Graduate Catalog: Architecture Program

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) || Master of Art in Studio Art || Course of Study

Architecture

Degree Track: Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Commencing in the fall of 2014, the School of Architecture will offer the Master of Architecture (M.ARCH) degree track for those students who have obtained the 4-year, 136-credit Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture (B.E.D.A.) degree from Marywood University. Upon satisfactory completion of an additional 54 credits at Marywood, students earn the M.ARCH professional degree. The content of the M.Arch program is formulated to build sequentially on this earlier 4-year, non-accredited, pre-professional degree.

Students in the M.Arch degree track pursue a Design Thesis exploring a self-formulated, extensively-researched issue and/or proposition involving architecture, urban design or discipline-related technology. In addition, program core courses and professional electives augment focused design studies to establish a broader context for research and creative inquiry and project formulation.

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 program 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.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The School of Architecture will apply for candidacy status for its M.Arch degree program when it is permitted to do so by the NAAB.

Degree Track:Master of Art in Studio Art

(concentration in Interior Architecture/Design)

Program Director: Maria MacDonald, B.F.A., B.I.A., M.A.

This 36-credit degree option is available to students who have completed a 4-year baccalaureate degree in Interior Architecture/Design from a regionally accredited college or university. The degree is intended for those who wish to pursue more advanced studies, particularly in areas of professional concentration such as Historic Preservation, Sustainability, and Adaptive Re-use. The School's commitment to the ethic of Sustainable Design resonates throughout studio projects and related course-work. As interior architects are increasingly called upon to utilize sustainably produced products in building interiors, we are also obligated make our graduates aware of the many new processes, assemblies and materials available to designers.

The graduate program is a full-time program consisting of an initial intensive two week summer session of 6 credits, followed by a sequential two-semester, 30-credit course of study (Fall: 15 credits; Spring: 15 credits).

One of two degree options may be pursued:

A. 4+1 Fast -Track Option

This track is designed for those students who have received their 4-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (Interior Architecture/Design) undergraduate degree from Marywood.
Course content for this graduate degree is formulated to build sequentially on this earlier degree track.

B. One-Year Option

This track is designed for individuals who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree in Interior Architecture/Design and can demonstrate equivalent credit background in the discipline that would support Master's degree work.

Application Requirements

Applicants for the MA in Studio Art (Interior Architecture/Design) degree must meet the general requirements for admission to the University. In addition, applicants must submit and/or satisfy the following:

1. A Statement of Purpose, 150-200 words in length.
2. Three letters of recommendation (only one of which may be from a Marywood University faculty member).
3. A personal interview with the School's Graduate Admissions Committee may be required.
4. A portfolio of design projects, with narrative descriptions, submitted no later than one month before the last official registration date. The School's Graduate Admissions Committee will evaluate the portfolio for its diversity of project types, the complexity of programs resolved, and the quality of visual and written presentation and communication. The purpose of this review is to determine if the student is suitably prepared to meet the rigors of advanced professional study.
5. Any applicant who, in the judgment of the School's Graduate Admissions Committee, lacks adequate undergraduate preparation to pursue this degree program, will be required to take additional coursework, thereby extending the program completion period beyond one year. The extent and nature of this coursework will be determined by the Graduate Admissions Committee after reviewing all required application materials.
6. For students holding a Marywood undergraduate degree in the discipline, a minimum QPA of 3.0 (or "B") is required for admission to the program. For those holding undergraduate degrees from other institutions, a minimum overall QPA of 3.0 (or "B") is expected. Individuals who do not meets this minimum QPA requirement (or other requirements), but demonstrate outstanding or unusual qualifications that promise significant contributions to the program, may petition for a special review by the School's Graduate Admissions Committee.

Accreditation

The Master of Art in Studio Art (concentration in Interior Architecture/Design) degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). With this accredited degree, followed by a required period of professional work experience, graduates are eligible to take the NCIDQ Examination for licensure. The curriculum content also aligns with the Council for Interior Design Accreditation's (CIDA's) 2009 Professional Standards.

 

 

Course of Study

36 credits

SUMMER

IARC 508	History of Architecture and Interiors	3
IARC 589	Aesthetics	3
	Total	6

FALL

IARC 510	Design Thesis I	6
IARC 512	LEED for Interior Architects	3
IARC 514	Issues in Contemporary Interior Architecture	3
ARCH 552	Digital Design III	3
	Total	15

SPRING

IARC 520	Design Thesis II	6
IARC 521	Lighting Fundamentals	3
IARC 522	Detailing Interior Architecture	3
IARC 524	Professional Competencies	3
	Total	15