Overview | Degree Requirements
Pursue advanced architectural research tailored to your professional interests. This flexible degree supports in‑depth study and a culminating thesis or terminal project completed in one year or more.
The post-professional Master of Science in Architecture is a STEM-designated degree that allows students to complete advanced research and design work that builds on an existing professional degree in architecture, architectural engineering, structural engineering, construction management, or a related field.
Who Should Apply
This degree does not provide a path to licensure.
This program is intended for applicants who:
- Have a professional degree in architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, architectural engineering, structural engineering, construction management, or another related field from a regionally accredited four‑year U.S. college or university, or
- Possess an equivalent credential from a qualifying international institution
Program Experience
The post‑professional Master of Science in Architecture (Portland) is a research‑focused program designed for advanced inquiry and specialization. Students develop focused research or design expertise through individualized coursework and close faculty mentorship, with opportunities to tailor their studies around personal and professional interests. Students benefit from:
- Faculty‑mentored research and design inquiry grounded in disciplinary and societal questions
- Individualized programs of study aligned with professional goals and academic interests
- Advanced scholarly and design exploration culminating in a thesis or terminal project
These experiences support independent thinking and scholarly and creative rigor.
Locations and Learning Environment
MS in Architecture students join a community of inquiring architects, engineers, and designers committed to solving multifaceted problems and advancing architectural knowledge. Students at both locations benefit from close faculty mentorship and access to faculty research and creative practice. Learn more by exploring faculty profiles and the Guide to Research + Creative Practice.
Students who choose to study in Portland have access to a vital urban laboratory and a range of facilities housed in Highland Hall on our northeast campus. Certain courses, such as the recommended Research Methods courses ARCH 620 and ARCH 678, must either be taken in Eugene or via videoconferencing.
Portland
Students in this program who are enrolled at the Portland campus are expected to develop an individual research topic leading to a thesis or terminal project in one or more of the following areas of faculty research and design excellence:
- Architectural History and Theory: Preservation, Adaptive Reuse, Architectural Theory and Criticism
- Sustainable Urbanism and Housing: Urban Architecture and Urban Design, Housing Design, Community Design, Livable Communities, New Mobility, and Climate Action
- Research Inquiry Coursework
- Electives
- 30 credits must be in Architecture
- 9 credits must be at the 600 level
- Minimum three terms in residence
Research Inquiry Coursework [Minimum 45 Credits]
9 credits required in:
- ARCH 503 Thesis
- For more information about the thesis, see the UO Catalog
- ARCH 619 Terminal Project
MS students are strongly recommended to take:
- ARCH 601 Research
- ARCH 620 Research Methods in Sustainable Design
- ARCH 633 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design
- Advisor‑approved coursework aligned with the student’s research and thesis or terminal project goals
Electives
The advanced seminar courses listed below are designed to enrich and inform students’ thesis work. Graduate level participation offers deeper engagement through expanded readings, intensive research and analysis, scholarly writing, presentations, and enhanced faculty mentorship.
- AAAP 510 Cultures of Sustainability
- ARCH 507 Sustainable Urbanism
- ARCH 507 Real Estate Development
- ARCH 507 Design the Unseen (Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory)
- ARCH 507 Incremental Urbanism
- ARCH 507 Ecologies of Health
- ARCH 507 Interior Urbanism
- ARCH 510 Urbanism Next
- ARCH 510 Inclusive Urbanism
- ARCH 510 Urban Water Solutions
- ARCH 510 Resilient Housing
- ARCH 535 Principles of Urban Design
- ARCH 537 Theory and History of Urban Design II
- ARCH 538 Housing Prototypes
- ARCH 558 Types and Typologies
- ARCH 607 Track II Portland Architecture Seminar on Urban Research and Climate Action
- ARCH 678 Advanced Research Methods
Graduate Specializations
The Department of Architecture offers graduate specializations in specific academic and professional subjects with a strong graduate-level curriculum.