M.ARCH

The Master in Architecture is a professional course of study for students who have successfully completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree. Upon successful completion of the Masters Program, students will hold a Master in Architecture Degree. This degree, if accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) as a professional degree, will permit students to participate in the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). SJIU's Master in Architecture Program reflects the University's Mission of directing attention towards environmental problems and aims to create professional architects with specific competencies connected to territorial planning in terms of environmental conservation and the use of eco-sustainable construction techniques.

During orientation, students will receive all of the relevant information for pursuing a career in architecture as well as information about IDP and ARE. In the United States, most state 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 U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Master Degree Programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute and accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. The M.Arch is founded on the American traditional Liberal Arts education promoting humanism, fostering respect for the fundamental rights of the individual, and emphasizing research.

Educational Objectives and Methodology

The Master in Architecture has the aim of providing students with:

1. Knowledge, methods, and tools enabling them to practice as free-lance architects and planners in the USA and other regions of the world;
2. Knowledge and ability of using in design and planning innovative methods and techniques based on environmental preservation;
3. An understanding of environment-sound techniques for restoration, refurbishment, and renewal of existing buildings and urban compounds;
4. An enrichment of the analytic and research-related capabilities of students;
5. An opportunity to carry out a training experience at building production firms and local Government bodies both in the USA and Europe.

The didactic methodology of SJIU's Master of Architecture is based on the integration between a technological pragmatism - the learning by doing, typical of schools in the USA - and a theoretical rigor characterizing the European educational system. This symbiosis is founded on the priority given to the student-teacher relationship as well as, the importance of harmonizing creativity and artistic value of architecture with its scientific and technological basis.

This approach is innovative with regards to the current teaching methods in the architecture field and on the other hand, rooted in the eclectic and creative tradition derived from the great Renaissance masters of Europe and Italy.

Today, this didactic model cannot be focused on an individual dimension but must be linked to a network of multiple forces. The complexity and global dimension of the present social, economic, and technological reality imply specialized knowledge and skills by architects and planners unmatched by their Renaissance colleagues. Hence, a creative synthesis cannot be expressed but at a higher level, in terms both of scale - the global planet - and relationships, being the output of an integrated work among highly specialized individuals.

Based on these premises, the didactic activity of the M.Arch's courses is focused on the architecture option studios, conceived as frameworks of modular and specialized units. Such units are lead by professors, researchers, and professionals, experts on various architecture and planning sectors with a background of experience and skills related to environmental and social sustainability. All other core courses have a part of their programs directly focused on the themes developed within the architecture option studios.

Departmental Requirements

In addition to the Graduate School general requirements for all applicants, the Master of Architecture program has the following additional requirements:

To be admitted to the Master in Architecture, students must:

• Hold a Bachelor in Architecture from an American college or university or the equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution.
• Hold a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S). in a field other than architecture and complete the pre-courses for architecture.

Degree Requirements

To earn the Master in Architecture, students must complete the curriculum successfully with a GPA superior to 3.00. Students with a B.A. or B.S. in architecture must complete all 60 credits requested within five years of enrollment. Students who do not possess a B.A or B.S. in architecture must complete the required 96 credits.

Curriculum

The credits for the Master in Architecture are arranged accordingly:

• 36 Credits of Pre-Courses (only for those who do not possess a Bachelor in architecture)
• 30 Credits of Core courses
• 21 Credits of Concentrations
• 9 Credits of Research and Professional Practice

A. Pre-courses:

These pre-courses are for students who do not possess a B.A. or B.S. in architecture.

B. Core Courses:

These courses provide the foundation for upper level graduate courses and are to be completed during the first year according to the sequence indicated in the chart below. These courses are also fundamental for the comprehension of the concentration courses.

C. Concentrations:

Students must select ONE of the following two areas of concentrations. Within each concentration students must complete 21 credits (7 courses).

Sustainable Urban Planning:

Specific objectives of the Master of Architecture, concentration Sustainable Urban Planning, are:

• To provide students with a knowledge of innovative techniques and systems of urban and regional planning, based on environmental sustainability, ecologic awareness, and social responsibility.
• To give students a chance to carry out a training experience at Public Government Bodies and Regional Planning Agencies, both in the USA and Europe, with focus on programs related to environmental and social sustainability.

The courses related to the Concentration Sustainable Urban Planning are the following:

Sustainable Architecture:

Specific objectives of the Master of Architecture, concentration Sustainable Architecture, are:

• To provide students with a knowledge of innovative technological systems based on environmental sustainability, energy saving, and use of renewable material and energy sources;
• To give students a chance to carry out a training experience at construction firms both in the USA and Europe, particularly within environmentally aware companies.

The courses related to the Concentration Sustainable Architecture are the following:

D. Research and Professional Practice:

The M.Arch culminates with a Master's Project Studio where students address comprehensive studio problems emphasizing the integration of disciplinary and professional skills through the formulation of architectural propositions grounded in critical, speculative, and creative research. Graduate students will also apply their knowledge to a professional experience in an internship.