Master of Science in Architecture

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Georgia Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology is a STEM-designated, non-professional degree designed for architecture/design graduates and other qualified applicants who want advanced technical and research expertise for better-performing built environments. Students develop a flexible, specialized course of study around areas such as high-performance buildings, design computation, building information systems, design and health, advanced production, and preservation technology, while gaining preparation for research-oriented professional practice or doctoral study.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students begin with the program’s research and technical foundations, developing skills in computational design, building systems analysis, scripting, and research methods. Core study includes ARCH 6512 Research Colloquium, ARCH 7625 Theories of Inquiry, and foundation options such as ARCH 6242 Building Physics Modeling or ARCH 6502 Scripting for Architecture and Design.

Second Year: Students move deeper into their selected concentration, applying advanced architectural knowledge to design and research problems under faculty guidance before completing a substantial thesis. Relevant coursework can include ARCH 6507 Parametric Modeling and Design, ARCH 6513 Building Systems & Data, and ARCH 7360 Design & Climate Change, followed by ARCH 7000 Master’s Thesis as the culminating research component.

Focus Areas

High Performance Building, Design & Health, Advanced Production, Building Information Systems, Design Computation, Preservation Technology. Students may also develop an individualized concentration with advisor guidance and program approval.

Learning Outcomes

Research: Develop advanced skills for architectural research and inquiry. Technology: Apply computational, analytical, and building-system technologies to the built environment. Design: Translate research and technical knowledge into applied design solutions. Specialization: Build expertise in a focused architectural area through advanced coursework, laboratory work, design/research studios, and a master’s thesis.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Degree status: The M.S. in Architecture is a STEM-designated, non-professional degree and is therefore distinct from Georgia Tech’s NAAB-accredited professional M.Arch. program. Its value is particularly strong for advanced practice, architectural research, specialization, and preparation for doctoral study rather than serving as the professional architecture degree for licensure.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

QS 2025: Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture was ranked #18 worldwide and #5 among U.S. universities for Architecture in the 2025 QS World Rankings, providing strong external recognition of the School’s standing in the field.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Georgia Tech’s Master of Science in Architecture gain practical research and design experience through specialized concentrations, research laboratories, design studios, and advanced fabrication facilities. The program provides direct access to digital building technologies, computational design, high-performance building research, health-design simulation, and full-scale prototyping, allowing students to connect architectural research with real-world technological applications.

Practical and research opportunities include:

Digital Fabrication Lab: Students can work with full-scale building prototypes and mock-ups, automated production and assembly systems, information models, and CNC equipment; the facility also includes structures and materials, concrete casting, and outdoor testing spaces.
Digital Building Lab: Students interested in Building Information Modeling, AEC data interoperability, and digitally integrated building processes can engage with research that connects students, professional firms, technology companies, and industry organizations.
High Performance Building Lab: Students work on sustainable and resilient design workflows across building components, architecture, urban design, and planning, with research groups formed around funded projects and research interests.
Shape Computation Lab: The lab explores computational approaches to architectural form and develops software technologies that support new methods of seeing, designing, and creating.
SimTigrate Design Lab: Students can engage with multidisciplinary research involving architects, engineers, medical personnel, and others to test and improve healthcare environments through physical and simulated spaces.
Spatial Futures Lab: This research environment combines experimental design-production workflows with emerging technologies; Georgia Tech highlights work using HoloLens and AI technology within the Digital Fabrication Lab.
Sustainable Urban Systems Lab: The lab develops software tools and methodologies for estimating building and city performance and contributes directly to the MS in Architecture High Performance Building concentration. Its Vertically Integrated Project, Surrogate Modeling for Urban Regeneration (SMUR), brings together graduate students with students from engineering and related disciplines.
Software: Georgia Tech's School of Architecture currently requires AutoCAD for 2D/3D drafting, Revit for BIM, and Rhino for 3D modeling and CAD on student laptops.
Fabrication tools: Students have access to the School's wood shop, metal shop, laser cutters, and Digital Fabrication Lab, with orientation required for relevant equipment.
Collaborative studios: The Hinman Research Building houses graduate design studios, jury spaces, computer facilities, and Design Computation and Building Technology research laboratories, supporting collaborative design and research activity.
Research integration: The MS program is specifically structured to let students tailor their course of study around their interests while developing research and design expertise, making the laboratories and specialized facilities particularly relevant to graduate-level work.
Industry-linked research: The Digital Building Lab connects students with professional firms, technology companies, and industry advancement organizations, while current School research also includes collaborations involving companies such as Cemex, Skanska, and Buro Happold.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Georgia Institute of Technology Master of Science in Architecture is a STEM-designated, research-oriented degree designed for architecture and allied-field professionals who want to develop advanced technical knowledge and respond to emerging technologies, new project-delivery models, and evolving performance expectations in the built environment. Graduates can move into specialized professional and research-oriented roles across architecture, technology, sustainability, and the broader built-environment sector.

Typical job roles: Architectural Research Specialist, Building Technology Specialist, Sustainability Consultant, BIM Specialist: Georgia Tech specifically identifies architecture, construction project management, real estate development, urban planning, virtual and augmented reality environments, BIM, sustainability consulting, and urban design among potential career directions.

Career services: Students receive career advising and mentoring, résumé and interview support, career fairs, seminars, an internship/job board, and access to Georgia Tech Career Center resources; the School of Architecture also runs a Practicum Program placing students at leading architecture firms in U.S. cities.
Employment statistics: Georgia Tech's 2023–24 Career Center outcomes report records 93.8% placement for Architecture master's graduates, based on 16 responses. The reported median salary was $65,000, with a 95th-percentile salary of $82,700 and an average signing bonus of $2,102.
Industry exposure: The School actively builds connections with Atlanta's professional architecture community through sponsored lectures, design studios, and special projects, while students also connect with employers through the annual School of Architecture Career Fair and practicum placements.
Industry examples: Georgia Tech identifies firms where students gain experience leading to careers, including HKS, HOK, Lord Aeck Sargent, Gensler, TVS, Moody Nolan, Perkins+Will, and Studio Architects.
Professional value: The M.S. in Architecture is STEM-designated, strengthening its value for students seeking advanced technical and research-oriented expertise. It should not be confused with Georgia Tech's separate M.Arch, which is the NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree.
Graduation outcomes: The strong master's-level placement result, combined with access to career coaching, employer events, internships, practicum opportunities, and professional networks, gives graduates multiple pathways into architecture and adjacent built-environment careers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S. in Architecture, students can pursue Georgia Tech's Ph.D. with a major in Architecture for deeper research and academic specialization. Georgia Tech also offers the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Master of Science in Urban Design (MSUD), and other graduate pathways within the College of Design, allowing students to build further expertise according to their professional or research goals.