Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Summer 2013
Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.
Catalog Copy
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
The Master of Architecture degree (MArch) serves three groups of students is comprised of three tracks: 1) the three-year MArch I curriculum, which includes one summer session, accommodates students whose previous degree is outside the field of architecture; 2) the two-year MArch II curriculum serves students who have already completed a four-year degree program in architecture at a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited institution; and (3) MArch II students who wish to combine their professional architecture studies with graduate work in Urban Design for a dual degree of MArch/M.U.D completed in three calendar years, including a summer studio spent in a foreign country. the MArch III track serving the needs of research-focused students who wish to collaborate with the research centers within the SoA. The MArch III track is not accredited by NAAB, and is primarily intended for students who already possess accredited degrees.
The courses and options within each program are similar, but the advanced standing of MArch II students allows them to complete the degree requirements in two years. Students in both programs must complete a comprehensive design studio and a thesis project under the advisement of a faculty committee. Full-time academic status is expected in all programs.
The curriculum of the MArch III track is specifically focused on an intensive research agenda within one of the research centers with the School; students are admitted to a specific concentration within the MArch III.
MArch II students who wish to combine their professional architecture studies with graduate work in Urban Design for a dual degree of MArch/M.U.D completed in three calendar years, including a summer studio spent in a foreign country.
Full-time academic status is expected in all programs.
The MArch I Curriculum involves three primary components: 1) the first year (including a summer session prior to the first fall of enrollment) focuses on establishing a strong foundation in fundamental design skills, architectural history and theory, building-to-site relationships, and introductory building technologies; 2) the second year focuses on comprehensive architectural design and its relationship to building systems as well as advanced studies in history, theory, and building technology; and 3) the third year is focused on the student's individual final project/thesis research.
The MArch II Curriculum is tailored through the advising process to the previous educational background of the students and to their individual professional and research goals. The program involves two primary components: 1) the first year focuses on comprehensive architectural building design and topical studios with advanced studies in the area of concentration; and 2) the second year is dedicated to continued study within the area of concentration as well as final project/thesis research.
The MArch III Track requires that students demonstrate evidence of potential to conduct research within one of the research centers within the SoA; the goal of this program is to involve each student in on-going collaborative research with faculty. The program involves three primary phases: 1) a two semester methods sequence which introduces students to a common set of procedures; 2) a six course sequence of specialized courses in the research area; and 3) a thesis sequence focused on developed, original research. Students who are admitted to the MArch III Track are admitted into a specific concentration within the Track, and are required to meet all academic standards and curriculum requirements of that concentration.
The MArch/M.U.D Dual Degree is organized by integrating the MArch II curriculum with the Master of Urban Design curriculum to provide the option of a 3- year dual degree. The Urban Design program is housed off-campus in the University's City Center Building. Most of the urban coursework is taught in this new Uptown location, utilizing the City of Charlotte itself as a laboratory for urban design exploration and research.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the admissions materials required by the Graduate School, the School of Architecture requires the submission of a portfolio of creative work. Applicants to the MArch I curriculum should submit examples of work that offer evidence of creativity, self-motivation and critical appraisal. Such examples are not expected to be architectural in nature. Visual work such as painting, sculpture, furniture making, photography, etc. are acceptable, as are fiction writing, poetry, and any other reasonable evidence of sustained creative endeavor. Applicants to the MArch II curriculum may offer similar evidence of any kind of creative endeavor but must also offer significant evidence of a mastery of architectural skill and knowledge. Applicants for the dual MArch/M.U.D degree must meet the requirement for MArch II curriculum plus clear evidence of an interest in urban studies.
The following requirements are expected of applicants to the MArch I and/or MArch II curricula:
- 1) Students applying to the MArch II curriculum who have completed the four-year professional track of the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UNC Charlotte must have an undergraduate degree GPA of 3.25 or above to receive automatic consideration for admission.
- 2) Students applying to the MArch I curriculum with a bachelors from a discipline other than architecture must complete their undergraduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA overall.
- 3) Students apply to the MArch I curriculum are expected to have completed introductory, college-level physics and pre-calculus courses.
- 4) All applicants (including students eligible for automatic consideration for admission) must fulfill the University’s Graduate School application requirements and submit a copy of their Letter of Intent, a current curriculum vitae, and a portfolio of creative work at the time of their application.
Students who do not meet the grade point average requirements noted above may still submit an application for admission to both programs but admission will be weighed against those meeting these requirements.
Degree Requirements
Concentrations within the MArch I and MArch II Curricula At the end of the third semester of study, MArch I students have the option to choose an area of concentration that will guide their advanced studies. MArch II students are required to choose an area of concentration during their first semester. Concentrations include: 1) Architectural Design, Theory, & Practice, 2) Urbanism, and 3) Architectural Technology. Concentration coursework is comprised of three elective courses (selected by the student from a larger set of eligible courses) and one elective studio with a focus similar to that of the concentration (offered as a topical studio). Concentration coursework is expected to support and culminate in thesis and/or capstone projects. The concentrations from which students can choose are described below:
1. Architectural Design, Theory, & Practice
This concentration focuses on a sophisticated and detailed study of building and site design arising from the re-presentational methods intrinsic to architecture. The areas of focus include: graphic description, historical and/or theoretical inquiries, as well as digital design and fabrication. This concentration includes both investigation and criticism of contemporary practice and practitioners as it pertains to the understanding, design, and making of architecture.
2. Urbanism
This concentration focuses on the critical role of architecture in the city - the process and specific intent of physical intervention in urban landscapes and infrastructures. Through the design of groups of buildings as well as larger scale urban areas, issues of policy, politics, finance, planning, place, and culture are introduced as part of the essential conception and history of the city fabric. This concentration in urbanism is supported by the Master of Urban Design program; many courses are provided in the University’s off-campus Center City building.
3. Architectural Technology
This concentration focuses on study and experimentation addressing emerging issues of sustainable design and the creative development of building envelopes and systems that utilize both new and traditional materials, technology, and construction methods in innovative and beautiful ways. Seeking to explore the historical as well as contemporary realms of thermal, tactile and visual issues embedded in this field, students address appropriate material selection, methods of daylighting, passive and active systems for heating and cooling, etc. with consideration of both qualitative and quantitative outcomes.
Master of Architecture I Curriculum
The MArch I curriculum requires a minimum of 96 hours to be completed during three academic years and one summer session.
Year One
Summer (6 hours)
ARCH 6100 Design Studio: Basics (3)
ARCH 6601 Ideas in Architecture (3)
Fall (15 hours)
ARCH 6101 Design Studio: Fundamentals (6)
ARCH 5201 Architectural History I: Prehistory-1750 (3)
ARCH 5301 Material and Assembly Principles (3)
ARCH 6602 Representation I: Fundamentals (3)
Spring (15 hours)
ARCH 6102 Design Studio: Fundamentals (6)
ARCH 5202 Architectural History II: 1750-Present (3)
ARCH 5302 Environmental Systems Principles (3)
ARCH 6603 Representation II: Digital Fundamentals (3)
Year Two
Fall (15 hours)
ARCH 7101 Design Studio: Topical (6)
ARCH 5203 Architectural History III: Survey of Contemporary Theory (1950– Present) (3)
ARCH 5303 Structural Principles (3)
ARCH 5604 Computational Methods (3)
Spring (15 hours)
ARCH 7102 Design Studio: Comprehensive (6)
ARCH 5304 Structural Systems (3)
ARCH 7201 Design Methodologies (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Summer (3-6 hours - optional)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
ARCH 7120 Graduate Summer International Study (3)
ARCH 7950 Graduate Summer Research Study) (3)
Year Three
Fall (15 hours)
ARCH 7103 Design Studio: Topical (6)
ARCH 7202 Final Project/Thesis Document (3)
ARCH 5305 Building Systems Integration (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Spring (15 hours)
ARCH 7104 Final Project/Thesis Studio (6)
ARCH 5206 Professional Practice (3)
ARCH 5605 Computational Practice (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Note: MArch I candidates, as an option, may pursue an area of concentration (three concentration electives are required). Qualifying concentration electives are described in the Course Descriptions section below.
Master of Architecture II Curriculum
The MArch II curriculum requires a minimum of 60 credit hours to be completed during two academic years. If applicants accepted to the MArch II curriculum are evaluated and found deficient in entry- level competencies, they will be required to enroll in additional coursework beyond the 60 credits to complete their degree. Below is a list of expected entry-level competencies.
The combined dual degree of Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design (MArch/M.U.D) requires a minimum of 74 credit hours to be completed in three calendar years of full-time study, including a summer studio in a foreign country, currently either in China or Great Britain. Details of this dual degree are listed under the following Master of Urban Design section. This three-year dual degree is only available to students in the Master of Architecture II curriculum. Applicants for this dual degree must meet all the admission requirements and entry-level competencies for the MArch II curriculum.
Expected Entry-Level Competencies for MArch II Candidates:
1) A minimum of six semesters of architectural design studios;
2) A minimum of three semesters of architectural history and/or theory courses;
3) A minimum of four semesters of building technology courses equivalent to the following UNC Charlotte’s School of Architecture courses:
ARCH 5301 Material and Assembly Principles (3)
ARCH 5302 Environmental Systems Principles (3)
ARCH 5303 Structural Principles (3)
ARCH 5304 Structural Systems (3)
To ensure that incoming students are evaluated appropriately, the School of Architecture requires candidates for the MArch II curriculum to furnish the Architecture Graduate Admissions Committee and Graduate Program Coordinator relevant course descriptions and syllabi of all architecture courses passed and completed which may satisfy entry-level competencies. The following curriculum is modeled for students accepted to the program who have satisfied all entry-level competencies.
Master of Architecture II Curriculum
Year One
Fall (15 hours)
ARCH 7101 Design Studio: Topical (6)
ARCH 5203 Architectural History III: Survey of Contemporary Theory (1950– Present) (3)
–OR- ARCH 5215 AH Elective (3)
ARCH 5305 Building Systems Integration (3)
ARCH 5604 Computational Methods (3)
Spring (15 hours)
ARCH 7102 Design Studio: Comprehensive (6)
ARCH 7201 Design Methodologies (3)
ARCH 6306 Technology Topic (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Summer (3-6 hours - optional)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
ARCH 7120 Graduate Summer International Study (3)
ARCH 7950 Graduate Summer Research Study) (3)
Year Two
Fall (15 hours)
ARCH 7103 Design Studio: Topical (6)
ARCH 7202 Final Project/Thesis Document (3)
ARCH 6307 Technology Topic (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Spring (15 hours)
ARCH 7104 Final Project/Thesis Studio (6)
ARCH 5206 Professional Practice (3)
ARCH 6050 Architectural Elective (3)
Note: MArch II candidates are required to pursue an area of concentration. Three (3) qualifying ARCH 6050 courses are mandatory to satisfy the required concentration sequence. See Course Descriptions section below.
Requisite & Capstone Experiences
Comprehensive Design Project
The Comprehensive Design Project (ARCH 7101) serves as the requisite studio experience that bridges between foundational studios and advanced studios for MArch I students. The Comprehensive Design Project serves as the point of entry into the program for MArch II students. Taken in the fourth semester of enrollment for MArch I students and in the first semester of enrollment for MArch II students, the Comprehensive Design Project is defined as an architectural building design project that comprehensively demonstrates the student’s ability to conceptualize, prepare, organize, and design a building having a specific programmatic type. All students must demonstrate comprehensive design competency before they enroll in Topical studios.
Final Project and Thesis Options
The normative capstone project for both MArch I and MArch II students occurs in the final year. For MArch I and MArch II students, this is typically defined as an architectural design project that demonstrates the students’ ability to independently identify and engage a specific set of issues, a building type, and a site.
As an alternative option to a final design project, an architectural thesis may be proposed. This is defined as an architectural research project that engages and explicates primary source material leading to project work possessing an original argument. This second type of project may include design-related materials as part of the final submission. Primary source material from data and information gathered from original texts and documents, interviews, raw data resulting from experiments, demographic data, etc. shall be a part of the project The thesis should claim an original argument that leads to creative and/or research-oriented activities in the final semester. Thesis students identify the issue(s) to be engaged and the research and/or design methods through which this engagement will take place. The student works independently with a committee during the final semester of study to complete the thesis.
All students must demonstrate comprehensive design competency before they engage a the final year of study. For students in the MArch/M.U.D dual degree program, the thesis and preceding Final Project/Thesis Document course (ARCH 7202) must have a clear focus on the integration of architectural and urban design issues.
A Final Design Project or a Thesis Project course of study is determined at the beginning of a student’s final year of his/her program in ARCH 7202.
Graduate Advising
A critical component of any successful graduate program is academic advising and guidance during the course of a student's program of study. The primary advisor for all graduate students in the School of Architecture will be the Associate Director, in consultation with the appropriate Graduate Coordinator/Director. Students entering their final year will be asked to complete a Plan of Study and identify committee members from the faculty to serve as advisors for their thesis.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is normally limited to a maximum of six (6) hours of graduate credit. Under special circumstances, a greater number of hours may be transferred if a student can demonstrate that the courses to be transferred meet or exceed the content and rigor of graduate curricula offered by the School of Architecture.
Waiver Credit
Waiver credit may be allowed if a student can demonstrate that a course or courses taken at the post-undergraduate level that equals or exceeds in both content and rigor of a course or courses required in the graduate curriculum. Grades received for such courses must be B or above. In such cases, credit will be permitted by examination. If a required course in the curriculum is waived, the student will be allowed to fill those credit hours with another course as advised by the Associate Director, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator/Director.
Committees
For candidates engaging a thesis research project, each student identifies three (3) School of Architecture faculty members who will contribute to his or her interests, research, and final project. In addition, one (1) committee member from outside the School of Architecture faculty is required. Additional individuals relevant to a student’s final project may also participate as ex-officio members.
The members of the committee should offer specific areas of expertise and insight relative to the proposed project. Members of this committee should be involved with the project beginning with the preparation of the research document undertaken in ARCH 7202 (Final Project/Thesis Document) in the Fall semester.
The responsibility of each committee member involves the following:
- 1) Review and provide feedback on three (3) successive versions of the student’s written research document produced in ARCH 7202 (Final Project/Thesis Document)
- 2) Be present and provide feedback at all public presentations (4-5) conducted in ARCH 7104 (Final Project/Thesis Studio)
- 3) Provide feedback on other occasions as requested by the student
- 4) Meet with instructors of ARCH 7202 and ARCH 7104 as required for coordination
- 5) Deliberate with other committee members on the report concerning degree conferral
Application for Degree
In order to meet UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School requirements for degree candidacy, all graduate students must receive a written certification from their department confirming successful project completion. This report requires approvals from members of each student’s committee as well as an endorsement from the Chair of Instruction. The completion of this report results in the granting of the degree. In addition, each student should make application for his/her degree by completing the online Application for Degree through Banner Self Service no later than the filing date specified in the University Academic Calendar.
Research and Off-Campus Opportunities
The opportunity exists for MArch II students who take ARCH 7120 or ARCH 7950 to engage directed research with a professor or one of the School of Architecture’s official research centers. There are three study options that students may engage:
1. Funded Research
Students may elect to receive course credit for work performed with faculty and/or other researchers who are conducting professional, scholarly, applied, and/or creative research within specialized fields of architecture theory, history, technology, etc. Current research initiatives include lighting and energy studies, building envelope studies, urban studies, design/fabrication, and design/theory studies. These activities are engaged through the Lighting & Energy Technology Lab, the Digital Arts Center, the Charlotte Community Design Center, and through individual faculty research projects and ongoing architectural practice. Students may also complete the requirements by securing their own grants and funding to study a well-defined and focused architectural issue. Student initiated research of this type must be approved both by the student’s Academic Advisor and by the Graduate Program Coordinator.
2. Independent Design
Students may elect to receive architectural elective credit for a class by completing and entering a regional, national, or international architectural competition. This option is intended to further students’ study of ideas and issues relevant to their thesis project and area of Concentration.
3. Off-Campus and/or International Study
Students may elect to enroll in School of Architecture off-campus or international study programs, and/or enroll in similar programs offered by other NAAB accredited institutions. The College has long-standing study/travel programs in Italy, Spain, and China. Students have also pursued study opportunities in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, etc. Glenn Murcutt’s Master Class (Australia) and Brian MacKay Lyons’ Ghost Project (Canada) are among the international study options that students may undertake.
Assistantships, Tuition Differentials, and Scholarships
A number of teaching and research assistantships, scholarships, in-state and non-resident new master’s student tuition awards, and graduate tuition assistantship program support (GASP), are available to both high performing MArch I and MArch II candidates. Awards are based on the applicant's academic merit or promise of academic merit, and/or on demonstration of need. Tuition awards are typically paired with teaching and/or research assistantship stipends. School of Architecture scholarships are also awarded pending a review of student applications to various private endowments. In addition, other awards awarded under independent faculty or research center grants are also available.
Program Accreditation
National Architectural Accrediting Board
The School of Architecture maintains accredited status through the National Architectural Accrediting Board, which reviews the curriculum, facility, faculty, and program resources annually. In addition, the NAAB conducts an intensive site visit every six years. (The MArch I and MArch II programs are fully accredited, but the MArch III program, because of its research focus, is not an accredited program.) The School has maintained full accreditation standards as prescribed by this board and includes the requisite statement:
In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.
Master’s degree programs may consist of a pre- professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
Following the completion of a professional degree program accredited by the NAAB, most states require the future architect to complete an internship working for a registered architect before sitting for the licensing examination. The MArch Program (both the MArch I and MArch II curricula) was granted a full 6-year NAAB accreditation status in 2010. The next formal accreditation review of the School of Architecture’s MArch program will be in 2016.