Architecture (ARCH)

Graduate Degree Program
School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Abstract

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation offers a graduate program leading to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited Master of Architecture degree. The Architecture Program (ARCH) seeks to change the world through innovative architectural and urban design pedagogies, research, and practice that transforms place at all scales and improves the quality of life. In the course of our mission, we instigate change through teaching, experience, and scholarly activity, which prepares the next generation of broadly educated, highly-skilled architects and designers to be problem seekers/solvers in collaborative learning and professional environments. The Program offers a rich and demanding mix of architectural and urban design studios, architectural history and theory, and architectural science and technology. Electives in architecture and related fields are available in the curriculum.

NAAB Required Statement on Accreditation:

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The School is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC).

Financial Assistance

The School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation offers a limited and varying number of teaching and research assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, and internships. Applicants should apply for financial assistance when submitting the application for admission.

Contact 

Find additional information on program offerings, degree requirements, admissions, and financial aid on the School’s Website (www.arch.umd.edu).  To schedule a visit or a tour, please reach out to archadvise@umd.edu.  To receive an invitation to our Graduate Open House and receive more information, sign up here.

For further information on admissions and degree requirements, please contact the main advising office at archadvise@umd.edu or 301-405-8000.

Mohammad Gharipour
Director of Graduate Studies
School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
Architecture Program
1200 Architecture Building
3835 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8000
Email: mgr@umd.edu

Website: http://www.arch.umd.edu

Courses:  ARCH HISP RDEV URSP

Relationships: Historic Preservation (HISP), Real Estate Development (RDEV), Urban and Regional Planning and Design (URPD)

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. In addition to the Graduate School requirements, candidates must submit a portfolio. The portfolio should show evidence of creative ability in the form of a portfolio containing reproductions of creative work, which may include drawings, paintings, photographs, sculpture, sketches, and/or architectural designs. Details concerning format and content may be obtained from the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation website

Applications from four categories will be considered for admission:

  1. candidates with a four-year Bachelor of Science in architecture degree;
  2. candidates with four-year baccalaureate (B.A.) in architecture, environmental design (B.A. or B.S.), or relevant discipline; and
  3. candidates with four-year baccalaureate (B.A. or B.S.) in a major other than architecture who have successfully completed specified undergraduate prerequisites outlined by the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation1; and
  4. candidates with an accredited professional degree in architecture. Students are expected to enroll on a full-time basis. For complete information on curricula requirements for these categories, visit the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation website.
1

Additional requirements include:

  • one (1) semester of college level calculus or successful high school advanced placement (AP) calculus; and
  • one (1) semester of college level physics with lab, or successful high school advanced placement (AP) in physics
  • One (1) course in freehand figurative drawing is recommended but not required. 

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Type of Applicant Fall Deadline Spring Deadline Summer Deadline
Domestic Applicants
US Citizens and Permanent Residents January 16, 2026 N/A
International Applicants
F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants January 16, 2026 N/A
Early Action Deadline International applicants who submit their applications by November 14, 2025 will receive notification regarding their admission recommendation from the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation no later than December 15, 2025.

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Other Deadlines: arch.umd.edu
Program Website: arch.umd.edu  
Application Process: gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/application-process/step-step-guide-applying

The University of Maryland’s Master of Architecture (M. Arch) is a STEM-designated, NAAB-accredited professional degree, essential for pursuing licensure as an architect in North America. Anchored by an experiential and design-focused curriculum, interdisciplinary collaboration and professional mentorship, our master’s degree offers a comprehensive, career-ready experience within a supportive, tight-knit community. 

The Architecture Program at the University of Maryland seeks to educate the next generation of innovative architects that will design a more sustainable and equitable future. Our faculty and leadership aim to support and celebrate our diverse community of design thinkers and to be vigilant advocates for social justice. The program is allied with the disciplines housed in our School, and we actively cultivate relationships with the larger University, whose value systems resonate with those of the Program. 

The Master of Architecture Program offers two paths to the profession: 

Path A is for candidates with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, this four-semester program offers advanced standing toward the M. Arch degree.

Path B is designed for individuals with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture or a non-architecture undergraduate degree, this seven-semester program covers architectural fundamentals and leads to the M.Arch degree. 

In our scholarship, research, teaching, and creative practice, we value design excellence and inquiry that embraces the craft of building and urban design at all scales; stewardship, responsibility and sustainable design through the study of diverse cultures and environments; innovation and its ability to address contemporary issues; action-based, critical and speculative learning as a model for integrated design thinking; history and theory of architecture and urbanism as a way to understand the past, illuminate design concepts and principles, and inspire the future; and civic engagement that promotes social justice through design and design thinking.These values shape our community of students, staff, and faculty. They guide the ongoing evolution of our curriculum and pedagogies, and the social culture we foster through our extra-curricular programs and events.

Last Name First/Middle Name Graduate Faculty Status Academic Credentials Positions
Abrams Michael Full Member B.A., Univ of Puerto Rico-Ponce, 1997; M.Arch., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 1999. Clinical Professor, Architecture
Bell Matthew J. Full Member B.Arch., University of Notre Dame, 1983; M.Arch., Cornell University, 1987. Professor, Architecture
Bennett Ralph D., Jr. Full Member B.A., Princeton University, 1961; M.F.A., 1966. Professor Emeritus, Architecture
Burke Juan Full Member MA, McGill University; PhD, McGill University Associate Professor, Architecture
Cross Marcus Full Member B.S., University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, 2003; M.Arch, University of Maryland College Park, 2005 Lecturer, Architecture
Curry Daniel Full Member B.S., University of Virginia, 1996. n/a, Architecture
Eisenbach Ronit Full Member B.F.A., B. Arch., Rhode Island School of Design 1985, 1986; M. Arch., Cranbrook Academy of Art, 1993. Professor, Architecture
Ezban Michael Full Member B.S., University of Virginia, 1998; M.Arch., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2007; M.L.Arch., Harvard University, 2013. Associate Clinical Professor, Architecture
Filler Kenneth Full Member B.S., University of Maryland-College Park, 2014; M.Arch., 2016. Assistant Clinical Professor, Architecture
Gabrielli Julie Full Member B.S., University of Virginia, 1984; M.Arch, University of Virginia, 1987 Associate Clinical Professor, Architecture
Gharipour Mohammad Full Member B.Arch., University of Tehran, 1999; M.Arch., 2001; Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. Director, Architecture
Professor, Architecture
Kelly Brian Paul Full Member B.Arch., University of Notre Dame, 1981; M.Arch., Cornell University, 1987. Professor, Architecture
Kim Taejun James Full Member B.Arch., Hong Ik University, 2006; M.Arch., University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2010. Lecturer, Architecture
Kleiss Michael Full Member B.Arch, Universidad del los Andes, 1993; M.Arch, Pratt Institute, 1999; PhD, Massechusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. Associate Professor, Architecture
Koliji Hooman Full Member B.Arch., Shahid Beheshti University, 1997; M.Arch., Shahid Beheshti University, 2000; MLA, Virginia Tech, 2009. Associate Clinical Professor, Architecture
Lamprakos Michele Full Member B.A., Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University, 1983; MArch, University of California-Berkeley, 1992; PhD., History, Theory & Criticism of Architecture, MIT, 2006 Associate Professor, Architecture
Martinez Andressa Full Member B.Arch., MS of Urban Planning, PhD in Urban Planning, 2005, 2008, 2013, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Assistant Professor, Architecture
Matthews Georgeanne Full Member B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1995; M.Arch., University of Maryland-College Park, 1998; Ph.D., 2018. Assistant Professor, Architecture
May Lindsey Full Member B.S., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2010; M.Arch., Princeton University, 2014. Associate Clinical Professor, Architecture
Noonan Peter Full Member B.S., University of Maryland 1988; M.Arch, University of Maryland 1992 Professor of Practice, Architecture
Simon Madlen G. Full Member A.B. Princeton University, 1974; M.Arch. Princeton University, 1977. Professor, Architecture
Tilghman James Full Member B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1982; M.Arch, Harvard University, 1986 Associate Clinical Professor, Architecture
Vandergoot Jana Full Member B ARCH, University of Notre Dame, 2001; M ARCH, University of Virginia, 2010; M Landscape Architecture, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, 2013 Associate Professor, Architecture
Williams Brittany Full Member B.A., University of Maryland-College Park, 2005; M.Arch, 2007. n/a, Architecture
Williams Joseph Full Member B.A., Bates College, 2009; MA, Courtauld Institute of Art, History of Art, 2010; PhD, Duke University, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, 2017 Associate Professor, Architecture
Wilson Peter Full Member B.A., Kenyon College, 1986; M.Arch., Washington University in Saint Louis, 1990. Lecturer, Architecture
Woo Deokoh Full Member B.Arch., Yonsei University, 2012; MS. Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, 2014; PhD, University of Michigan, 2021 Assistant Professor, Architecture