Architecture: Health and Wellbeing, MARCH
for the Master of Architecture in Architecture, Health & Wellbeing Concentration
The Health and Wellbeing Concentration in the Master of Architecture Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides students with the opportunity to develop an in depth understanding of the relationship between conditions in the built environment and individual performance and population health, well-being, and quality of life. A series of required and elective courses exposes students to a growing base of knowledge at the nexus of architecture, planning, medicine, public health, psychology, and numerous other fields.
Concentration coursework enables students to develop expertise in research and strategies for environmental design, planning, and policy to improve human health and wellbeing outcomes through interventions in diverse environment types and contexts, at a range of scales. Responding to an unmet need in the profession, students completing the concentration will be prepared to work on interdisciplinary teams addressing complex societal problems involving the built environment’s critical role in human health and wellbeing in the US and internationally.
Students declaring the Health and Wellbeing Concentration are required to submit, at the end of their first semester of study and not later that the first day of classes of the second semester, a plan schedule that outlines their coursework for the next three semesters. This plan must be signed by the student and the Health and Wellbeing Advisor and submitted to the Chair of the Program Area and the Director of Graduate Programs and Studies not later than the second week of classes of the student’s second semester of study.
This Concentration can be completed within the normal timeframe of the M.Arch degree. Successful completion of the Concentration will be noted on the student’s official transcript.
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.
To apply go to the Graduate College online application. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for School of Architecture Masters Degree 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. Illinois 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.
for the Master of Architecture in Architecture, Health & Wellbeing Concentration
Students who declare the Concentration must complete a minimum of 22 hours of coursework with a focus on health and wellbeing.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Architecture Studios | 6 | |
| This studio also forms part of the standard M.ARCH Core curriculum. | ||
| ARCH 572 | Design: Health and Well-being (To be taken from a faculty member whose primary program area affiliation is Health and Wellbeing or as jointly approved by the chair of the Health and Wellbeing Program Area and the Concentration Advisor. Studios with the ARCH 572/575 rubric may be used to fulfill this concentration requirement.) | 6 |
Students in the concentration are strongly encouraged to consider participation in the Chicago Studio during their MARCH program to explore health and wellbeing topics in the context of urban neighborhoods and communities. | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture Graduate Courses | 16 | |
| These courses may also fulfill elective requirements for the M.Arch. degree. Complete 4 or more courses at 2-6 hours for a total of 16 hours. | ||
| Required Coursework | ||
| ARCH 563 | Human-centric Research for Designed Environments | 4 |
| ARCH 521 | Applications in the Built Environment, Architecture and Global Health and Well-Being | 4 |
| or ARCH 522 | Advanced Research in Environment, Architecture & Global Health | |
| Elective Health and Wellbeing course | ||
| In consultation with the Health and Wellbeing Advisor, students may take a course within the School of Architecture or select a course from a unit outside the School of Architecture that addresses a health and wellbeing topic or other topical course. | 3-6 | |
| Additional Elective Coursework from outside The School of Architecture | ||
| Students must take one or more courses from a unit outside the School of Architecture. Course(s), approved in advance by the Health and Wellbeing Advisor, must be focused on Health and Wellbeing. | 2-6 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Hours to earn the Concentration in Health and Wellbeing for the M.Arch. | 22 | |
for the Master of Architecture in Architecture, Health & Wellbeing Concentration
School of Architecture
Director of the School: Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Suárez
Director of Graduate Studies: David J. Isern
School website
117 Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-7720
School email