MS Architectural Studies

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Architectural Studies (MS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is designed for students with backgrounds in architecture or related fields who want to develop advanced research skills and specialize in a particular area of environmental design. Students can build an individualized program around areas such as Urbanism, Health and Wellbeing, Detail and Fabrication, Sustainable Technologies, Systems Optimization, Building Structures, Preservation + Heritage, and Architectural History, with the flexibility to take courses across the School of Architecture, College, and wider university.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by establishing an individualized course of study with their program-area advisor and develop specialized knowledge through graduate-level ARCH coursework and electives. Depending on their chosen focus, students may explore subjects connected to Urbanism, Sustainable Technologies, Health and Wellbeing, Preservation + Heritage, or Architectural History, while developing advanced research, analytical, and design capabilities.

Final Semester / Year 1.5: Students deepen their chosen specialization through additional architectural electives and interdisciplinary courses, with the option to pursue either a thesis or a non-thesis pathway. Students selecting the thesis route can undertake ARCH 599 – Thesis Research, while the internship or fieldwork pathway allows students to integrate approved professional or field-based experience into their degree.

Degree Structure: The MS requires 32 graduate credit hours, normally including 16 hours of ARCH courses and 16 hours of ARCH or other University of Illinois courses. Depending on the student's focus, the program can be completed through coursework, an approved internship/fieldwork experience, or the specialized Structures concentration.

Focus areas: Urbanism, Health and Wellbeing, Detail and Fabrication, Sustainable Technologies, Systems Optimization, Building Structures, Preservation + Heritage, Architectural History.

Learning outcomes: Students develop advanced design, research, analysis, documentation, and communication skills; learn to address environmental, social, cultural, political, and economic challenges through design inquiry; apply analytical and conceptual thinking to built-environment problems; integrate community and interdisciplinary perspectives; and communicate complex ideas through graphic, verbal, physical, and digital methods.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MS in Architectural Studies is a post-professional research degree and is not a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree; the university identifies its M.Arch as the NAAB-accredited professional degree. The MS is therefore suited to advanced architectural research and specialized study rather than serving as the program's professional accreditation pathway.

Reputation (rankings): The University of Illinois School of Architecture states that its architecture program is consistently ranked among the top 20 nationally and notes that its architecture program has also achieved strong historical results in QS and DesignIntelligence rankings. These published ranking references concern the School of Architecture/program area broadly rather than a separate ranking specifically for the MS in Architectural Studies.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MS in Architectural Studies (MSAS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is research-based and allows students to build an individualized course of study around areas such as Urbanism, Health and Wellbeing, Detail and Fabrication, Sustainable Technologies, Systems Optimization, Building Structures, Preservation + Heritage, and Architectural History. Practical research and making can be supported by Illinois’ architecture-specific computing facilities, fabrication shops, digital fabrication equipment, print and plotter facilities, and faculty-led research environments, while the degree also offers an internship or fieldwork experience pathway for students who choose that route.

Research & Fieldwork: The MSAS can be completed through an internship or fieldwork experience pathway, allowing students to connect their architectural research with practical professional or field-based experience. The program is also one of the School’s graduate degrees with a thesis option, supporting substantial independent research under faculty guidance.
Digital Technologies: Students have access to three architecture-only computer labs containing specialized software for 3D modeling, rendering, photo editing, and document layout, along with large-format printing, scanning, and video-editing equipment.
Digital Fabrication: The DigiFab Shop provides hands-on access to laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC fabrication, waterjet cutting, plasma cutting, vacuum forming, welding, and industrial robotic fabrication. The facility includes four Universal Laser Systems laser cutters, Bambu Labs P1S multi-filament 3D printers, an Onsrud CNC router, and a Fanuc industrial robotic arm.
Fabrication Skills: The ISoA Woodshop provides structured training on woodworking equipment, while the fabrication facilities include tools such as CNC equipment, a vacuum former, waterjet, plasma cutter, MIG welder, lathes, routers, and other specialist machinery.
Software & Modeling: Rhino 7 is specifically used for CNC fabrication workflows, with the DigiFab Shop requiring Rhino files for CNC submissions and providing Rhino-based templates for digital fabrication.
Research Labs: The School includes faculty-led research environments such as the Digital Technologies in Architecture (DiTA) Research Lab, where graduate and undergraduate students work with computational tools and fabrication techniques.
Design & Fabrication Projects: The Detail and Fabrication area emphasizes experimentation with materials and contemporary fabrication methods, giving students opportunities to investigate architecture through physical making and advanced production techniques.
Sustainability Projects: The Root to Roof initiative engages students in design-build activities using locally harvested and reclaimed urban wood, connecting material reuse, fabrication, sustainability, and community-oriented projects.
Collaborative Learning: The School’s studios, pin-up spaces, reviews, exhibitions, and fabrication environments support collaborative design development and presentation. The Architecture Annex, in particular, provides flexible studio configurations for pin-ups and reviews.
Print & Visualization: The Temple Buell Hall Print & Plotter Lab provides large-format plotters, photo plotting, color printing, scanning, and related production facilities for architecture students and faculty.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MS in Architectural Studies prepares graduates for professional and academic pathways in environmental design, with opportunities to develop specialized expertise in areas such as Urbanism, Health and Wellbeing, Detail and Fabrication, Sustainable Technologies, Systems Optimization, Building Structures, Preservation + Heritage, and Architectural History. Because the degree is research-focused and can incorporate fieldwork or internships, it is particularly suited to students who want to deepen architectural research, pursue specialized design work, or progress toward doctoral study.

Typical career roles: Architectural Researcher, Environmental Design Professional, Design Researcher, Architectural Historian.

Career services and professional support:

Career Services: Illinois School of Architecture's Career Services connects students with firms and provides career-related support, while the annual Career XPO brings employers from architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning to campus to build relationships and interview potential candidates for internships and full-time positions.
FAA Career Services: The College of Fine and Applied Arts provides career resources, expert guidance, employer connections, and support designed specifically for architects, designers, researchers, planners, and other creative professionals.
Industry exposure: The School of Architecture maintains relationships with professional organizations and industry partners, including AIA Chicago and the Society of American Registered Architects, providing opportunities for professional networking, mentorship, and engagement with the architecture community.
Employment outcomes: Illinois does not currently publish a separate salary or employment-outcome figure specifically for the MS in Architectural Studies. The university's latest published Architectural Studies first-destination data for bachelor's graduates reports 98% secured destination and 39% employed, while 59% continued their education; these figures should not be interpreted as outcomes for MS graduates.
Salary information: A program-specific MS salary figure is not stated by the university. Illinois does provide salary research resources for students, including the American Institute of Architects' compensation survey, Coroflot, Payscale, and other salary databases.
Professional development: The School's industry-facing activities include professional lectures, awards, organizations, networking, and employer engagement, helping students connect their research and design expertise with the broader architecture and built-environment profession.
Long-term professional value: The MS in Architectural Studies is not a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. Students seeking the U.S. professional architecture pathway should note that Illinois identifies its M.Arch as the NAAB-accredited professional degree; therefore, the MS should be viewed primarily as a specialized research/post-professional degree rather than a standalone route to architectural licensure.
Graduation outcomes: The MS learning outcomes emphasize specialized knowledge, advanced research and design techniques, complex problem-solving, digital and physical communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to address environmental, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges through design inquiry.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MS, students can pursue doctoral-level research in architecture or related built-environment fields. Illinois specifically describes the MS in Architectural Studies as suitable for students who want to begin pre-doctoral research, although admission to the University's PhD program is not guaranteed by completing the MS; students may also use their specialized research preparation to pursue further study in related interdisciplinary areas.