Master of Science in Architectural Research and Design (M.S.ARC)

Our post-professional Master of Science in Architectural Research and Design degree program (formerly known as M.ARCH II.) is the most advanced research venue at Tulane School of Architecture. It is a selective design research degree that builds on the deep expertise of our faculty and the strategic commitment of the school and the university as a whole. It is intended for individuals with an accredited professional architecture degree interested in teaching and research as a career in the field of architecture.

The program offers six concentrations directed by our internationally-renowned faculty.

• River and Coastal Urbanism (Climate Change Adaptation)
• Design/Build
• Design and Social Engagement
• Building Technologies
• Advanced Fabrication and Design
• Representation Theory

Students are encouraged to develop an area of expertise through independent scholarship. Under the guidance of our diverse faculty, the program focuses on cultivating advanced theory and technology relevant to the design and construction of the sustainable and resilient built environment. The program provides opportunities to form a course of study around students’ interests and to develop appropriate strategies within the Research and Design Thesis framework.

STEM OPT Eligibility

The Tulane School of Architecture’s post-professional Master of Science in Architectural Research and Design degree program is classified under Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology (CIP code 04.0902).

Consequently, international students graduating with M.S.ARC degree from Tulane will be eligible for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ STEM OPT extension program. This allows international students to remain in the U.S. for up to 36 months after graduation to receive practical training through work experience in the field of architecture.

Curriculum

Fall

• ARCH 6051 Advanced Studio Elective
• ARCH 6980 Thesis Research
• ARCH 6130 Research Methods
• Arch/Univ Elective

Spring

• ARCH 6990 Thesis Studio
• ARCH 6925 Independent Thesis Research
• Architecture Elective
• Architecture Elective

Summer

• Teaching and Research Fellowship

The Tulane University School of Architecture is committed to pushing for excellence without reservation in the fields of Architecture, Preservation, and Sustainable Real Estate Development.

We are located in the heart of the Gulf Coast, where all the challenges of human inhabitation of the planet are at stake. Here, we have the opportunity to define the role of architecture in front of climate change, coastal and riparian crisis, the process of urbanization under these circumstances, and the challenges for social and environmental justice.

We believe this is a historic moment in the best possible place on earth to be an architect and an educator.

Tulane University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, military, veteran status or any other protected status or classification under federal, state or local law in its programs and activities.

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The Tulane School of Architecture provides a world-class education in architecture, preservation, and sustainable real estate development. These programs, from undergraduate to graduate levels, equip future graduates with the basic intellectual, cultural and technical skills needed to be relevant in reversing social inequalities and ecological disruptions.

The school’s teaching and research advance the fields in the most relevant topics of today, such as climate change, coastal and riparian crisis, the process of urbanization under these circumstances, and the challenges for social and environmental justice.

At the School of Architecture, education takes place in the classroom and in the community. The impact of our students, faculty, and graduates can be seen across the globe and right here in New Orleans at the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design and URBANbuild.

Degree Programs:

• Bachelor of Architecture
• Bachelor of Science in Architecture
• Master of Architecture I
• Master of Architecture II
• Master of Preservation Studies
• Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development

Outreach Programs:

• Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design
• URBANbuild
• Tulane Regional Urban Design Center
• Career Explorations in Architecture (Summer pre-college program)

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Research

Tulane University is the only top research university located in a region that deals with the most pressing social, environmental, economic challenges. Solving these urgent problems – housing people, working with communities to bring them back, developing new scenarios to inhabit our rivers and deltas – are deeply rooted in Tulane’s identity. Our university is committed to work that brings innovation by crossing disciplinary boundaries.

Tulane School of Architecture has a long history of commitment to addressing real issues and generating new knowledge, especially after Hurricane Katrina and our leadership in helping our communities rebuild. And as architects, educated to lead complex teams to deal with complex issues, our work is fundamentally interdisciplinary and inventive.

Research and innovation at Tulane School of Architecture is focused in two main areas: 1) Empowerment of Communities through Architecture and 2) River and Delta Urbanism, which are accomplished through professional design excellence and leadership in design education.

The school’s Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design and URBANbuild are two nationally and internationally recognized programs that provide students and faculty the opportunity to work on local community-based projects through internships, studio and class projects, and design-build opportunities. The Yamuna River Project is an interdisciplinary research program whose objective is to revitalize the ecology of the Yamuna River in New Delhi, thus reconnecting India’s capital city back to the water.