University Catalog

Architecture - Graduate Programs

Advising

MARCH Academic Advisors

Director of Academic and Student Affairs / Advising Supervisor: Cheryl Donaldson

Master's Admissions Requirements

MARCH Program Director: Brad Bell

Prospective Students Contact: James Brown, Academic Recruiter


Unconditional Admission

Path A: For unconditional admission to the Path A program, the candidate must meet the following requirements:

  • B.S. or B.A. Degree - Hold a 4-year B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited program.
  • GPA of 3.0 - Have a GPA of 3.0 as calculated by Graduate Admissions.
  • GRE score of 297 - Have a minimum total score of 154 in the verbal and 143 in the quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
  • 3 Letters of recommendation - Submit three letters of recommendation from sources who are familiar with the applicant's academic record, preferably former professors. (For applicants who have been out of school for an extended period, letters of recommendation may be from professional sources if academic ones are no longer available).
  • 200 Word Essay
    Submit a short 200-word personal statement providing evidence of professional or academic goals consistent with the Architecture Program.
  • For applicants whose native language is not English, a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 79 is required. Further, when the TOEFL iBT is taken, sectional scores of at least 22 on the Writing section, 21 on the Speaking section, 20 on the Reading section, and 16 on the Listening section are preferred.  For otherwise highly qualified candidates, this requirement may be eased.
  • Portfolio Submission (Optional)
    Submission of a design portfolio is not required. If a candidate does have a portfolio of creative work showing freehand drawings or sketches, painting, graphic design, architectural or furniture design, he/she is encouraged to submit it.

Path B: For unconditional admission to the Path B program, the candidate must meet the above requirements, and in addition must:

  • Portfolio Submission (required)
    Submit a portfolio of design work and/or professional involvement, which shows evidence of design capability on a level expected in the graduate program as determined by the Graduate Architecture Admissions Committee. (Design work produced in an office as an employee carries less weight because of the difficulty in determining the applicant's exact contribution to the work shown). The best indication of probable success in the program is the quality of work demonstrated in the portfolio.

Path C: For unconditional admission to the Path C program, the candidate must meet the requirements of the Path A and Path B programs (except the requirement of a B.A. or B.S. degree) and must:

  • Professional Architecture Degree
    Have a professional architecture degree (B.Arch. or M.Arch. or the international equivalent) from an accredited architecture program.

Probationary Admission

Path A: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path A, will be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on four of the following six criteria:

  • Undergraduate performance in relevant courses
  • Work experience
  • GPA
  • GRE
  • Portfolio review (optional)
  • Letters of recommendation

Path B: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path B may be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. And/or they may also be required to take one or more Path A and/or fourth year design studio as determined by the graduate advisor on review of their portfolio before continuing with the Path B design studio sequence.

To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on three of the following five criteria:

  • Undergraduate performance in relevant courses
  • GPA
  • GRE
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Portfolio review

Path C: Candidates who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission to Path C, may be considered for probationary admission in which they will be required to maintain a grade of B or better in the first 12 credit hours of courses in the program. To be considered for probationary acceptance, the candidate must perform well on three of the following five criteria:

  • Performance in relevant courses in a program leading to the B.Arch or M.Arch degree.
  • GPA
  • GRE
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Portfolio review

Note: Applicants whose native language is not English who do not meet the program's minimum TOEFL score, may be asked to complete extramural training in English through the Pathways Admission Program described in the Admission section of this Catalog.

Provisional Admission

An applicant unable to supply all required documentation prior to the submission deadline but who otherwise appears to meet admission requirements may be granted provisional admission. All missing documentation must be received before the end of the first semester of study.

Deferred Admission

A deferred admission may be granted when a file is incomplete or when a denied decision is not appropriate.

Waiver of Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

A waiver of the Graduate Record Exam may be considered for a UT Arlington undergraduate who has completed an undergraduate degree in Architecture or Interior Design; the student's GPA must equal or exceed 3.50 in all undergraduate coursework completed at UT Arlington. The GRE waiver may also be extended to other UT Arlington undergraduates who have completed an undergraduate degree at UT Arlington; the student's GPA must equal or exceed a 3.50 in all undergraduate coursework completed at UT Arlington. The final decision to waive the GRE also requires a positive review of completed coursework by the graduate advisor to determine the applicant's readiness to study Architecture.

Denial of Admission

Candidates who do not satisfy the requirements for probationary admission will not be admitted.

Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships

To be considered for a Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship, the candidate must be admitted unconditionally. In order to be eligible for teaching assistantships, students whose native language is not English, must complete extramural training in English as approved by the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies,  score of 23 on the TOEFL-iBT Speaking subtest or score a 7.0 on the Speaking portion of the IELTS.

Fellowships and Scholarships

To be considered for fellowships or scholarships in the Program the candidate must admitted without provisional conditions and have a favorable review in most of the evaluation criteria. Fellowships and scholarships in architecture are limited and very competitive. Generally, candidates must be new students coming to UT Arlington, must have a GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours and any graduate hours, and must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 hours in both long semesters to retain their fellowships or scholarships. For further information and to apply for scholarships visit: https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/cappa/admissions/scholarships

CAPPA Inadequate Academic Progress Point System

A student may be subject to dismissal from the program if they accumulate 4 deficiency points during their Master’s degree or their Ph.D. Students who complete a Master’s degree at CAPPA will not carry deficiency points into their Ph.D. work. Deficiency points may not be removed from a student’s record by repeating a course or additional coursework.

D = 2 deficiency points
F = 3 deficiency points
I = 1 deficiency point
W = 0.5 deficiency point

A graduate student, whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.000 in all graduate courses, be they graduate or undergraduate level and taken while enrolled as a UT Arlington graduate student, may be subject to dismissal from the program. (Reference: http://catalog.uta.edu/academicregulations/academicstanding/#graduatetext )

Architecture Degree Requirements

Professional Degree Program: Path A (3.5 years)

For applicants holding a baccalaureate (B.A., B.S.) degree in a subject outside architecture, such as liberal arts, sciences, business, or another profession.

A minimum of 104 credit hours in architectural design, theory, and practice is required of Path A candidates for the professional degree in architecture (M.Arch). Due to the rigor of the program (not unlike any other professional school, law or medicine), students entering this program are advised to discontinue outside employment.

Advancement in Professional Degree Program Path A is predicated upon successful and timely completion of required coursework as well as an annual review of the student's portfolio of design work by the Directors Group of the Architecture Program.

In addition to completing an introductory curriculum beginning in the Fall of the first semester of enrollment, students must also complete the Path B core curriculum of 39 credit hours. The curriculum of this course of study is:

Path A Students

First Year
Summer SessionHoursFall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 53xx (Optional Electives) ARCH 53013ARCH 53043
 ARCH 53033ARCH 53433
 ARCH 53423ARCH 53643
 ARCH 55915ARCH 55925
 0 14 14
Second Year
Summer SessionHoursFall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 56706ARCH 53233ARCH 53243
ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3ARCH 53253ARCH 53263
 ARCH 53573ARCH 55945
 ARCH 55935ARCH 53xx History or Theory Elective3
 9 14 14
Third Year
Summer SessionHoursFall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 53313ARCH 53273ARCH 53283
ARCH 56706ARCH 53363ARCH 53333
 ARCH 56716ARCH 56726
 ARCH 53xx Technical/Practice Elective3ARCH 53xx Elective3
 9 15 15
Total Hours: 104

Electives must include at least one course from each of the following categories of courses offered by the school:

  1. history and theory
  2. technology and practice, and
  3. allied disciplines (landscape architecture, urban design, housing, and interior design).

Professional Degree Program: Path B (2 years)

For applicants holding a baccalaureate degree with a major in architecture. Placement in the graduate curriculum may be adjusted on the basis of previous academic and professional work.

The core curriculum for this course of study is:

Path B Students

First Year
Fall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 53253ARCH 53263
ARCH 53273ARCH 53283
ARCH 53573ARCH 56706
ARCH 56706ARCH 53xx Technical/Practice Elective3
 15 15
Second Year
Fall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 53363ARCH 53313
ARCH 56716ARCH 53333
ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3ARCH 56726
ARCH 53xx History or Theory Elective3 
 15 12
Total Hours: 57

Electives must include at least one course from each of the following categories of courses offered by the School of Architecture:

  1. history and theory
  2. technology and practice and
  3. allied disciplines (landscape architecture, urban design, housing and interior design).

Post-Professional Degree Program: Path C (1 year)

For applicants holding a previous professional degree in Architecture (B.Arch.) from an accredited program. The M.Arch, as a second rather than a first professional degree, does not receive NAAB Accreditation.

A minimum of 18 hours is required in architectural program courses including six hours of history/theory as well as advanced studio. Students are also required to take an advanced studio which may be waived by student request if design proficiency or equivalent experience has been demonstrated. The remainder of the work will be arranged with and approved by the Graduate Advisor to suit the interests of the student. Courses of study provide for an area of specialization or for advanced general studies.

Path C Students

First Year
Fall SemesterHoursSpring SemesterHours
ARCH 56706ARCH 56706
ARCH 53xx History or Theory Elective3ARCH 53xx Technical/Practice Elective3
ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3
ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3ARCH 53xx Arch Elective3
 15 15
Total Hours: 30

Electives must include at least one course from each of the following categories of courses offered by the School of Architecture:

  1. history and theory
  2. technology and practice and
  3. allied disciplines (landscape architecture, urban design, housing and interior design).

The School of Architecture offers international study programs in Rome, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, Innsbruck, Lund, Sweden and Cottbus, Germany. The Rome Program, conducted for five weeks each summer by UT Arlington faculty, is open to upper division and graduate students and may be used to satisfy history and elective requirements. The Barcelona, Innsbruck and Lund programs are semester-long exchange programs with universities in these cities, with the normal expectation of both studio and elective credit.

M.C.R.P. and M.Arch. Dual Degree Program

Students in this dual program may earn both the Master of City and Regional Planning and the Master of Architecture degrees in a curriculum of 87 semester credit hours. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of both the M.C.R.P. and the M.Arch. programs. City and Regional Planning students wishing to earn the M.Arch degree will be required to take Path A in the Architecture Program unless they have earned an undergraduate degree in architecture which will allow CIRP applicants to take Path B. Programs of study will follow both master's programs, with all of the 15 credit hours of electives in the M.Arch program to be taken in the MCRP program. In addition to the 36 credit hours of architectural core courses, the remainder of coursework will be in the City and Regional Planning program in the School of Urban and Public Affairs with a required thesis proposal and programs of work to be jointly approved by the City and Regional Planning Program and the Architecture Program. A thesis supervisor should be selected from PLAN or the School of Architecture, and committee members should be selected from both faculties.

Course selection and programs of study should be designed with the assistance of the Graduate Advisors in both programs. Only in special instances may students select the thesis substitute plan of the MCRP program. The successful candidate will be awarded both degrees rather than one joint degree.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the general requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies. A personal interview with the Director, Graduate Advisor or members of the architecture faculty is strongly recommended. Three letters of recommendation are required, and it is suggested that at least two of the letters come from former educators or academic contact. Applicants also are required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Average GRE scores of successful applicants since 1998 have been approximately 550 Verbal and 550 Quantitative. Also required is a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 as calculated by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Applicants holding first professional degrees in landscape architecture, or in some cases degrees related to landscape architecture (such as architecture, engineering, environmental design, horticulture, interior design, planning, and the like) are required to submit portfolios reflecting the applicants' professional and/or academic experiences and interests. Portfolios are assessed according to proficiency in design, presentation and layout, technical skills, and content, similar to criteria used in design studios.

Applicants who have a weakness in one of the criteria for admission can enhance their credentials with strengths in the remaining criteria.

Applicants can be admitted according to four conditions: Unconditional; Provisional; Probationary; and, Deferred. Applicants who do not meet the criteria of one of these conditions will be denied admission to the Program.

Unconditional Admission

Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Transcripts from all previous college or university work, along with scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and three letters of recommendation are required of all applicants. In addition, applicants should have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0, as calculated by the Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants holding the first professional degree in landscape architecture, or a related field, must submit a portfolio.

Provisional Admission

Those who have submitted their applications forms, but whose packets are incomplete, can be admitted provisionally if their GPA meets minimum requirements, and if the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies have received official transcripts. In this case, incomplete materials could include letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and/or portfolios.

Probationary Admission

Those who have weaknesses in no more than two of the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), can be admitted on probation, with the condition that they make no less than a B in the first 12 hours of coursework in landscape architecture. Such students must complete no fewer than 9 credits during the semester in which they are on probation.

Deferred Admission

Those who have weaknesses in no more than two of the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), and/or who have not submitted all of the materials required for unconditional admission, can have their applications deferred for one semester, until outstanding requirements and criteria are met.

International Student Admission

International applicants must meet the Degree Requirements (letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and GPA), and must be admitted in one of the admission categories described above. In addition, applicants whose native language is not English must have a demonstrated speaking ability in English. They also must meet the Program's minimum required score of 575 on the paper exam, or an equivalent score on the computer based- or internet-based tests, on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). International applicants who do not meet the Program's minimum TOEFL score, must complete extramural training in English, as approved by the Program and the Office of Graduate Studies.

GRADUATE STUDIO LOTTERY PROCESS

STUDIO CULTURE POLICY

Visit the CAPPA website for current graduate certificates offered in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

Prospective Students Contact: James Brown, Academic Recruiter