Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

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.

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.

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.

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

2023 5-Year IPR Report

2021 3-Year IPR Report

2017-2018 Architecture Program Report (APR)

2018 Visiting Team Report

2018 Decision Letter from the NAAB

Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2026.

The most recent NCARB ARE pass rates can be accessed at https://www.ncarb.org/pass-the-are/pass-rates/are5-pass-rates-school