This full six-semester professional curriculum is for students holding baccalaureate degrees with majors in architecture and with majors other than architecture. The program begins with a series of core studios and courses before students progress into the advanced studio sequence. This 105-credit program leads to a professionally accredited Master of Architecture degree.
Waiver Requirements
Students admitted to the MArch 3 program have the opportunity to waive the following courses:
Students must obtain a waiver prior to the semester in which they would normally be expected to take the course that is being waived. In other words, students may not skip a required course on the assumption that they will receive a waiver for it in the future.
Any such waiver requires evidence that the student had adequate exposure to the required material as part of their previous academic experience. Course waivers will only be granted for an equivalent course or a combination of courses completed satisfactorily to meet NAAB-accredited student performance criteria. Equivalence is measured in terms of both content and assignments. Waivers will not be granted for courses taken pass/fail. To be eligible for a waiver, prior course work must have been passed with the equivalent of a grade of C or higher. Grades for waived courses will not appear on the student's Washington University record and will not figure into the student's GPA.
Up to 6 credits (two courses) of waivers can be applied toward required degree credits. If more than two waivers are granted, the student must earn an equivalent number of general elective credits in place of the courses being waived.
For a list of faculty members, please refer to the Architecture faculty page.
Master of Architecture: MArch 3
The list below includes the required courses for the MArch 3 degree. The order in which students take their courses may vary. A sample curriculum can be found at the MArch 3 Curriculum website. Students admitted to the MArch 3 program have the opportunity to waive some courses. For more information about waivers, refer to the MArch 3 Overview.
Requirements: 105 units
Master of Architecture Studio Grade Requirement
Students in the MArch 3 program must earn a cumulative studio grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher by the end of the 317/318 first-year core studio sequence. Students who do not fulfill this cumulative studio GPA requirement must repeat at least one of the first-year core studios and raise their cumulative studio GPA to 2.5 or higher before being permitted to enroll in their final core studio, 419. If a student still has a cumulative studio GPA below 2.5 after repeating 317 and/or 318, they will be dismissed from the Master of Architecture program.
Students in the MArch 3 program must earn a cumulative studio GPA of 2.6 or higher by the end of the complete core studio sequence (317/318/419). Students who do not fulfill this cumulative studio GPA requirement must take a leave of absence in the spring semester, repeat the 419 studio the following academic year, and raise their cumulative studio GPA to 2.6 or higher before being permitted to enroll in the vertical/options studio sequence. If a student still has a cumulative studio GPA below 2.6 after repeating 419, they will be dismissed from the Master of Architecture program.
Master of Architecture Comprehensive Studio Requirement
All Master of Architecture graduate students must take one Comprehensive Options Studio (as designated in the semester Director's Letter) and earn a minimum grade of B- before entering Degree Project.
Master of Architecture Degree Project
ARCH 616 Degree Project must be completed during the student’s final semester. Students should not register for additional course work once Degree Project has been completed. Students should plan to complete all outstanding degree requirements during their Degree Project semester. Any exceptions to the Degree Project studio requirement must be approved in writing by the program chair for graduate architecture.
Master of Architecture Degree Project Grade Requirement
In order to enroll in ARCH 616 Degree Project, graduate students must have earned a cumulative studio GPA of 2.7 or above. Students who have not fulfilled this cumulative studio GPA requirement must repeat an options studio and raise their cumulative studio GPA to 2.7 or higher before being permitted to enroll in Degree Project.
The option to repeat a studio is contingent on a student having met the requirements of Academic Probation. A suspension or dismissal that is a result of the Academic Probation policy takes precedence over this Studio Grade Requirement policy.
For a list of available courses, please refer to the Courses section of the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design in this Bulletin.
Students pursuing a Master of Architecture degree have the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program that provides an immersive experience in a city distinguished by its architecture, social policies, urbanism, and public space. Students complete the 511 or 611 comprehensive architecture studio during the semester-long program.
MArch students with 419 status or higher in the semester prior to study, in good academic standing, and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher can sign up to study abroad. Priority is given to students with higher studio levels and GPAs.
- For first-semester students without a Washington University GPA, the cumulative GPA on the official transcript(s) from their previous institution(s) will be used.
- GPA scores are pulled from the Washington University Student Information System on the day of the sign-up and updated the first week of each semester.
- GPAs will not be recalculated after the first week of each semester.
- Students can participate in one study abroad program