Master of Architecture

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

Georgia Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) at Georgia Institute of Technology is a STEM-designated, NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree that integrates design and research with history, theory, technology, and professional practice, preparing students for careers in architecture and related fields. The 3.5-year track is designed for students entering from a non-architecture undergraduate background and develops skills progressively through design studios, building systems, architectural history, theory, media and modelling, climate-focused study, and professional practice.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 6028 – Core Studio 1, ARCH 6229 – Construction Technology 1, ARCH 6531 – Environmental Systems 1, ARCH 6105 – Architectural History 1, and ARCH 6010 – Media + Modeling 1. The spring and summer continue with Core Studio 2, Structures 1, Architectural History 2, Foundations of Architectural Theory, Core Studio 3, and Practice Immersion, building design, technical, historical, and professional knowledge.

Year 2: The curriculum moves into more advanced architectural integration through ARCH 6047 – Advanced Architectural Studio 1, ARCH 7101 – Integrated Building Systems 1, and ARCH 7151 – History of Urban Form, followed by ARCH 6048 – Advanced Architectural Studio 2, ARCH 7104 – Integrated Building Systems 2, and ARCH 7030 – Media + Modelling 3. Students increasingly connect design thinking with building technology, urban history, digital media, and architectural theory.

Year 3: Students undertake research-driven architectural work through ARCH 6049 – Design + Research Studio 1, ARCH 7105 – Integrated Building Systems 3, ARCH 6352 – Theory of Architecture 2, and ARCH 6315 – Practice of Architecture 1. The final semester advances this work through ARCH 6050 – Design + Research Studio 2, ARCH 6316 – Practice of Architecture 2, ARCH 7360 – Design & Climate Change, and a professional elective, allowing students to bring together design research, professional practice, technology, and environmental concerns.

Focus areas: Architectural design, design research, building technology, integrated building systems, media and modelling, architectural history, architectural theory, professional practice, urban form, and climate change.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to integrate architectural design with history, theory, technology, research, building systems, environmental considerations, digital media, and professional practice, preparing them for professional architectural careers and related fields.

Professional accreditation: The M.Arch. 3.5-year track is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), with the next accreditation visit scheduled for 2031. Georgia Tech notes that most U.S. registration boards require an accredited professional architecture degree as a prerequisite for licensure; licensure generally also involves practical training and successful completion of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).

Employability: Georgia Tech is ranked No. 1 for career placement by the Princeton Review, while its co-op and internship programs are ranked No. 3 by U.S. News & World Report; Georgia Tech also reports that more than 1,200 businesses, industries, and organizations employ its co-op students and interns each year.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Georgia Tech’s Master of Architecture gain practical architectural skills through intensive studio work, collaborative design reviews, digital design and fabrication, prototyping, and research-based projects. The program gives students access to dedicated graduate studios in the Hinman Research Building, while the Digital Fabrication Lab supports full-scale prototypes and mock-ups using CNC and other fabrication technologies.

Students can build hands-on experience through a strong combination of studio, technology, fabrication, and research resources:

Design Studios: Graduate M.Arch students work in dedicated studios in the Hinman Research Building, with jury and review spaces supporting presentations, critiques, and collaborative design development.
Digital Fabrication Lab: The 13,000-square-foot DFL provides large- and small-format equipment for working with wood, metal, plastic, and concrete, allowing students to move from digital designs to physical prototypes and building-scale mock-ups.
CNC Fabrication: Students can explore automated production and assembly of building systems using information models and CNC equipment, connecting digital design workflows with physical construction.
Laser Cutting & 3D Printing: Georgia Tech provides laser cutters and 3D printers, alongside prototyping equipment for wood, plastics, and metal. Laser-cutter orientation is required before use.
Wood & Metal Workshops: The College of Design provides a woodshop and a metal shop, giving architecture students facilities for physical model-making, material experimentation, and fabrication.
Research Laboratories: Students can engage with the Digital Building Lab, High Performance Building Lab, Shape Computation Lab, SimTigrate Design Lab, and Spatial Futures Lab, covering areas such as digital building technologies, building performance, computational design, healthcare environments, and emerging design technologies.
Mixed-Reality & Robotics: The Spatial Futures Lab integrates mixed reality, augmented reality, drones, computer vision, robotic systems, and digital fabrication, providing opportunities to experiment with emerging architectural production methods.
Full-Scale Prototyping: DFL coursework and research allow students to fabricate and assemble prototypes ranging from human scale to building scale, including work with structures and materials.
Collaborative Studio Culture: Studio work is structured around active interaction among students and faculty, with students developing projects through drawing, physical models, computers, books, reviews, and critiques in an atelier-style environment.
Digital Building Industry Research: The Digital Building Lab connects Georgia Tech researchers with professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations industries, with research involving data science, robotics, 3D visualization, and materials science.
Computer & Digital Resources: Architecture facilities include computer labs, printers, plotters, digital output resources, and dedicated studio technology, supporting both digital coursework and project production.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Georgia Institute of Technology Master of Architecture prepares graduates for professional architectural practice while combining design with technology, research, and innovation. As a STEM-designated professional degree that is fully NAAB-accredited, it provides a strong foundation for architecture careers and progression toward professional licensure.

Typical job roles: Architect, Architectural Designer, Urban Designer, BIM Specialist: Georgia Tech specifically identifies architecture, urban design, construction project management, real estate development, sustainability consulting, and building information modeling among possible career directions.

Career services: Students receive career advising and mentoring from School of Architecture faculty, access to the annual Architecture Career Fair, career counseling, seminars, résumé and interview coaching, and an internship/job board. The College of Design also provides an embedded Career Educator who supports job and internship searches and employer connections.
Employment statistics: Georgia Tech's official School of Architecture sources do not publish a specific M.Arch employment percentage or graduate employment rate; therefore, no unsupported figure is provided.
Salary figures: Georgia Tech directs students to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET and other salary-search resources for current career salary information, but does not publish a specific M.Arch graduate salary figure on the official program/career pages reviewed.
Industry connections: Students can connect with major architecture employers through Georgia Tech's Architecture Career Fair, with participating employers including Gensler, HKS, HOK, Perkins&Will, TVS, Cooper Carry, Corgan, and Lord Aeck Sargent. The School also runs a practicum program placing students at leading architecture firms across U.S. cities.
Professional exposure: Architecture studios regularly involve practicing architects and industry professionals as critics and collaborators, including professionals from SOM, Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Lord Aeck Sargent, and Niles Bolton Associates.
Accreditation value: The M.Arch 3.5-year track is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Georgia Tech notes that most U.S. registration boards require an accredited professional architecture degree as a prerequisite for licensure, while the current accreditation term runs through 2032.
Licensure progression: Graduates can progress toward architectural registration through the typical pathway of an NAAB-accredited professional degree, practical experience through the NCARB Architectural Experience Program (AXP), and completion of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), subject to individual state requirements.
Alumni network: The School of Architecture has 4,500+ living alumni, and students can participate in Georgia Tech's Mentor Jackets alumni-to-student mentoring program for professional guidance and networking.

Further Academic Progression: After the M.Arch, students can pursue Georgia Tech's Master of Science in Architecture, with research-oriented areas including Digital Design & Fabrication, High Performance Building, and Health & Design. Graduates can also pursue the Master of Science in Urban Design for advanced urban-design practice or the Ph.D. in Architecture for research and academic careers; Georgia Tech also offers a dual M.Arch + Master of City and Regional Planning pathway for students interested in architecture and city building.