist practice, while encouraging each student’s freedom to forge a specific trajectory within this generalist milieu. We prepare students to engage an ever more ambiguous world—one that can no longer simply be flattened by such binaries as local and global, quantity and quality, mind and nature, form and function, or standards and exceptions. challenge we pose to our students is to transgress obsolescence of opposing values and to navigate tricky waters of a world no longer organized around presupposed notions of solidity, permanence, rootedness, centrality, protection, and identity. Our program is very place where visions of future are tested and where students are asked to understand world’s complexity in order to focus on tangible, legible, and relevant.   

Individuals who possess a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline can apply to MArch degree program. Our curriculum offers a set of core courses (in Design, History and Theory, Technology, and Practice) and many free electives, both in School of Architecture and across campus. In studio courses, strong emphasis is given to very means by which architecture is able to change world through program, form, and technology. Such fundamental aspects to design can, when mobilized, produce a practice of architecture that is as speculative as it is realist. Every fall, advanced “Totalization” studios are conducted in such a way as to have students rigorously weigh all aspects of building design while nonetheless biasing their engagement so as to produce highly specific architectural projects. In their final thesis semester, students are asked to face world and engage it through architectural speculation and a precise understanding of historical, political, economic, and physical dimensions, which can together define a better future.  

MArch degree program is accredited by National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and qualifies graduates to take state professional licensing exams after completing required internship in an architectural office.  

Programs of Study

There are two program options at Master of Architecture (MArch) level: Option 5 and Option 2. They differ according to Bachelor’s degree received prior to entering graduate program. MArch students in Options 5 and 2 complete degree requirements by either submitting a thesis or by taking alternative coursework. Thesis students are required to take Design Thesis Studio (ARCH 703, 50 credit hours) and Written Thesis (ARCH 729 or ARCH 730, 3 credit hours). Students who pursue non-thesis MArch degree are required to take Architectural Problems: Studio (ARCH 605, 50 credit hours) in lieu of thesis studio and an additional elective (worth 3 credit hours) in lieu of written thesis course. All students are required to enroll in Thesis Proposal (ARCH 705), even if they pursue non-thesis degree program (Option 5 or 2).

courses listed below satisfy this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of program's academic advisor, or where applicable, department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these must be approved by Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document courses to be taken.

Option 5 - MArch Degree Program

Offered to individuals who hold a four-year undergraduate degree with a major in a field other than Architecture or a major in Architecture with fewer than five semesters of architectural design studio. Preference for admission is given to those who have completed a balanced education in arts, sciences, and humanities. A minimum of two semesters of college-level courses in history of art and/or architecture and one semester of college-level courses in mathematics or physics is recommended. Previous preparation in visual arts is also desirable, as are courses in philosophy, literature, and economics. In order to graduate, students in this program must complete, in addition to 6 semesters of design studios (70-72 credit hours), a curriculum of 34 credit hours with an additional free electives course load of 27 credit hours.  

The English Language Proficiency Requirement may be waived for an international student who received a degree from an institution in which English is the official language of communication. Contact the admitting program for more information.

The following language proficiency tests are accepted by Rice graduate programs and will be used to assess English language proficiency. Please note the below scores are the minimum requirement, though some program requirements will be higher.

• The TOEFL IBT Home. A minimum score of 90 is required
• IELTS Indicator. A minimum score of 7 is required.
• Duolingo. A minimum score of 115 is required.

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