Architectural science (M.S.).
Students with an undergraduate degree in architecture, architectural engineering, engineering, or computer science are likely candidates for the graduate program in architectural science. Program objectives are (1) to afford an opportunity for students of architecture to expand their creative design potential by increasing their knowledge and understanding of environmental science and building technologies and (2) to provide a framework within which students who have graduated from other technical disciplines may explore computer science, computer graphics, and computer-aided design methods. Students enrolling for studies in computer graphics use the facilities of the interdisciplinary Program of Computer Graphics.
Ordinarily four terms of residence are required to complete the program of study, depending on the student's background and experience.
Architecture (M.Arch. professional)
The professional Master of Architecture program seeks individuals interested in practicing architecture, teaching architecture, and otherwise contributing to the culture of architecture as a social and spatial reality. This new degree program, designed for applicants who possess a four-year undergraduate Bachelor's degree in any area, joins Cornell's renowned B.Arch. degree program and provides an additional option for professional education in architecture.
The intensive 3-1/2 year course of study consists of six semesters of design studios followed by a one-semester design thesis, together with supporting courses in visual studies, history and theory of architecture, technology, professional practice, and elective courses. The design studio is the core of the curriculum: its symbiotic relationship to all other disciplines allows the architectural project to be experienced as a negotiating platform.
A candidate for the degree must complete a minimum of 115 credit units. For individuals with advanced standing, degree requirements are determined prior to admission. The M.Arch. program is in the process of obtaining candidacy status from the National Architectural Accrediting Board, a necessary first step in the process leading to full accreditation.
Note on Professional Accreditation: 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 two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.
Master's degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise as accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation.Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if the plan is properly implemented.
Design (M.Arch. post-professional)
. This one-and-a-half-year course of study is open to individuals holding a B.Arch or first-professional M.Arch degree, this three-semester advanced design research program offers a critical framework for investigating pertinent concerns, practices, and technologies in 21st-century architecture. A curriculum of core and elective studios and courses structures individual trajectories of inquiry within five territories of investigation: architecture and urbanism; architecture and ecology; architecture and technology; architecture and discourse; and architecture and media.
Only students who have satisfactorily completed an accredited undergraduate professional program for the Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) or the professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degrees, or their foreign equivalents, may be admitted as candidates for the post-professional degree of Master of Architecture. Those who have yet to receive a qualifying professional degree, should apply as transfer students to the undergraduate program. After fulfilling the requirements for the B.Arch. degree, they can apply to the graduate program in design. Applicants who already have a nonprofessional four-year undergraduate degree should apply to the professional Architecture (M.Arch. professional) program.
History of architecture and urban development (M.A., Ph.D.).
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in architecture, archaeology, history, history of art, or anthropology, or appropriate experience in the field. Applicants may apply for the master's or doctoral programs in architectural history or urban development history. Applicants with previous graduate work can be considered for advanced standing. Master's degree candidates in the history of architecture or urban development programs are required to have reading proficiency in at least one modern language other than English; Ph.D. degree candidates must have proficiency in two languages other than English before beginning the second year of study.
This area offers many opportunities for enrichment through other educational institutions and public or nonprofit agencies. Cornell cooperates with Harvard University in the archaeological exploration of Sardis in Turkey. Students and faculty members often work with summer programs in architectural design, history of architecture, and landscape architecture offered by departments and graduate fields.
The field also offers a joint program with the Field of City and Regional Planning leading to the M.Arch. and M.R.P. degrees.
