Architecture Degrees Online

This one-and-a-half-year course of study is open to individuals holding a B.Arch or first-professional M.Arch degree, this three-semester advanced design research program offers a critical framework for investigating pertinent concerns, practices, and technologies in 21st-century architecture. A curriculum of core and elective studios and courses structures individual trajectories of inquiry within five territories of investigation: architecture and urbanism; architecture and ecology; architecture and technology; architecture and discourse; and architecture and media.

Only students who have satisfactorily completed an accredited undergraduate professional program for the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) or the professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degrees, or their foreign equivalents, may be admitted as candidates for the post-professional degree of Master of Architecture. Those who have yet to receive a qualifying professional degree, should apply as transfer students to the undergraduate program. After fulfilling the requirements for the B.Arch. degree, they can apply to the graduate program in design. Applicants who already have a nonprofessional four-year undergraduate degree should apply to the professional Architecture (M.Arch. professional) program.

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.

Students with an undergraduate degree in architecture, architectural engineering, engineering, or computer science are likely candidates for the graduate program in architectural science. Program objectives are (1) to afford an opportunity for students of architecture to expand their creative design potential by increasing their knowledge and understanding of environmental science and building technologies and (2) to provide a framework within which students who have graduated from other technical disciplines may explore computer science, computer graphics, and computer-aided design methods. Students enrolling for studies in computer graphics use the facilities of the interdisciplinary Program of Computer Graphics.

The Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) in Landscape Architecture was
created for individuals with an interest in advancing their career options by pursuing timely and innovative issues related to planning, designing, and/or managing natural and built environments. The program investigates areas of Landscape Architecture through a year-long program of coursework, involvement in department faculty/project based problem solving and independent studies.
The program requires 30 hours of course work. This must include 20 hours within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including 6 credits of project-based work. Interested prospective students should submit applications based on their area of interest and compatibility with Cornell’s resources and the expertise of current faculty members in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Once accepted, students will plan an appropriate curriculum in consultation with a designated faculty mentor. The MPS in Landscape Architecture is a non-license qualifying degree.

The MLA–AD curriculum consists of design studios, the augmenting of a previous education with courses unique to Cornell, the development of a concentration, and independent research and a thesis.

The course of study is 60 credits over a two-year period, and the accumulation of four residency units. Design studios and other course work are taken at an advanced level.

Students holding a four-year (BS, BSLA) or five-year (BLA) professional degree in Landscape Architecture may apply for the Master of Landscape Architecture–Advanced Degree. Each student’s undergraduate academic record and professional practice experience will be reviewed to look for opportunities to enhance their education and work experiences through the course work and research opportunities at Cornell.

The interaction between cultural and environmental systems in the landscape is the focus of the academic program and the context for design and planning issues internationally.

Central to the graduate curriculum is the design studio which focuses on conceptual and applied design. The studio format entails lecture, demonstration, one-on-one instruction and group discourse. Rather than espousing a single design philosophy, the department presents numerous perspectives on design, imparted through the studio course sequence. Small class sizes allow for discussion among faculty and students. The graduate curriculum culminates with a thesis or capstone studio. Thesis students, with the guidance of the Thesis Committee, may choose from a variety of options for their research, including a special project, design or an aspect of theory applied to a project. The capstone studio option features a comprehensive design project. A studio book, submitted to the department, is required for this option.

Transcripts from all educational institutions and two (2) letters of recommendation are required for graduate students. Admission is made in the Fall semester only. GRE scores are recommended, and required for fellowship applicants. Submission of a portfolio demonstrating creative ability is required. Portfolios may include, drawings, photography, creative writing or designs. Foreign students without an undergraduate degree from a U.S. institution or an undergraduate degree conducted in English are required to pass the Test for English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL) with a reading (20), writing (20), listening (15), and speaking (22).

The undergraduate landscape architecture curriculum is a broadbased course of study that provides the skills necessary for professional practice. In addition to the required Landscape Architecture courses, students are expected to fulfill college requirements in biological, physical and social sciences, humanities, and written and oral expression.

The core Landscape Architecture undergraduate curriculum is centered on a sequence of design studio courses. Studio teaching involves students and faculty in a one-on-one relationship. This close interaction typifies the program. Each studio requires a different set of principles and theories and mastery of aspects of the media of landscape—land form, plants, water, engineering, and construction. The subject matter in each studio builds on the subjects of previous studios.

Admissions Information
Undergraduate students enter the Landscape Architecture Department as freshmen or transfer students. Landscape Architecture is part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

Incoming Freshmen
For general freshman application information, visit the CALS First Year Students page. This page contains links for how to apply, requirements for admission, selection criteria, and timetable for admission.

Transfer Students
For general transfer application information, visit the CALS Undergraduate Transfer Students page. This page contains links for how to apply, special and visiting students, timetables, transfer agreements with other colleges and universities, transfer credits, transfer day, and transfer criteria. Students who have already received an undergraduate degree should apply to the three-year Master of Landscape Architecture curriculum.

Transfer Students (from within CALS ONLY)
If you are already a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and would like to transfer to the Landscape Architecture undergraduate curriculum, you will need to fill out this LA Transfer Application and submit it, along with a portfolio (see below), to:
Landscape Architecture Department
440 Kennedy Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Portfolio

Applicants to the Landscape Architecture program are required to submit a portfolio. The portfolio is used to assess your aptitude for visual thinking and design.

The portfolio contents may represent a wide variety of media, including freehand drawings, travel sketches, painting, printmaking, photography, garden design, pottery and other creative endeavors, as well as evidence of any knowledge of graphics software programs, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, AutoCAD, and 3D modeling. The total number of works should be 10-12. Please include a brief caption with the title, size, project intention and medium of each work.

The portfolio format is flexible but the department prefers high-quality printed pages of images, spiral bound or displayed in a simple portfolio, 8.5″ x 11″ or 11″x 17.” Please make sure your name clearly appears on all materials and portfolios submitted.