Master of Architecture

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

Washington University in St Louis

Program Overview

The Master of Architecture (MArch 3) at Washington University in St. Louis is a three-year, 105-credit, STEM-designated professional program designed for students with undergraduate degrees in architecture or other disciplines who want to develop advanced capabilities in architectural design, technology, research, and practice. The program combines an intensive design-studio sequence with architectural history and theory, building technology, structural principles, urban design, landscape, professional practice, and digital representation, culminating in an independent Degree Project.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: The first year establishes the core foundations of architectural design and representation. Students develop their design thinking through ARCH 5010: Architectural Design I and ARCH 5020: Architectural Design II, while ARCH 5110/5120: Architectural Representation I & II develop methods for communicating architectural ideas; ARCH 2210/2220: Architectural History I & II provide historical and theoretical context, with ARCH 3310: Environmental Systems I introducing building-environment relationships.

Year 2: Students progress into more complex design, technical systems, structures, and research methods. ARCH 6010: Architectural Design III and ARCH 6020: Architectural Design IV advance studio practice, complemented by ARCH 6005: Workshop I: Studio Methods, ARCH 6150: Design Culture Seminar, ARCH 3340: Building Systems, ARCH 4340: Structures I, ARCH 6320: Environmental Systems II, and ARCH 4350: Structures II, giving students a stronger understanding of how architectural concepts are integrated with construction and structural systems.

Year 3: The final year emphasizes independent research, advanced building systems, design thinking, professional practice, and the synthesis of previous learning. Students undertake ARCH 7010: Architectural Design V, ARCH 7005: Workshop II: Research and Project Methods, ARCH 7130: Pre-Design Seminar, ARCH 7340: Advanced Building Systems, ARCH 7120: Design Thinking, and LANDARCH 2040: Shared Ecologies, before completing the ARCH 7520: Degree Project alongside ARCH 7220: Professional Practice and history/theory and urban issues electives.

Focus areas

Architectural design, fabrication, sustainability, housing, socially engaged practice, architectural representation, building technology, structures, environmental systems, urban design, landscape, design research, professional practice, and digital media.

Learning outcomes

Students develop strong conceptual and technical design abilities, integrate environmental and structural information into architectural proposals, communicate ideas through two- and three-dimensional media, conduct independent research, and establish a critical position on contemporary architectural practice.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The MArch 3 is a NAAB-accredited professional Master of Architecture degree comprising 105 graduate credits. Washington University states that its NAAB-accredited MArch programs meet the educational requirements for professional architectural licensure in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, although additional experience and examination requirements apply.

Reputation (employability rankings)

For the 2023 graduate architecture cohort, Washington University reports that as of May 2025, 100% of MArch, MLA, MUD, and MS graduates with a known status who were seeking employment had accepted a job. The university lists graduates working as Architectural Associates, Architectural Designers, Architectural Lab Managers, Project Coordinators, and Urban Planners, with representative employers including HOK, HKS, Gensler, Jacobs, WSP, CannonDesign, and BNIM.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch) at Washington University in St. Louis is strongly practice-oriented, with learning through making at the center of the program. Students develop architectural skills through design studios, digital technologies, fabrication, interdisciplinary work, and faculty-led research, with dedicated graduate studios and specialized making spaces in Weil Hall.

Design studios: The architectural design studio sequence is fundamental to the M.Arch, giving students opportunities to develop and test architectural ideas through iterative design, representation, critique, and making. Graduate architecture studios are located in Weil Hall, alongside specialized fabrication and new-media facilities.
Digital technologies: Digital technology is fully integrated into the graduate design curriculum, supporting design inquiry, representation, CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, research, presentations, and general computing.
Digital fabrication: The Caleres Fabrication Studio provides architecture students with industry-grade equipment including laser cutters, 3D printers, 3D scanners, a large-format CNC milling machine, and virtual-reality equipment, enabling students to move from digital concepts to physical prototypes and models.
Architectural modeling: Students can combine digital fabrication with hands-on making using CNC milling, laser cutting, 3D printing, scanning, and basic hand tools, supporting complex architectural models and experimental design projects.
Wood fabrication: The Walker Wood Shop provides band saws, sanders, table saws, jointers, planers, miter saws, and hand tools for developing physical architectural and design work.
Metal fabrication: The Walker Metal Shop supports manual fabrication, foundry work, metalsmithing, plasma cutting, welding, blacksmithing, and work with materials such as rubber, resin, and adhesives.
Collaborative studios: Weil Hall is deliberately designed to encourage interaction across architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. Graduate studios flank Kuehner Court, while shared gathering, critique, exhibition, and workspace areas support collaboration and presentation of student work.
Research integration: The M.Arch is rooted in faculty research, with the program specifically highlighting research in housing, fabrication, sustainability, and socially engaged practice. Students therefore encounter architectural research alongside practical and technical design work.
Interdisciplinary learning: Students work within the wider Sam Fox School environment, where architecture is positioned alongside landscape architecture, urban design, art, and design. Weil Hall was specifically developed to create physical connections among these disciplines and encourage interdisciplinary scholarship, creative research, and experimentation.
Critique and exhibition spaces: Weil Hall includes dedicated exhibition and critique spaces, including installation rooms and extensive pin-up walls, giving students spaces to present, review, and refine architectural work.
Making facilities: In addition to the fabrication studio, students can access specialized Sam Fox School facilities including ceramics, printmaking, textiles, photography, woodworking, metalworking, and printing facilities, subject to course and facility access requirements.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis prepares graduates for professional architectural practice through a practice-oriented curriculum that combines design, technology, research, and interdisciplinary learning. The program has strong documented career outcomes: among the 2023 graduate architecture cohort, 100% of MArch, MLA, MUD, and MS graduates with a known status who were seeking employment had accepted a job by May 2025.

Typical career roles: Architectural Associate, Architectural Designer, Project Coordinator, Urban Designer

Career development and progression opportunities include:

Career services: The Sam Fox School's Center for Career Engagement supports architecture students and alumni with career development and provides access to employer events, career resources, job and internship opportunities, and professional networking.
Career fairs: WashU's architecture career events bring students together with employers recruiting for internships and full-time positions; recent participating firms include HOK, KieranTimberlake, Perkins+Will, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Architecture Bear Treks: Students can meet practicing architects and organizations through career-focused trips to major U.S. architecture markets. Past destinations have included Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, with visits to firms such as Gensler, SOM, Studio Gang, HOK, Mithun, and ZGF.
Employment outcomes: For the Class of 2023, 100% of MArch, MLA, MUD, and MS graduates with a known status and seeking employment had accepted a job by May 2025. The school had postgraduate information for 67% of this combined graduate architecture cohort.
Representative employers: Graduate architecture alumni have joined Albert Kahn Associates, Allied Works, BNIM, HOK, Jacobs, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Mott MacDonald, NAVFAC, SWA Group, and WSP, among many others.
Salary figures: The official Sam Fox School graduate architecture outcomes page reports employment and employer data but does not state a program-specific starting salary figure for the M.Arch; therefore, no salary figure is provided here.
Industry connections: The school provides direct exposure to leading architectural practices through career fairs, Bear Treks, internships, alumni engagement, and professional events, with recent and representative connections including BIG, Gensler, HKS, HOK, Perkins+Will, SOM, Studio Gang, SHoP Architects, and West 8.
Professional accreditation: The M.Arch 3 is NAAB-accredited, giving the degree long-term professional value for students pursuing architectural licensure in the United States. WashU states that both its M.Arch programs meet the educational requirements for professional licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; students must still satisfy each jurisdiction's experience and examination requirements.
STEM designation: The M.Arch is also STEM-designated, adding value for international graduates seeking eligible U.S. post-completion employment pathways.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates have progressed into roles including Architectural Associate, Architectural Designer, Architectural Lab Manager, Project Coordinator, Urban Planner, and Wood Shop Faculty, demonstrating progression across architectural practice, design, planning, fabrication, and education.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.Arch, students can broaden their expertise through WashU's dual-degree options, including the Master of Business Administration, Master of Construction Management, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Urban Design, Master of Social Work, and Master of Public Health. Graduates can also pursue further research-oriented or specialized study through the Sam Fox School's graduate architecture offerings, depending on their academic and professional goals.