M.Arch. professional Architectural at Cornell University
The professional Master of Architecture program seeks individuals interested in practicing architecture, teaching architecture, and otherwise contributing to the culture of architecture as a social and spatial reality. This new degree program, designed for applicants who possess a four-year undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in any area, joins Cornell’s renowned B.Arch. degree program and provides an additional option for professional education in architecture.
The intensive 3-1/2 year course of study consists of six semesters of design studios followed by a one-semester design thesis, together with supporting courses in visual studies, history and theory of architecture, technology, professional practice, and elective courses. The design studio is the core of the curriculum: its symbiotic relationship to all other disciplines allows the architectural project to be experienced as a negotiating platform.
A candidate for the degree must complete a minimum of 115 credit units. For individuals with advanced standing, degree requirements are determined prior to admission. The M.Arch. program is in the process of obtaining candidacy status from the National Architectural Accrediting Board, a necessary first step in the process leading to full accreditation.
Note on Professional Accreditation: 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 two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.
Master’s degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise as accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation.Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if the plan is properly implemented.