Master of Science in Architectural Studies

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

Washington University in St Louis

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Architectural Studies (MSAS) at Washington University in St. Louis is a focused, 30-credit, two-semester program designed for students with an undergraduate degree in architecture or students already enrolled in another graduate architecture program who want to pursue specialized architectural research beyond a professional degree. Students develop an individually tailored course of study in one of two concentrations—Architectural Pedagogy or History and Culture of Architecture—and culminate their work in a substantial thesis or research project.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: The one-year MSAS is completed across two semesters, with students working closely with an academic advisor to build a curriculum around their specific research goals. The 30-credit structure includes Research Preparation (3 credits), a Mandatory Thesis or Project (minimum 6 credits), and Seminars, Directed Research, Extra-School, and Independent Study (21 credits); students may take relevant courses within the Sam Fox School as well as across other departments at WashU.

Research and Thesis: Rather than following a fixed year-by-year sequence of named modules, the program is intentionally individualized, allowing students to develop specialized research in architectural pedagogy, history, and theory. The program culminates in the thesis project, which serves as the apex of the MSAS and gives students the opportunity to investigate a focused architectural question through sustained independent research.

Focus areas

Architectural Pedagogy; History and Culture of Architecture; architectural history; architectural theory; research methods; independent architectural research.

Learning outcomes

Students develop the ability to formulate and pursue an individual architectural research agenda, conduct advanced research through seminars and directed study, engage critically with architectural history, theory or pedagogy, and communicate their findings through a substantial thesis or research project.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The MSAS is a research-focused, non-professional degree rather than a professional architecture degree leading directly to architectural licensure. WashU separately identifies its M.Arch as the professionally accredited architecture degree, so the MSAS is best suited to students seeking advanced research, scholarship, teaching, or specialized architectural studies rather than a professional licensure pathway.

Reputation (employability rankings)

WashU's Sam Fox School reported that its undergraduate architecture program ranked #2 in the U.S. in Niche's 2027 rankings, which evaluate factors including academics, career preparation, and future readiness; this ranking is for the undergraduate architecture program and is not a specific MSAS ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Science in Architectural Studies at Washington University in St. Louis gives students a research-oriented environment where architectural investigation is supported by studio work, advanced digital production, fabrication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Students work in graduate studios in Weil Hall, with access to specialized making facilities and digital fabrication resources that allow architectural ideas to be tested through physical models, prototypes, scanning, and computational production; the school also emphasizes learning through making and faculty-led research.

Experiential learning opportunities include:

Graduate studios: Students work in dedicated graduate studio spaces in Weil Hall, alongside students from architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design, encouraging cross-disciplinary exchange through shared studio and critique environments.
Digital fabrication: The Caleres Fabrication Studio provides industry-grade laser cutters, 3D printers, 3D scanners, a large-format 3-axis CNC router, and virtual-reality equipment for complex design and fabrication projects.
3D printing and scanning: The fabrication studio includes 9 Ultimaker S3 printers, 2 Prusa i3 MK3 printers, a Form 3 SLA printer, an Artec Leo 3D scanner, and a SOL 3D desktop scanner, enabling students to move between digital models, scans, and physical prototypes.
CNC fabrication: The Axyz 4008 5×8 three-axis CNC router supports large-format computer-controlled fabrication, allowing students to translate digital designs into physical architectural models and components.
Digital design tools: The College of Architecture integrates computer-aided design and digital design technologies into its curriculum, with digital tools taught according to industry standards and best practices.
Adobe Creative Cloud: Students in the College of Architecture are required to use Adobe Creative Cloud, supporting digital drawing, image production, presentation, and architectural communication.
Interdisciplinary projects: The Sam Fox School encourages students from different programs to work in close proximity, while its fabrication resources have supported architecture-related research projects involving students and faculty from other disciplines, including engineering.
Research through making: The Caleres Fabrication Studio has been used for faculty-and-student research projects such as “Tracing Our Mississippi,” where CNC routers were used to produce a large-scale abstracted model of the Mississippi Watershed.
Wood and metal fabrication: Students can access specialized making spaces including the Givens Wood & Metal Shop, Walker Wood Shop, and Walker Metal Shop, supporting woodworking, welding, fabrication, metalworking, and prototype development.
Exhibition and critique: Weil Hall provides dedicated exhibition and critique spaces, including installation rooms and large pin-up walls, giving students places to present, review, and refine their architectural work.
Collaborative spaces: Kuehner Court and Weil Commons provide dedicated gathering and working areas within Weil Hall, supporting interaction between students, faculty, and visitors.
Library resources: The Sam Fox School's facilities include the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Studio for the Illustrated Book, developed in collaboration with WashU Libraries, providing a specialized book and print-production environment.
Research and technology environment: Weil Hall houses graduate studios, classrooms, digital fabrication spaces, and interdisciplinary resources within an 82,000-square-foot LEED Platinum facility, creating a dedicated environment for advanced architectural study and research.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Science in Architectural Studies (MSAS) is designed for graduates who want to move beyond professional architectural training into focused research, architectural history, theory, or teaching. Its research-oriented structure culminates in a thesis and can support careers across architecture, architectural research, teaching, and cultural or academic institutions.

Typical career roles: Architectural Researcher, Architectural Historian, Architecture Educator, Design Researcher

Career development and progression opportunities include:

Career services: The Sam Fox School has an Arts, Design & Media Career Community dedicated to creative careers including architecture and design, providing students with exposure to professional practices and a network of peers, mentors, and practitioners.
Career development staff: Sam Fox School has dedicated career-development personnel, including an Assistant Director of Career Development and staff supporting the Arts, Design & Media Career Community.
Professional opportunities: The CityStudioSTL Fellowship gives eligible Sam Fox graduate students funded opportunities to work with local firms on 12-week civic or pro-bono projects addressing socially engaged challenges in St. Louis. Recent host firms included Arbolope Studio, Christner Architects, Mackey Mitchell Architects, PGAV Planners, Trivers, and Counterpublic.
Employment statistics: WashU publishes career-outcome information through its Center for Career Engagement, including top employers, starting salary, employment locations, degree types, and fields of study; however, a program-specific MSAS employment rate or salary figure is not stated on the official sources reviewed.
Salary figures: A specific MSAS graduate salary figure is not stated on the official university sources reviewed, so no unsupported salary estimate is provided.
Industry connections: Sam Fox's CityStudioSTL program provides direct connections with St. Louis architecture, planning, and design firms through funded student projects, giving graduate students opportunities to gain professional experience while working on real community challenges.
Research and academic value: The MSAS is specifically structured around Architectural Pedagogy and History and Culture of Architecture, with students developing an individualized research curriculum and completing a substantial thesis.
Professional accreditation value: The MSAS is a research-focused post-professional degree, not a professional architecture degree intended to independently satisfy architectural licensure education requirements. Students seeking professional licensure should therefore distinguish this program from WashU's NAAB-accredited MArch pathway.
Graduation outcomes: The program's defining outcome is a completed thesis project, supported by thesis research, seminars, directed research, and independent study. The university also notes that MSAS students can construct their research foundation through coursework within Sam Fox and across Washington University.

Further Academic Progression: After the MSAS, students can continue into advanced academic or research-oriented study, particularly doctoral-level work in architecture, architectural history, theory, pedagogy, or related fields. The program can also be pursued alongside another Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design degree, with up to 15 units potentially double-counted toward an MArch, MLA, or MUD, subject to advisor approval; WashU also offers graduate pathways including the Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design (MSAAD) and Master of Urban Design (MUD).