Master of Architecture I Degree Requirements

Master of Architecture I

These degree requirements are for students entering Fall 2025. For requirements for students entering in previous years, please visit the MArch I Curriculum Details page.

A candidate will be recommended for the Master of Architecture as a professional degree upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 140 units. MArch I students pursue the following seven semester course of study:

First Semester

8 units | STU 1101 First Semester Architecture Core Studio: PROJECT

2 units | VIS 2121 (M1) Architectural Representation I

2 units | VIS 2122 (M2) Architectural Representation II

4 units | HIS 4223 Buildings, Texts, and Contexts: Modernism, its Practices, and its Theories

2 units | SCI 6121 (M1) Environmental Systems I

2 units | SCI 6122 (M2) Environmental Systems II

Second Semester

8 units | STU 1102 Second Semester Architecture Core Studio: SITUATE

4 units | HIS 4100 Buildings, Texts, and Contexts: Origins and Ends

2 units | SCI 6125 (M3) Building Simulation

2 units | SCI 6126 (M4) Materials

4 units | SCI 6227 Structural Design I

Third Semester

8 units | STU 1201 Third Semester Architecture Core Studio: INTEGRATE

4 units | SCI 6123 Construction Systems

4 units | SCI 6229 Structural Design II

4 units | Buildings, Texts, and Contexts Requirement**

Fourth Semester

8 units | STU 1202 Fourth Semester Architecture Core Studio: RELATE

4 units | SCI 6230 Cases in Contemporary Construction

8 units | Digital Media Requirement*** and/or Distributional or General Electives****

Fifth Semester

8 units | Option Studio*

4 units | PRO 7212 Foundations of Practice

8 units | Distributional or General Electives****

Sixth Semester

8 units | Option Studio*

4 units | ADV 9203 Thesis Prep Course (or pre-approved alternative)*****

8 units | Distributional or General Electives****

Note:  The department encourages students to take electives that support thesis interests during their sixth semester.

Seventh Semester

12 units | ADV 9301 Independent Design Thesis

8 units | Distributional or General Electives****

Footnotes

*A minimum of one Option Studio must be offered through the Department of Architecture.

**A 4-unit Buildings, Texts, and Contexts course must be taken in the third semester. Offerings may vary by year.

***A 4-unit Digital Media Requirement course must be taken in the fourth semester. Offerings may vary by year.

****Students are required to fulfill the following distributional electives:

8 units of advanced history electives
4 units of global culture and diversity
4 units of professional practice electives

An approved list of distributional electives is posted  in the myHarvard course catalog each term. Please note that some courses may count toward the satisfaction of two distributional electives. For example, an advanced history course may also fulfill a global culture and diversity requirement. For more information, please visit the MArch Distributional Electives resource page.

General electives may be fulfilled through any course at the GSD or cross-registered courses at Harvard schools, MIT or the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts.

*****Students are required to take ADV 9203 in their sixth semester; however, an alternative thesis prep course may be approved by petition to the department.