Master of Science in Architecture

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Oregon

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Architecture at the University of Oregon is a STEM-designated, post-professional degree designed for students who already hold a professional degree in architecture or a related field and want to pursue advanced architectural research and design inquiry. Students develop an individualized research or design focus across areas such as sustainable buildings, mass timber, lighting, healthy indoor environments, sustainable urbanism, social sustainability, design computing, and architectural history and theory, culminating in a thesis or terminal project.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by defining their individual research direction and developing the methods needed to investigate advanced architectural and built-environment questions. Depending on their research focus, coursework can include ARCH 620 – Research Methods in Sustainable Design, which covers research themes, hypotheses, and thesis proposals, and ARCH 622 – Computational Design, which introduces 3D modeling and analog and digital parametric design. Students also build their selected research/design focus through advanced architecture courses aligned with areas such as sustainable design, building performance, urban design, or design computing.

Year 2: The second stage emphasizes independent investigation, experimentation, and the development of a substantial research or design outcome. Students complete the required ARCH 503 – Thesis or ARCH 619 – Terminal Project, using their research and design skills to produce and present an advanced contribution to architectural knowledge or practice; the university requires 9 credits in the thesis or terminal project and a minimum of 45 graduate credits overall.

Focus areas: Sustainable Buildings; Sustainable Construction; Lighting Design; Health and Indoor Environments; Sustainable Urbanism and Housing; Design for Social Sustainability; Design Computing; Architectural History and Theory.

Learning outcomes: Integrate design and advanced research to address complex built-environment issues; develop research techniques for investigating advanced systems; advance architectural knowledge and practice through critical thinking and experimentation in a thesis or design research project.

Accreditation: The University of Oregon’s MS in Architecture is a post-professional, non-licensure degree and is not presented by the university as a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree; the program is intended for applicants who already hold a professional architecture or related degree.

Reputation: The University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment reports that its architecture programs were ranked #29 among Architecture Graduate programs in the 2019 DesignIntelligence survey and #7 among Architecture Graduate programs for Sustainable Built Environments/Adaptive Design/Resilient Design. The school also reports that UO graduates' Architectural Registration Exam pass rates averaged 73% versus 55% nationally based on data through 2020; these figures are school-level indicators and should not be interpreted as employment statistics specifically for the MS program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Science in Architecture at the University of Oregon is strongly research- and practice-oriented, giving students opportunities to develop specialized expertise through faculty-led research, design investigation, computational methods, and hands-on fabrication. Students can work with advanced facilities such as the Fabrication Lab, Baker Lighting Lab, Facade Integrated Technologies Research & Testing Facility (FIT), High Performance Environments Laboratory (HiPE), and TallWood Design Institute, while Portland-based students also benefit from an urban laboratory and research facilities connected to sustainability and urban design. These opportunities include:

Research & thesis/terminal project: Students develop an individual research topic leading to a thesis or terminal project, supported by faculty research and creative practice.
Digital fabrication: Students can develop prototypes using 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC cutters, combining digital modeling with traditional fabrication processes.
Woodworking: The Lawrence Hall and Millrace woodshops provide hand tools, power equipment, and professionally supervised spaces for building architectural projects and models.
Lighting research: The Baker Lighting Lab allows students to measure and analyze existing buildings and test daylighting, electric-lighting designs, and architectural models.
Facade testing: The Facade Integrated Technologies Research & Testing Facility (FIT) supports full-scale experimental testing of building-envelope components, including energy performance and occupant impacts.
High-performance building research: The High Performance Environments Laboratory (HiPE) supports fundamental and applied research into high-performance environments and green-building technologies.
Mass-timber research: Through the TallWood Design Institute, students can engage with research into structural wood products, mass-timber design, digital fabrication, manufacturing processes, fire resistance, life-cycle analysis, and design-build methods.
Computational design: The program's research areas include structural modeling, digital fabrication, CNC processes, and computational approaches to architectural and environmental design.
Urban design projects: The Urban Design Lab connects academic work with real-world projects involving clients, stakeholders, and user groups, providing an applied setting for design, planning, research, and public outreach.
Urban research: Portland students have access to an urban laboratory and courses/research connected to Urbanism Next, sustainable urbanism, housing, climate action, and urban design.
Library resources: The Design Library in Lawrence Hall provides extensive art and architectural information, including rare architectural history collections, while Portland students have access to the UO Portland Library & Learning Commons.
Digital presentation and output: Students have access to computer labs, technology support, large-format plotters, high-resolution printers, scanning, and digital imaging services through the School and College of Design.
Studio collaboration: UO's studio-learning model uses small classes, individual work areas, critiques, pin-ups, and group discussions, allowing students to repeatedly develop and refine architectural design solutions.
Portland facilities: Students at the Portland campus have access to woodshops, digital fabrication facilities, virtual-reality facilities, video/audio production studios, the Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory, and Urbanism Next research spaces.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Science in Architecture at the University of Oregon is designed for advanced research and design inquiry, preparing graduates for specialized work across sustainable buildings, design computing, urban design, housing, architectural technology, and related areas. Because it is a post-professional, STEM-designated degree, it is particularly suited to graduates seeking research-oriented, design-specialist, consulting, teaching, or further academic pathways rather than an additional professional licensure degree.

Typical career roles: Architectural Researcher, Architectural Designer/Design Specialist, Sustainability or Building-Performance Consultant, Architecture/Design Educator or Researcher.

Career development and progression opportunities include:

Career advising: College of Design Career Services provides individual advising, workshops, career-development classes, job-search strategies, and support for developing professional skills and career connections.
Job and internship preparation: Students can take DSGN 408/508 Job & Intern Prep & Job and Intern Search and DSGN 404/604 Internship, supporting application preparation and practical career planning.
Professional networking: The annual SAE Career Fair connects Architecture & Environment students with employers; UO reported 43 firms and approximately 200 students participating in one recent career fair.
Industry connections: The Architecture program maintains a Professional Advisory Group (PAG) consisting of 14 architects who are leaders in architecture firms worldwide and either UO architecture alumni or strongly connected to the program.
Employer opportunities: UO identifies private architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and preservation firms, city planning and development offices, government agencies, corporate in-house design departments, nonprofits, and consulting/contracting organizations as employment destinations for School of Architecture & Environment graduates.
Portfolio development: College of Design Career Services provides structured guidance on documenting projects, selecting work, digitizing portfolios, presenting work professionally, and obtaining feedback from career advisors, professors, peers, and practicing professionals.
Employment outcomes: The university does not state a program-specific employment rate or graduate employment percentage for the Master of Science in Architecture on the official program pages reviewed.
Salary outcomes: A program-specific graduate salary range or median salary is not stated on the official University of Oregon sources reviewed, so no university-specific figure is provided.
Accreditation value: The MS in Architecture is not a professional licensure degree and does not provide a path to licensure; therefore, students should not treat the MS itself as an NAAB-accredited professional architecture credential. The program instead adds advanced research and design expertise to an existing professional background.
Graduation outcomes: Students complete a thesis or terminal project that demonstrates advanced research/design inquiry and contributes to architectural knowledge, providing a substantial research portfolio for professional, academic, or specialist progression.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MS, students can continue into the University of Oregon’s PhD in Architecture, which focuses on sustainable architecture and integrated design and develops new knowledge through multidisciplinary research. Students can also pursue related graduate specializations/certificates, including the Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Technical Subjects, which can be undertaken alongside an MS and focuses on integrating technical building and engineering information with design education.