Master of Architecture (M.Arch I)

5 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Kansas

Program Overview

The University of Kansas Master of Architecture (M.Arch I) is a five-year, NAAB-accredited professional pathway designed for students entering directly from high school or transferring into the program, combining a B.A. in Architectural Studies with a professional M.Arch degree. Students develop design, technical, environmental, and professional skills through intensive studios, building technologies, sustainability, urban design, digital fabrication, study abroad, and real-world community and industry engagement.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their architectural foundation through ARCH 108: Architectural Foundations I, ARCH 109: Architectural Foundations II, ARCH 103: Introduction to Architecture and Interior Architecture, and ARCH 110: Introduction to Computing, while also developing essential skills in mathematics, physics, and academic communication. The year introduces students to architectural thinking, design processes, and digital tools that support their progression into more advanced studios.

Year 2: Students move into more developed architectural design and technical analysis through ARCH 208: Form and Function, ARCH 209: Sustainability, Site, and Context, and ARCH 605: Visualizing Site and Natural Environmental Systems. Courses such as ARCH 524: Structures I and ARCH 620: Theory of Urban Design strengthen their understanding of structural systems, environmental context, and the relationship between architecture and the wider city.

Year 3: The curriculum deepens students’ technical and theoretical abilities through ARCH 508: Material and Tectonics, ARCH 509: Designbuild, ARCH 530: Environmental Systems I, and ARCH 626: Building Technology I: Construction Systems and Assemblies. Students also study architectural theory and complete a required ARCH 690: Study Abroad experience, connecting design concepts with materials, construction, environmental performance, and international architectural perspectives.

Year 4: Students begin integrating design knowledge into more complex professional projects through ARCH 608: Urban Dwelling, ARCH 609: Integrated Design, ARCH 610: Integrated Design Documentation, and ARCH 658: Programming & Pre-Design. ARCH 552: Professional Practice/Architectural Role in Society adds an important professional dimension, helping students understand the architect’s responsibilities, project development, and role within society.

Year 5: The final year allows students to pursue advanced professional interests through ARCH 8xx Professional Option courses alongside architecture and non-architecture electives. This final stage provides greater depth and specialization while bringing together the design, technical, theoretical, and professional knowledge developed throughout the five-year curriculum.

Focus areas: Architectural design, design-build, sustainability, site and context, urban design, building technology, structures, environmental systems, materials and tectonics, digital design, architectural history and theory, professional practice, and interdisciplinary study.

Learning outcomes: Graduates develop the ability to apply design thinking to complex architectural challenges, communicate ideas through drawing, modeling and digital tools, and integrate materials, structures, building systems and environmental performance into architectural solutions.

Professional alignment: The M.Arch I is NAAB-accredited and provides the professional degree pathway toward architectural licensure; KU states that graduates who complete a recognized internship such as the Architectural Experience Program and successfully complete the Architectural Registration Examination can become licensed architects.

Reputation: KU has highlighted strong professional recognition for its architecture programs, including a 2012 DesignIntelligence ranking of 14th nationally among 99 graduate architecture programs and No. 1 among Midwest architecture firms; KU also continues to participate in the DesignIntelligence national architecture and design survey.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the University of Kansas Master of Architecture (5-Year) gain practical skills through studio-based design, design-build education, digital fabrication, material exploration, and community-engaged projects. The program gives students access to professional-grade facilities where they can move from digital concepts and prototypes to physical construction, while opportunities such as ARCH 509 Designbuild Studio and advanced Studio 804 work provide direct hands-on experience.

Design-build experience: Students can work collaboratively on real architectural projects, with the curriculum incorporating design-build studios and opportunities to design, document, permit, and construct projects in a team environment.

East Hills Designbuild Center: The approximately 68,000-square-foot facility provides architecture design-build studios, fabrication labs, collaborative research spaces, a computer lab, and large assembly areas for full-scale projects.
Digital fabrication: Students can work with CNC routers, laser cutters, 3D printers, and KUKA industrial robots, supporting prototyping, computer-controlled fabrication, and experimentation with materials.
Digital modelling and simulation: KU provides multiple computer labs with the software and hardware required for architectural projects, while simulation facilities allow students to explore digital models in three dimensions at human scale.
Marvin Studios (The Mud Hut): This facility combines studio and presentation areas with advanced digital fabrication laboratories, including laser cutters, 3D printers, digital modelling systems, and two Nautilus KUKA industrial robots.
Collaborative projects: Students can undertake large-scale team projects through KU's design-build studios; examples include student-designed and built structures and the Dirt Works Studio net-zero energy house developed for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge.
Research facilities: The Center for Design Research (CDR) functions as a working laboratory and incubator bringing together KU students, faculty, and industry representatives, with studio, collaboration, and laboratory space supporting interdisciplinary research.
Sustainability learning: CDR incorporates technologies including photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, smart-grid electricity metering, a plant-covered roof, rain garden, electric-vehicle charging, and a Trombe wall, providing a living environment for exploring sustainable building systems.
Architecture studios: Marvin Hall and Snow Hall provide dedicated architecture studio and presentation spaces, with Snow Hall also offering a computer lab containing workstations, printers, and digital projection equipment.
Professional exposure: The architecture program supplements studio learning with lectures, workshops, portfolio reviews, career fairs, firm visits, networking events, industry-engaged studios, and internships through KU's relationships with firms and companies worldwide.
Exhibitions and presentations: The John C. Gaunt Forum includes a lecture hall, multipurpose exhibition space, digital displays, and a student commons/gallery, providing dedicated spaces for architectural presentations and showcasing student work.
Professional tools and IT: KU provides dedicated printer/plotter facilities, wide-format printers, scanners, laser-cutting equipment, digital workstations, projection equipment, and university IT support for architecture students and faculty.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The University of Kansas Master of Architecture (M.Arch I) combines studio-based learning, professional preparation, and real-world experience to prepare graduates for careers across architecture and the wider built environment. Students can gain direct exposure to professional practice through internships, community-engaged studios, portfolio reviews, career fairs, firm visits, and networking events, with KU reporting that graduates regularly use internship experiences to move into careers after graduation.

Typical job roles: Architect, Architectural Designer, Project Manager, Urban Designer: KU identifies architecture, design, construction, government, real estate, preservation, and related built-environment organizations as potential career areas for graduates.

Career services: The University Career Center provides access to career advising, Handshake, career events, internships, job listings, and on-campus interviews, while the School of Architecture & Design adds architecture-specific portfolio reviews, career fairs, firm visits, workshops, lectures, and networking events.
Employment opportunities: KU's architecture department maintains longstanding relationships with firms and companies worldwide, creating internship opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally; students can also participate in specialized pathways involving firms such as Burns & McDonnell, Corgan, Gensler, HOK, HDR, Perkins & Will, Populous, and ZGF.
Salary figures: KU's official degree page reports a $78,000–$105,000 median salary range for architecture master's jobs depending on experience and region, based on Lightcast labor-market data.
Industry partnerships: The program offers structured professional pathways including Aviation & Transit, Health & Wellness, Paris Academic Internship, Urban Design, and Urban Housing, where students undertake internships with architectural practices, public agencies, nonprofits, and other professional organizations before completing focused capstone studios.
Professional accreditation: The M.Arch. is NAAB-accredited through 2033, and KU states that its accredited M.Arch. programs meet the educational requirements for architectural licensure in all U.S. states, including Kansas and Missouri. KU's architecture programs have been continuously accredited since 1920.
Graduation outcomes: KU states that architecture graduates leverage their internship experiences into careers immediately after school, while the curriculum is designed to prepare students for professional practice and the educational requirements needed for licensure.
Professional experience: Students can complete substantial industry-based learning before graduation, including internships followed by capstone studios focused on areas such as airport and transit design, urban design, healthcare and wellness, and urban housing.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.Arch., students interested in advanced research can continue into KU's Master of Arts in Architecture/Ph.D. pathway. The M.A. is a 36-credit academic/research degree awarded as part of progress toward the Ph.D., while the Ph.D. in Architecture is a 49-credit terminal research degree focused on advanced inquiry and prepares graduates for careers in academia, consulting, practice-based research, and the public sector.