Graduate Program
Launching Fall 2027 and accepting applications in Fall 2026
MSARCH Program
The Master of Science in Architecture (MS ARCH) program provides a specialized and immersive education on environmentally and socially responsible architectural practices. Through in-depth coursework, collaborative research, and a final project, students learn to design, construct, and advocate for climate resilience through nature-based strategies in architectural design. The curriculum expands students’ knowledge about historic and contemporary responsible design practices while providing hands-on learning to develop and test ideas that leverage the unique context of our university and region. By rethinking and reimagining the material cultures of the architecture discipline, graduates are empowered with the knowledge and skills to become changemakers in the building industry.
The program will welcome applications from candidates holding bachelor's degrees in architecture including graduates with a Bachelor of Architecture seeking post-professional specialization. Applicants with a degree in a closely related discipline such as landscape architecture, city and regional planning, or structural engineering will be considered.
The post-professional Master of Science in Architecture (MS ARCH) Degree is not a NAAB-accredited professional degree in architecture. Read more about the differences between professional/non-professional degrees and requirements for licensure at NCARB.
Above: Work from an Advanced Practices class, which will be offered in the MSARCH program. Students design and construct wall assemblies for a selected city using bioregionally-sourced biogenic materials.
The student work in these images features (1) and a natural wall and roof assembly for Seattle by Melani Faber and Mona Burger, (2) a fire-resistant assembly for Altadena by Aya Shadan and Efren Gallegos, and (3) an invasive species wall and floor assembly for San Luis Obispo by Ishan Singh and Alyssa Lin.
Above: Work from a Seminar in Architectural Theory class, which will be offered in the MSARCH program. The course involves weekly readings discussions, paper writing, and architectural imaginaries. In the collage above, fifth-year student, Katherine Neuner, speculated about care, repair, and community in biobased architecture. In her words, "The dwelling is constructed using bio-based materials, featuring a thatch roof, mycelium walls, and an underlying timber structure...Rejecting the anthropocentric perspective that views nature as merely an exploitable resource, this scene envisions an architecture that both originates from and is recycled back into the environment. This embodies an act of environmental care by eschewing hierarchical relationships and acknowledging humanity’s place as members of interdependent webs of beings."
Above: Diagram showing bioregional biomaterial sources near San Luis Obispo. Research and diagram by Megan West and Sarah Wise. This work was completed for an Advanced Practices class, which will be offered for students in the MSARCH program.
Updated 05.14.2025