for the Master of Science in Architectural Studies

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Master of Science in Architectural Studies

The Master of Science in Architectural Studies program is a one-year course of study with a research focused curriculum developed by the student, in close consultation with the faculty advisor.  The program is designed to allow students to develop further expertise in research of the built environment. 

Students should have a clear and well-articulated area of research focus upon entry to the program.  Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors prior to application.

While most students admitted to the program will hold a professional degree prior to admission, a professional degree is not required for admission.  Applicants holding degrees from related fields are encouraged to apply. Students considering advanced work at the PhD level are encouraged to apply.

Candidates admitted with full status may complete the program in one year of full-time academic study.

Admission

The admission grade point average for full standing in the Graduate College and the school must be at least 3.0 (A = 4.0). For applicants who meet the other requirements but have an admission GPA under 3.0, admission with limited standing may be permitted if evidence of exceptional qualification is presented.

Applicants are selected for admission on the basis of undergraduate academic performance and profession-related experience. Application material is evaluated by faculty members. The faculty's recommendations are based upon an appraisal of the admission grade point average determined from official transcripts, a portfolio or brochure of applicant's past work in architecture, a statement of objectives, three letters of recommendation, and relevant professional work experience.

Application forms for graduate admission and financial aid may be obtained from the Web site above. Application may be made on-line. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for  Master of Science applicants.

All applicants whose native language is not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. A minimum score of 590 on the paper-based test or 243 on the computer-based test or 96 on the internet-based test is required. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign also accepts IELTS (academic exam) score in lieu of TOEFL, with a minimum score of 6.5 and 6.5 in all sub-sections required.

Financial Aid

Financial aid for graduate students in architecture is available in the form of fellowships and assistantships (teaching, research, and graduate or resource). Qualified candidates are considered for financial support upon application and in subsequent years of study.

for the Master of Science in Architectural Studies

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Admitted students must complete 32 hours of coursework for the degree. Candidates admitted with full status may complete the program in one year of full-time academic study.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's program page and the Graduate College Handbook.

This degree program can be completed with or without a thesis, the requirements are listed below:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Thesis Option:
Architectural Electives from dept. list		0-16
Electives		16
ARCH 599	Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree)	0-16
Thesis Option Total Hours:		32
Non-Thesis Option:
Architectural Electives from dept. list		16
Electives		16
Non-Thesis Total Hours:		32

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements

Requirement	Description
Other requirements may overlap
Candidates must spend at least two semesters and earn at least half of the required graduate hours in residence.
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall:	12
Minimum GPA:	2.75

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The school must provide evidence that its graduates have satisfied each criterion through required coursework.  If credits are granted for courses taken at other institutions or online, evidence must be provided that the courses are comparable to those offered in the accredited degree program.

When students complete the MS degree program, they will be able to:

1. Apply Specialized Knowledge
   1. Engage in the practice of architecture in its many forms.
   2. Employ design processes to understand, conceive, and create the many facets of built environments.
   3. Utilize the interplay of form and space to create compelling experiences in the built environment.
   4. Address environmental, social, political, cultural, and economic challenges through the application of design inquiry.
   5. Apply advanced documentation, research, analysis, and design techniques to create innovative design solutions to pressing global challenges.
2. Apply Broad and Integrative Knowledge
   1. Solve complex problems through the use of advanced design techniques.
   2. Communicate complex ideas and concepts through a mastery of graphic, verbal, physical, and digital means.
   3. Integrate community voices, cultural perspectives, and participatory practices into design solutions.
   4. Employ an understanding of the complex intersections between design and environmental, social, economic, political, and cultural phenomena in historical and contemporary contexts.
   5. Use scholarly inquiry to answer questions in support of design solutions.
3. Utilize Differentiated Modes of Thinking
   1. Understand, differentiate, and apply analytical, critical, and conceptual thinking to the design challenges of the twenty-first century.
   2. Evaluate and apply theories of the built environment to understand their impacts on global ecology, human experience, and wellbeing.
   3. Research and critically analyze historic and contemporary humanistic conditions related to the built environment in local, regional, and global geographies.
4. Collaborate Successfully
   1. Foster teamwork and consensus decision-making.
   2. Lead and steer complex processes to completion.
   3. Value and integrate interdisciplinarity as well as diverse disciplinary approaches in the realm of design,
5. Contributing to Community, Civic, and Global Equity
   1. Demonstrate the ability to make empathic and ethical decisions throughout the design process.
   2. Work toward a more inclusive profession that welcomes practitioners of all genders, abilities, races, ethnicities, and ages.
   3. Foreground social, environmental, and economic justice in the design of the environment to contribute to greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.

for the Master of Science in Architectural Studies

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School of Architecture

Director of the School: Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Suárez
Director of Graduate Studies: David J. Isern
Architectural Studies Program website
117 Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-7720
School of Architecture email

College of Fine & Applied Arts

College of Fine & Applied Arts

School of Architecture

​School of Architecture website

Admissions

Graduate College Admissions Requirements