Students entering the Professional Degree Program with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than architecture undertake a three-year course of study comprising 28 course units. (Typical courses are 1 course unit, studios are 2 course units.) Students with a four-year undergraduate degree in architecture may receive Advanced Standing of up to one year. To attain the degree, a student must complete the following required courses: 10 course units in design studio, 5.5 in technology, 3 in history and theory, 1.5 in visual studies, and 2 in professional practice. In addition to required courses, students must take 4 electives. Students are permitted to take an additional 2 course units in optional electives for a maximum total of 30 course units.

Although part-time study is allowed, students are required to complete a minimum of two semesters of full-time studies in residence. To be a full-time student requires a minimum of four course units per semester. To complete the degree requirements, those students who elect to take less than five course units per semester may enroll in one of the Summer Programs or return in the following academic year on a full-time basis. The Master of Architecture Program may be combined with certificate programs in Historic Preservation, Urban Design or Real Estate Design and Development. The M.Arch is a professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Architecture Professional Degree program must hold a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Preference is given to individuals who have completed a balanced undergraduate education that includes study in the arts, sciences, and humanities and who demonstrate leadership potential in the field. Preparation in the visual arts, such as drawing, sculpture, graphics, photography, film, or new media, is desirable, as well as computing and advanced writing skills. The admissions committee may require incoming students to take specific prerequisite courses to meet conditions of admission. A program of study is offered in the summers specifically for this.

To be admitted without conditions to the three-year program, an applicant is required to possess the following: an understanding of mechanics, heat, light, sound and electricity as demonstrated, for example, through the successful completion of not less than one college-level physics course (applicants from the University of Pennsylvania can fulfill the prerequisite through the successful completion of Physics 08 and 09); an understanding of calculus, as demonstrated, for example, through the successful completion of not less than one college-level calculus course (applicants from the University of Pennsylvania can fulfill the prerequisite through the successful completion of Math 103 and 104); a general knowledge of the history of Western architecture from ancient Egyptian through the modern period, as demonstrated by the successful completion of not less than one college-level course; a basic ability to produce freehand drawings of architectural forms and spaces, as demonstrated by the successful completion of one college-level descriptive drawing course or by portfolio submission of appropriate work from design studios; the successful completion of a minimum of two semesters of college-level design studio courses. Candidates admitted with deficiencies in any of these prerequisites must fulfill them before matriculation.

	Master of Architecture : Professional Degree Curriculum
			Year 1	Total Course Units:	28
	Fall		ARCH 501	Design Studio I	2
			ARCH 511	History and Theory I	1
			ARCH 521	Visual Studies I	0.5
			ARCH 531	Construction I	0.5
			ARCH 533	Environmental Systems I	0.5
			ARCH 535	Structures I	0.5
	Spring		ARCH 502	Design Studio II	2
			ARCH 512	History and Theory II	1
			ARCH 522	Visual Studies II	0.5
			ARCH 532	Construction II	0.5
			ARCH 534	Environmental Systems II	0.5
			ARCH 536	Structures II	0.5
			Year 2
	Fall		ARCH 601	Design Studio III	2
			ARCH 611	History and Theory III	1
			ARCH 621	Visual Studies III	0.5
			ARCH 631	Technology Case Studies	1
			ARCH 671	Professional Practice I	0.5
	Spring		ARCH 602	Design Studio IV	2
			ARCH 632	Tech Designated Elective	1
			ARCH 638	Technology Special Topics	0.5
			ARCH 672	Professional Practice II	0.5
				Elective	1
			Year 3
	Fall		ARCH 701	Design Studio V	2
				Elective II	1
				Elective III	1
				Elective V (Optional)
	Spring		ARCH 702/704	Advanced Design Studio	2
			ARCH 772	Professional Practice III	1
				Elective IV	1
				Elective VI (Optional)
				Total Course Units:	28

Detlef Mertins
Professor of Architecture
Chair, Department of Architecture
E-mail: mertins@design.upenn.edu


Updated July 2004