College of Architecture
Graduate Program

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Master of ArchitectureMaster of Science in Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy in Land-Use Planning, Management, and Design

Graduate CertificatesCurriculum Tables

Course Descriptons

 

The College of Architecture awards three graduate degrees:

• Master of Architecture—The M.Arch is a professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The college has an agreement with the Rawls College of Business allowing students to seek a dual Master of Architecture (M.Arch) / Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree.
• Master of Science in Architecture—The M.S. in Architecture is considered a post-professional research-based academic degree.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Land-Use Planning, Management, and Design—The Ph.D. in LPMD is an interdisciplinary degree program that accepts students from diverse educational backgrounds.

Students applying to any of the three degree programs must have an appropriate bachelor’s degree from any undergraduate program. All students must make application to and meet the requirements of the Texas Tech University Graduate School and the College of Architecture. The following criteria will be considered in the admission process: GRE scores, GPA, academic transcripts, portfolio of work, letters of recommendation, statement of interest, exceptional extracurricular activities, and professional work.

Students applying to the Master of Architecture program with an undergraduate degree other than the B.S. in Architecture from Texas Tech University must request an audit of their transcripts. All applicants must submit a portfolio of work to the college to determine the amount of leveling courses required to comply with the entry into the professional degree program.

Transfer courses applicable to a student’s degree plan at the graduate level are determined by the college administration and the Graduate School. Refer to “Transfer Courses” section above.

Off-Campus Programs. Students seeking a Master of Architecture degree are required to have a practicum experience documented by the Intern Development Program administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). This requirement may be met with participation in the Practicum + Studio Program, Residency Program, or other documented practicum experience as approved by the associate dean for academics.

Attendance. Students in the college will attend all scheduled class meeting times and activities. Absences in excess of those stipulated in each individual course syllabus may result in an F in the course.

Computer Requirement. Students entering the graduate programs in architecture are required to have their own computer in the classroom and studio. Computer equipment and software must be compatible with college standards. The computer equipment and software requirement is posted on the college Web site or can be requested from the Placement, Programs, Advisement, and Recruiting Center (P2ARC).

Ownership of Student Work. The college reserves the right to retain, exhibit, and reproduce work submitted by students. Work submitted for a grade is the property of the college and remains such until it is returned to the student.

Research and Design Center. The RDC is the clearinghouse for scholarly work, research, and creative activity in the college. The RDC provides lab and studio space for faculty scholarship and often provides financial assistantship for students through research and graduate assistantship. Contact the college for information on these positions.

 

Master of Architecture (Accredited Professional Degree)

Mandatory Accreditation Statement. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) provides the following statement: “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 three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.”

The Master of Architecture accredited professional program consists of an undergraduate curriculum of 131 hours and a graduate curriculum of 42 hours. The dual Master of Architecture/Master of Business Administration includes an additional 30 credit hours in the graduate program. A comprehensive master’s degree design project is required.

The highly motivated student may desire to concentrate in one of the three certificate programs. A certificate of concentration may be achieved by completing 15 hours of coursework in one of these certificate programs: Community Development, Historic Preservation, and Visualization. Upon completion of the coursework, students will receive a “certificate of completion” and notification on their transcript of program completion.
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Master of Science in Architecture (Postprofessional Degree)

The Master of Science in Architecture degree is a research-based academic degree for students interested in a focused area of study . This degree does not prepare students to receive an architecture licensure. The degree is for students with an accredited professional B.Arch., M.Arch., or an approved bachelor’s degree in another discipline (e.g., art, interior design, engineering, archaeology). Students who have non-architecture degrees and wish to enter the program may be required to complete leveling work that will not accrue graduate credit toward their degree. Students will be required to complete a minimum of 32 credit hours of graduate study, and write and defend a thesis (6 hours).

Students requesting admission into the Master of Science in Architecture must meet the entrance standards of the Graduate School and the College of Architecture. The admission application includes a portfolio of creative work (writing, design, drawing, photography, etc.) that reflects the student’s level of design interest, intellectual inquiry, and communication skills. Students must also show a basic understanding and accomplishment of computing and computer-assisted design skills. Candidates with deficiencies in these skills are required to take graduate or undergraduate leveling courses to acquire basic competence, enabling them to perform well in their coursework. Any leveling course requirements will be in addition to the 38 hours required for the degree.

All students entering the degree program will be required to own, purchase, or lease computing hardware and software that will meet the requirements of the college. The student is required to have this equipment available in the building for classwork or homework. The college will provide a studio workspace in which to keep the equipment in the architecture building. Some software is provided by the college. See the college Web site at www.arch.ttu.edu for more details. The college does not take responsibility for loss or damage to the equipment in the building.

Each candidate for the Master of Science in Architecture degree must obtain a certificate in one of three areas: Community Design and Development, Historic Preservation, or Visualization. Students applying for the Master of Science in Architecture degree must file for admission into one of these certificate programs. After the first semester, students will be matched with a faculty member who will serve as their academic advisor and the chair of their thesis committee. The advisor will be responsible for guiding the student concerning electives, developing a thesis proposal, and selecting thesis advisors. All students seeking a degree must complete the program in residency, including the thesis.

Financial assistance may be available for students applying by January 15 for admission into the program the next fall semester. There are scholarships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and graduate part-time instructor positions available for graduate students.
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Graduate Certificates

Certificates in the college are offered to graduate students who are pursuing the Master of Science or Master of Architecture degrees as well as environmental design professionals. A certificate requires that the student take 15 hours of specified coursework in one of three programs: Community Design and Development, Historic Preservation, and Visualization. Upon completion of the coursework, students will receive a “certificate of completion” and notification on their transcript of program completion. Students who wish to apply for acceptance into a certificate program should talk to an academic advisor within the college.

Community Design and Development Certificate. Increasing globalization and the decline of traditional human environments has produced a critical need for sustainable community development. The Certificate in Community Design and Development emphasizes inclusive community-based design and research through civic engagement to assist regional communities, local governments, non-profit organizations, and development professionals in the design of quality communities. The curriculum integrates heritage management, conservation policies, development strategies, and applied participatory design to prepare students for professional challenges in architectural practice, planning and management, and community service.

The program is a regional leader in providing community assistance for courthouse renovations, historic town squares, housing, adaptive reuse, and new planning and building projects. The Community Design and Development Certificate underscores the role of the architect as an active participant in community life based on a triad formed between client, teacher/professional, and student.

Historic Preservation Certificate. The Historic Preservation Certificate prepares graduate students to play leadership roles in the historic preservation of architecture. This specialization provides students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to be thoughtful stewards of the world’s architectural heritage and provides a comprehensive understanding of historic preservation that includes the built, cultural, and natural environments. To satisfy these objectives, this graduate certificate presents a balanced curriculum of history, theory, documentation, and preservation technology courses.

The program is an international leader in historic architectural documentation and provides opportunities for regional, national, and international research. Students and faculty participate in documentation and preservation research through collaborative efforts with public, private, and non-profit organizations.

Visualization Certificate. The Certificate in Visualization (VIZ) focuses on digital visualization of art, design, engineering, and science. This specialization places students at the leading edge of inquiry into visualization. Students are encouraged to explore the use of visualization in environmental design, design communication, science, product production, fabrication, simulation, modeling/simulation, and entertainment. The VIZ coursework prepares students to apply concepts, principles, and techniques of internet media, animation, and virtual reality into a visualization tool set to bring form to ideas.

The faculty’s research and teaching experience produces a stimulating environment for students to develop into technical designers capable of the design and implementation of 3-D digital environments. This combination of the theoretical and practical provides students a balanced combination of real-world experience and academic inquiry.
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Doctor of Philosophy in Land-Use Planning,
Management, and Design (LPMD)

The interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Land-Use Planning, Management, and Design (LPMD) accepts students from diverse educational backgrounds. The program is administered by the dean of the College of Architecture with faculty and courses drawn from participating units across the university. It is designed to provide education in several facets of physical design, with special emphasis on non-urban lands and those in arid and semi-arid environments. Included in the program are studies of the complex factors influencing human use of resources, training in the research and evaluative methods that can be applied to interdisciplinary studies, and education in the institutional structures that shape policy and action. The four tracks of study are environmental/natural resource management and planning, community planning and design, public policy administration, and historic preservation. Students with an interest in these fields as well as in architecture and many other aspects of land and land use may find the LPMD program suitable to their needs.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 66 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. This includes 24 hours of multidisciplinary core courses, 36 credit hours of track courses, and 6 hours of tool courses. In addition, the program requires 12 hours of dissertation. Track courses, research projects, and ultimately the student’s dissertation will focus on the track selected. A student also is required to present evidence of competency in an appropriate tool subject (e.g., computer science, statistics).

Requirements considered for admission to the program include GRE, grade-point average, statement of research interests and goals, writing samples/portfolio, and letters of recommendation on official letterheads.

Because students come from a variety of backgrounds with different interests and career goals, one standard course of study is not required. Initial advisement and program development is conducted by the program coordinator. A degree plan is formulated by an advisory committee drawn from three or more departments and two or more colleges. This committee will arrange a student’s course of study in the track specialization. The student will therefore follow a “custom-designed” program of study. The advisory committee will be responsible for administering comprehensive exams and for directing both the dissertation and the student’s program.

Core Courses

• ARCH 5501, 5502 or 5503–Advanced Architectural Design Studio (6:0:12)
• LARC 5302–Advanced Environmental Planning for Sustainable Development (3:3:0)
• PUAD 5333–Environmental Policy and Administration (3:3:0)
• LAW 6025–Land-Use Planning (V2-3)
• ARCH 5301–Special Problems in Architecture (3)
• GEOG 5306–Seminar in Geography of Arid Lands (3:3:0) or ARCH 5324–History and Theory of Historic Preservation (3:3:0)
• One 3-hour research method course approved by coordinator
  

Other Courses

• LPMD 7000–Research (V1-12)
• LPMD 8000– Doctor’s Dissertation (V1-12)

Curriculum Tables

 

• Master of Architecture (Professional Program)
• Master of Architecture/Master of Business Administration
• Master of Science in Architecture—Certification in Historic Preservation
• Master of Science in Architecture—Certification in Visualization
• Master of Science in Architecture—Certification in Community Design and Development

Course Descriptions

• Architecture (ARCH)

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