Master of Architecture I (3 year track)

The Master of Architecture I (M.Arch I) is a NAAB-accredited, 3-year (7 semesters), 105 credits program intended for students holding undergraduate degrees in non-design fields. This STEM-designated professional degree program provides a well-grounded understanding of architecture as students immerse in contemporary challenges to address a variety of social, cultural, technological and programmatic contexts.

At the heart of the M.Arch I curriculum are Core Studios that introduce students to critical topics, imbue necessary skills, inspire critical thinking, examine the production of meaning in architecture, and foster an understanding of architecture as an integrative discipline. The Core Studios are carefully synchronized with core courses in drawing and visualization, history and theory, technology and systems, and practice.

The first year begins with an examination of the relationship between nature, landscape, and the built environment, and how architectural form is informed by a careful reading of place. Summer in the School’s Rome studio is configured to provide an intensive, on-site experience balancing design, history, theory, and analysis through drawing. In order to make travel to Rome more accessible, the School covers the cost of travel and lodging for this trip.

During the second year , students engage design-based critical inquiry into more complex issues including technology, structural systems, environmental stewardship, building envelope systems, and social human-centered aspects of architecture. In the Integrative Studio, which systematically incorporates professionals into the studio environment, students emulate modes of practice by organizing a complex architectural project combining design considerations with complex building systems, while also demonstrating proficiency in technical documentation.

In their final year , graduate M.Arch students are expected to pursue a final degree project. Final degree projects comprise one of two tracks:

Design Thesis , an opportunity for each student, working with a faculty advisor, to conduct independent scholarly research and define an individual position with regard to the discipline of architecture Graduate Design Research Studio , led by a faculty member, which investigates relevant or thematic issues of architecture.

Beyond the Core Studios, students are able to develop individual focus areas, for instance in advanced technology, design-build, and building construction, sustainability and resilience, urban design, historic preservation, and adaptive-use, healthcare, or hospitality. Students direct their trajectory following their interests, develop areas of professional concentration through certificates, and engage in critical research.

U-SoA faculty are joined each year by internationally-recognized visiting scholars and fellows. The diversity of faculty interests and experience offers opportunities for students in the selection of Advanced Elective Design Studios. The School is home to innovative research units, including RAD-UM, a lab dedicated to emergent embedded technology, the Laboratory of Littoral Urbanism, an acclaimed design/build program, and the Center for Urban and Community Design.

The M.Arch degree can also be combined efficiently with on-site post-professional degree programs, such as the Master of Science in Architecture, Master of Urban Design, Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism, and Master of Construction Management.

A strong sense of community, collaboration, and responsibility among U-SoA students and faculty contribute to the international stature of our Graduate programs.

https://grad.arc.miami.edu/index.html

Download our graduate booklet

About us

An intrinsic philosophy of U-SoA’s faculty is to build a better world. This is expressed in a design program that is ideal and pragmatic, academic and practical, theoretical and actual. U-SoA trains visionary practitioners who pursue architecture as a combination of civic art and building science.

The Mission of the School of Architecture is:

• To prepare students for professional leadership and lifelong learning in architecture, urbanism, and related fields.
• To advance knowledge and technology through research, and creative practice.
• To deploy knowledge and technology through professional engagement, real-world applications, and community service.
• To promote the goals of environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic sustainability.

The Strategic Orientation of the School of Architecture is:

To become a hemispheric leader in problem-based learning and project-based research while contributing solutions to the challenges facing urban environments locally and globally.

Recent History

The School has gone through a dynamic transition, transformation and expansion in the past 5 years. Regular faculty were increased by 20 percent with international high- profile appointments while upgrades to facilities included the B.E. & W.R. BuildLab and the Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building.

The recent investments in faculty and infrastructure intensified efforts in experiential collaborative learning and in the use of emerging digital technology for design, fabrication and construction. Together they enhance and sharpen the relevance and efficacy of the school in tackling the challenges facing the city in the 21st century, particularly in South Florida—ground zero for climate change impacts. These challenges have galvanized the school community around a common purpose: to build expertise and interdisciplinary resources while also mobilizing hemispheric partnerships in contributing to urban resilience.

Research Platforms/Labs and Centers include:

• The Center for Urban and Community Design (C.U.C.D.)
• Lu_Lab: engaging collaborative and diverse teams to explore future design scenarios embedded in cultural, economic, social, and ecological urbanisms.
• RAD Lab: offering hands on interaction with emerging technology, leading students in studio-like environment to build and test working prototypes that integrate information technology with the built environment
• Fabrication Lab
• AR/VR Lab
• Zenciti Research Unit (focused on smart city research)
• Design/Build Program (housed in the B.E. & W.R. BuildLab)

Community Outreach

Community outreach is a cornerstone of U-SoA's curriculum.

In 2015, Dean el-Khoury initiated U-Serve, a day of service, dedicated to the community.

In its first year, 200+ participated in a Little Havana project, enabling the City of Miami to establish a comprehensive inventory of their building stock.

In year two, U-Serve partnered with the Friends of the Underline to "green" 10 miles of space under the Metrorail.

In April 2015, the school received a substantial grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help bring “third places” to Miami neighborhoods.

Accreditation

In the United States, most 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 professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Master of Architecture degree programs may require a preprofessional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The University of Miami School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

• B.Arch. (171 undergraduate credits)
• M.Arch I (3-year Track – 105 graduate credits)
• M.Arch II (2-year Track – 60 graduate credits)

The next accreditation visit for all programs: 2025-2026.