Architecture (MArch)

M.Arch. Admission Requirements

All applicants must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor\'s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. The baccalaureate degree may be in a field other than architecture or be a non-professional baccalaureate degree in architecture. This M.Arch. program culminates in a professional degree, currently in candidacy status for National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accreditation.
A minimum grade-point average [GPA] of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required.
All applicants for admission to the M.Arch. degree program must submit the following:

• a completed Graduate School application, found online at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/, and payment of the non-refundable application fee.

• copies of all undergraduate transcript[s]; in order to finalize an accepted offer of admission, official transcripts (or international equivalent) showing degree conferral (if applicable) from all post-secondary institutions attended, together with an official English translation of all official documents if the language of instruction was not English must be sent to the Graduate School. Further instructions can be found at: http://www.gradschool.psu.edu/admissions/.

• Graduate Record Exam [GRE] scores.

• names of three faculty members or professionals acquainted with the applicant\'s academic history who can be contacted and invited to provide reference letters.

• a statement of intent, which should be primarily a description of the applicant\'s professional goals, subjects of study, and the area(s) of anticipated architectural inquiry.

• a portfolio of creative and design work executed at the undergraduate level, under professional guidance or independently, provided that such work can be evidenced as executed by the applicant, is an important part of the graduate application. A minimum portfolio representation of one project for each year of academic undergraduate study, or its equivalent, is required.

• other evidence of academic excellence, such as awards, design and scholarly achievements, and other recognitions that the applicant wishes to have considered by the admissions committee.

  International students also must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores as noted below in the section titled "English Language Requirements."

M.S. in Architecture Admission Requirements

All applicants must hold either (1) a professionally accredited baccalaureate degree in architecture or related field from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a professionally accredited bachelor\'s degree in architecture or related field from a regionally accredited U.S. institution; this degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. Alternatively, the applicant can hold (3) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution plus a professionally accredited master\'s degree in architecture or related field or (4) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a bachelor\'s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution plus a professionally accredited master\'s degree in architecture or related field; these degrees must be from officially recognized degree-granting institutions in the country in which they operate.
A minimum grade-point average [GPA] of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required.
All applicants for admission to the M.S. in Architecture degree program must submit the following:

• a completed Graduate School application, found online at www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/, and payment of the non-refundable application fee.

• copies of all undergraduate transcript[s]; in order to finalize an accepted offer of admission, official transcripts (or international equivalent) showing degree conferral (if applicable) from all post-secondary institutions attended, together with an official English translation of all official documents if the language of instruction was not English must be sent to the Graduate School. Further instructions can be found at: http://www.gradschool.psu.edu/admissions/.

• Graduate Record Exam [GRE] scores.

• names of three faculty members or professionals acquainted with the applicant\'s academic history who can be contacted and invited to provide reference letters.

• a statement of intent, which should be primarily a description of the applicant\'s professional goals, subjects of study, and the area(s) of anticipated architectural inquiry.

• a portfolio of creative and design work executed at the undergraduate level, under professional guidance or independently, provided that such work can be evidenced as executed by the applicant, is an important part of the graduate application. A minimum portfolio representation of one project for each year of academic undergraduate study, or its equivalent, is required.

• other evidence of academic excellence, such as awards, design and scholarly achievements, and other recognitions that the applicant wishes to have considered by the admissions committee.

  International students also must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores as noted below in the section titled "English Language Requirements."

Integrated B.Arch./M.S. in Architecture Admission Requirements

The Department of Architecture offers a limited number of academically superior students enrolled in the fourth year of the Bachelor of Architecture degree program the opportunity to enroll in an integrated program leading to both the B.Arch. and the M.S. in Architecture degrees. The ability to coordinate as well as concurrently pursue the two degree programs enables the student to achieve greater depth and comprehensiveness than if the degrees are pursued sequentially, and to earn the two degrees in a shorter period of time. In particular, the program encourages the student to integrate the undergraduate thesis design project with the master\'s thesis, thereby achieving a greater depth of inquiry. The number of openings to this special program is limited; admission is by invitation of the faculty and is extremely selective.
Applicants to the integrated program must be enrolled in the fourth year of a B.Arch. program or otherwise qualified to apply for admission to the fifth year of the B.Arch. program at Penn State. To be admitted, applicants must have a minimum 3.20 junior/senior overall grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) as well as: (1) a minimum 3.20 GPA in architectural design courses (studio), and (2) a minimum 3.20 GPA in all course work except architectural design courses (studio).
All applicants for admission to the Integrated B.Arch./M.S. in Architecture degree program must submit the following:

• a completed Graduate School application, found online at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/, and payment of the application fee.

• names of three faculty members or professionals acquainted with the applicant\'s academic history who can be contacted and invited to provide reference letters.

• a statement of intent/plan of study, which should be primarily a description of the applicant\'s professional goals. The statement/plan shall clearly describe the student\'s proposed general thesis topic and a strategy for pursuing it, including a list of proposed courses and a list of faculty whom the student foresees as contributing to the course of study.

• a portfolio of creative and design work executed at the undergraduate level, under professional guidance or independently, provided that such work can be evidenced as executed by the applicant. A minimum portfolio representation of one project for each year of academic undergraduate study, or its equivalent, is required.

The best-qualified students will be accepted up to the number of spaces available for new students. Acceptance to the program prior to the completion of all required course work is provisional, contingent upon meeting the previous requirements.