Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
M.Arch.2, M.Arch.3, First Professional Degree, STEM Designated, based at Main Campus + WAAC
The graduate curriculum is structured to allow flexibility and to accommodate diverse student needs. This is accomplished by offering a combination of choices of studies available within the various program options. The M.Arch.2 and M.Arch.3 options result in the conferring of a first professional degree, fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
The Master of Architecture degree (M.Arch.2 & M.Arch.3) at Virginia Tech is a STEM Designated program in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology (CIP code 04.0902). The STEM Designation allows international students graduating from our M.Arch programs to apply for an additional 24-month extension after their initial 12 month-long Optional Practical Training (OPT), with eligibility for a total of 36 months of practical training in the United States.
Design Laboratory
Central to the academic structure of these several options is the design laboratory. The various design laboratories are oriented toward formulation and resolution of design questions at a broad range of scales. In addition to fostering a mastery of the design process, the design laboratory is intended to cultivate a foundation for design through the study of concepts and principles of form generation, through education of an environmental awareness and aesthetic judgment, through study of the syntax of architectural language, and through the development of technical knowledge of the processes of fabrication and construction. These learning-oriented laboratories encourage the use of previously acquired knowledge, skills, and experience gained in the architectural profession and in other academic disciplines.
Graduate Thesis
Each candidate for the M.Arch. degree is required to produce a design or research thesis to demonstrate their contribution to the investigation of complex questions inherent in the discipline of architecture. The thesis culminates in a final examination (defense), in which the student’s architectural design and/or research work, body of scholarship, and professional inquiry are presented to the advisory committee and student colleagues, and in the thesis document, which demonstrates each student’s academic accomplishment and professional potential.
M.Arch.2: Advanced Professional Studies
An Advanced Professional Studies option (M.Arch.2) is offered for the student who has previously obtained a four-year, pre-professional baccalaureate degree in architecture.
The first year of study continues the student’s professional building design education and related technical and history/theory studies. The second year is reserved for preparation of a design thesis demonstrative of the student’s academic accomplishment and professional potential. Students in this program typically complete 54 (min.) credit hours, normally requiring at least two academic years (four semesters) of study.
Students may elect to enroll in the M.Arch.2 program at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (National Capital Region – NCR) for all or a portion of their required studies. Students in the M.Arch.2 program may also spend a semester participating in the Europe Study Abroad Program in residence at the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.
View a detailed description and typical program of study for the M.Arch.2 program option
M.Arch.3: Comprehensive Professional Studies
A Comprehensive Professional Studies option (M.Arch.3) is provided for graduate applicants with degrees in fields other than architecture, including other design fields.
In addition to the 54 (min.) graduate credit hours required for the degree, students in the M.Arch.3 option complete 30 credit hours of qualifying year academic work, engaging in studies to provide a foundation of environmental design experiences and to promote a basic understanding of the discipline. Upon successful completion of the qualifying year, students advance through a sequence of studies providing for development of building design skills and knowledge of building systems and the technical processes of construction. During the final year of the curriculum, students pursue individual study interests and prepare a thesis. This program usually requires at least three-and-one-half years (three academic years, plus one required summer) of study.
Students in the M.Arch.3 program may spend a semester participating in the Europe Study Abroad Program in residence at the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. Students in the M.Arch.3 program may elect to enroll at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (National Capital Region – NCR) for the final, thesis year.
View a detailed description and typical program of study for the M.Arch.3 program option
Professional Accreditation
The first professional degree programs in architecture (B.Arch., M.Arch.2, and M.Arch.3) at Virginia Tech are fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
In the United States, most 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 professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-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 require a preprofessional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
Virginia Tech, College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- B.Arch. (160 undergraduate credits)
- M.Arch.
- M.Arch.2 (pre-professional degree + 54 graduate credits)
- M.Arch.3 (non-pre-professional degree + 84 credits)
NAAB Conditions and Procedures
NAAB 2022 - Response to Interim Report
NAAB 2020 - Conditions for Accreditation
NAAB 2020 - Procedures for Accreditation
NAAB 2015 - Procedures for Accreditation
NAAB 2014 - Conditions for Accreditation
Architecture Program Report, Visiting Team Report, and Interim Progress Reports
2017-2018 Architecture Program Report (APR)
2018 Decision Letter from the NAAB
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2026.
Locations of study
Students may elect to enroll in the M.Arch.2 program either at the main Blacksburg Campus or at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (National Capital Region – NCR) for all or a portion of their required studies. Students in the M.Arch.2 program may also spend a semester participating in the Europe Study Abroad Program in residence at the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.
Students in the M.Arch.3 program may spend a semester participating in the Europe Study Abroad Program in residence at the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. Students in the M.Arch.3 program may elect to enroll at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (National Capital Region – NCR) for the final, thesis year.
