Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS)

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Southern California

Program Overview

The Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) at the University of Southern California is a specialized post-professional program for students who already hold a five-year Bachelor of Architecture or equivalent and want to advance their architectural design and research expertise. The program offers specialized pathways in City Design and Housing and Performative Design and Technology, combining research-based design studios, technical seminars, computational methods, and advanced architectural investigation.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students undertake advanced architectural research through Architecture Directed Design Research, supported by specialized studios and seminars aligned with their chosen emphasis. In City Design and Housing, students investigate urban housing, urban inequalities, and urban infrastructures, while the Performative Design and Technology emphasis develops computational design, performance-driven methodologies, and sustainable technologies.

Year 1.5: The program is structured as an advanced, research-focused degree rather than a conventional two-year master's sequence; students complete the required 32 units, including 8 units of Architecture Directed Design Research, with the remaining coursework centered on their selected research and design emphasis. The work culminates in advanced design research addressing contemporary architectural, urban, technological, or environmental challenges.

Focus areas: City Design and Housing, urban housing, urban inequalities, urban infrastructures, computational design, performance-based design, environmental performance, solar performance, thermal performance, material performance, sustainable technology, and architectural design research.

Learning outcomes: Students develop advanced abilities to analyze complex urban and architectural systems, conduct design research, apply computational and performance-based methods, and develop innovative architectural responses to contemporary social, technological, and environmental challenges.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The M.AARS is a post-professional research degree, not a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree; USC specifies that applicants must already hold a five-year Bachelor of Architecture or equivalent.

Reputation (employability rankings): USC does not publish a specific M.AARS employability ranking on the official program sources reviewed. USC School of Architecture does, however, describe its graduate education as preparing students for professional design practice and highlights its alumni and faculty leadership in architecture.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) at USC is built around research-driven design, with students applying advanced architectural methods to contemporary urban, technological, environmental, and housing challenges. Depending on the emphasis, students work through explorative design studios, advanced topical research, Architecture Directed Design Research, computational design, performance analysis, and technology-focused research, using Los Angeles as an important real-world context and laboratory. USC specifically requires digital literacy in design software, particularly Rhinoceros (Rhino), while the Performative Design and Technology emphasis incorporates computational tools, simulation software, and performance-analysis techniques.

Students develop these practical research and design skills through the following USC-specific opportunities and resources:

Design studios: The City Design + Housing emphasis uses exploratory design studios to investigate urban housing, inequalities, and infrastructure, while the Performative Design + Technology emphasis uses research-based studios and technical seminars to connect design theory with practical technological applications.
Architecture Directed Design Research: Students complete 8 units of Architecture Directed Design Research, providing substantial hands-on experience in developing an advanced, research-oriented architectural project.
Computational design: The Performative Design + Technology emphasis integrates advanced computational design and performance-driven methodologies, allowing students to explore technology as part of architectural research and design.
Performance analysis: Students investigate environmental, solar, thermal, and material performance, using performance metrics to evaluate building behavior and develop more sustainable and efficient design strategies.
Software: Rhinoceros (Rhino) is specifically identified by USC as required digital design software literacy for M.AARS students, making digital modeling an important part of the program's research and design workflow.
Urban research laboratory: The City Design + Housing emphasis uses Los Angeles as a laboratory, enabling students to investigate real urban conditions involving housing, development, infrastructure, ecology, climate change, and urban inequality.
Real-world urban projects: Students examine issues such as affordable and informal housing, urban densification, homelessness, migration, racial segregation, public transportation, walkability, public spaces, and zoning, translating these challenges into research and design investigations.
Interdisciplinary research: M.AARS is explicitly structured as a multidisciplinary degree, allowing students to work across disciplines and scales while combining research and design to address complex urban and architectural problems.
Technical seminars: The Performative Design + Technology emphasis combines research-based studios with technical seminars, giving students opportunities to connect computational and performance-oriented methods with architectural applications.
USC School of Architecture resources: Students undertake their M.AARS work within the USC School of Architecture, which supports graduate programs in architecture, building science, heritage conservation, landscape architecture, and advanced architectural research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS) at the University of Southern California is designed around advanced architectural research, making it relevant to careers that combine architectural practice, design research, technology, and interdisciplinary investigation. Graduates can apply their research and design expertise across architectural and built-environment settings, while USC’s career ecosystem provides access to job opportunities, professional networking, mentoring, and industry resources.

Typical career roles: Architectural Researcher, Architectural Designer, Design Researcher, Architectural Technology/Innovation Specialist.

Career services: USC’s Career Center provides architecture-specific career resources, current internship and full-time opportunities, career fairs, industry guides, Handshake job listings, and access to the Trojan Network for professional mentoring and alumni connections.
Professional networking: The Trojan Network enables students and alumni to connect with USC alumni and professionals for mentoring and career conversations, while Handshake provides access to job listings and career-development resources.
Employment opportunities: USC's architecture-focused career resources currently include opportunities such as architectural design, building technology, virtual design and construction, and project-related positions, illustrating the range of built-environment roles available through its career platform.
Employment statistics: USC publishes career-outcome information through its Career Center, but a current M.AARS-specific employment rate or salary figure was not stated in the official sources reviewed. USC’s general undergraduate outcomes tool should therefore not be treated as an M.AARS outcome statistic.
Salary figures: A current M.AARS-specific graduate salary figure was not stated by USC in the official sources reviewed. USC notes that salary information can be explored through Handshake and other career resources.
Industry connections: USC connects students with employers through career fairs, Handshake, internships, full-time recruitment, alumni mentoring, and the Trojan Network, creating opportunities to develop professional relationships across architecture, construction, design, and related industries.
Long-term professional value: The M.AARS can provide an advanced research-oriented qualification for professionals seeking to develop specialized expertise in architectural research and interdisciplinary built-environment work. Any professional licensure requirements remain dependent on the student's prior degree, experience, jurisdiction, and applicable architectural licensing rules.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates can use the research, design, and analytical capabilities developed through the program to pursue professional practice, design-research, architectural technology, or further academic research; USC also provides continuing career support and alumni networking after graduation.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.AARS, students interested in an academic or research career can pursue doctoral-level study in architecture or related fields, subject to the admission and prerequisite requirements of the institution they choose. The research focus of the degree can also provide preparation for continued interdisciplinary research in areas such as architectural technology, design, urbanism, computation, or the built environment.