Master of Architecture (MArch)
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ARCH
- About Architecture
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Degrees + Admissions
- Master of Architecture (MArch)
- Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD)
- Master of Science
- PhD in Architecture
- Bachelor of Arts
- Minor in Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries
- Minor in the History of the Built Environment
- Minor in Social and Cultural Factors in Environmental Design
- Minor in Sustainable Design
- Concurrent Degrees
- Gallery
- Courses
- Advising
- People
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ARCH
- About Architecture
-
Degrees + Admissions
- Master of Architecture (MArch)
- Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD)
- Master of Science
- PhD in Architecture
- Bachelor of Arts
- Minor in Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries
- Minor in the History of the Built Environment
- Minor in Social and Cultural Factors in Environmental Design
- Minor in Sustainable Design
- Concurrent Degrees
- Gallery
- Courses
- Advising
- People
Renowned for its history of design excellence, Berkeley’s MArch program grounds you in the fundamentals of architectural design through a rigorous sequence of studios and supporting courses where you will engage with architecture as a conceptual and meaningful discipline aimed at synthesizing space, form and material. Our award-winning multidisciplinary faculty introduce you to a multiplicity of approaches to architectural design, representation, and research. By your final year, you’ll be prepared to apply your cumulative knowledge and distinct architectural voice to your own directed thesis project. You’ll graduate with the passion and skills to discover, critically assess, and create — to push the discipline forward to meet the promises and challenges of the 21st century.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Berkeley’s Master of Architecture is centered around the design studio and enriched by courses in building science, technology and sustainability and history, theory, and society. As an MArch student, you’ll work closely with your classmates and professors in our light-filled open-plan studio to develop and represent your design ideas. We encourage you to identify your own creative and research passions, with the support of your instructors and peers.
Berkeley’s MArch is a full-time residential degree program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and designated as a STEM degree by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Design is the core of the curriculum, and students enroll in an architectural design studio each semester. Working collaboratively with your cohort in design studios, you’ll learn how to create architecture that serves both communities and the environment over the long term.
We offer two tracks leading to the MArch degree, a two-year track and a three-year track, depending on your previous educational experience and the recommendation of the admissions committee.
The MArch program is for those seeking their first accredited professional degree in Architecture. If you hold a five-year professional bachelor of architecture degree from a NAAB-accredited school or a comparable five-year degree from a foreign university or technical institute, you may be eligible to apply for our one-year post-professional Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD).
About the College of Environmental Design
The Department of Architecture, established at UC Berkeley in 1903, was one of the founding departments in the College of Environmental Design. When the college was created in 1959, it was the first in the nation to unite the disciplines of architecture, planning, and landscape architecture, leading the way toward an integrated approach to analyzing, understanding, and designing our built environment. The college emphasizes environmental design as a profoundly ethical practice, inseparable from social, political, economic, and cultural contexts and co-produced through dynamic engagements with diverse communities.
Principles of Community
The College of Environmental Design is committed to building an inclusive environment for our faculty, students and staff that respects and reflects the diverse communities in which we live and work. We use design, research and teaching as drivers of change toward equitable futures.
OUR FACULTY
Our multidisciplinary faculty have expertise in design, building science and technology, and history and theory of architecture. As an MArch student, you also have opportunities to study with experienced local practitioners who teach regularly in the program, as well as distinguished visiting faculty from around the world.
- Faculty Specializations
- Engaged architectural practice
- Political/social content of design artifacts
- Design for climate
- Building performance
- Situated urbanism
- Virtual reality
- Material innovation
- Robotic manufacturing
- Generative AI and machine learning
- Parametric design
- Emerging timber technologies
Degree Tracks
Both the two-year and three-year MArch degree tracks lead to a NAAB-accredited MArch degree that prepares you for the practice of architecture and meets the education requirement for pursuing your architecture license.
The curriculum of both tracks is organized around the core design studio, which is the setting for the synthesis and integration of technical, environmental, historical, and theoretical course offerings.
Students in the three-year track will take 6 studios, and students in the two-year track will take 4 studios.
In your first year first year of the three-year track is focused on the development of architectural design and representational skills. The second year of the three-year track and the first year of the two-year track focus on architecture + urbanism in the fall semester. The option studio in the spring semester of this year is taught by visiting professors from around the world, and has a studio travel component.
In your final year, you will get to apply your knowledge in an integrated studio in the fall and create your own thesis project in the spring. The spring thesis studio also has a required research seminar component in the fall.
MArch: The three-year degree track
The three-year MArch is open to students with undergraduate degrees in any discipline. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in architecture and 4 or fewer weighted architecture design studios may only be considered for this track.
Students in the three-year track will join the incoming cohort of students in the two-year track in the fall semester of your second year.
- Plan of Study
YEAR 1
FALL
- ARCH 200A: Introduction to Architecture Studio 1 (6 units)
- ARCH 200C: Representational Practices in Architectural Design 1 (3 units)
- ARCH 207A: Ced Lectures Colloquium (1 unit)
- ARCH 270: History of Modern Architecture (3 units)
SPRING
- ARCH 200B: Introduction to Architecture Studio 2 (6 units)
- ARCH 200D: Representational Practices in Architectural Design 2 (2 units)
- ARCH 230: Advanced Architectural Design Theory + Criticism* (3 units)
- ARCH 250: Introduction To Structures* (3 units)
YEAR 2
FALL
- ARCH 201: Architecture + Urbanism Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 207B: Architecture + Urbanism Colloquium (1 unit)
- ARCH 207D: The Cultures of Practice (3 units)
- ARCH 260: Introduction to Construction* (3 units)
SPRING
- ARCH 202: Graduate Option Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 240: Advanced Study of Energy + Environment* (3 units)
- Elective
YEAR 3
FALL
- ARCH 203: Integrated Design Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 207C: Professional Practice Colloquium (1 unit)
- ARCH 204A: Final Thesis Seminar (3 units)
- Elective
SPRING
- ARCH 204B: Final Thesis Studio (6 units)
- Elective
- Elective
72 TOTAL UNITS
Total Graduate Credit Hours will vary per student.
*Course substitution requests for this requirement may be submitted at the beginning of the Fall semester of your first year of enrollment. If a required course is approved for substitution, you must take an advanced course in the same area prior to graduation.
MArch with Advanced Standing: The two-year degree track
Those with an exceptional undergraduate record and at least 5 weighted studios in a focused pre-professional degree in architecture, such as a BA or BS with a major in architecture, qualify to be considered for advanced standing (two-year MArch). Placement in advanced standing is at the discretion of the admissions committee.
- Plan of Study
YEAR 1
FALL
- ARCH 201: Architecture + Urbanism Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 207B: Architecture + Urbanism Colloquium (1 unit)
- ARCH 260: Introduction To Construction* (3 units)
- ARCH 270: History Of Modern Architecture (3 units)
SPRING
- ARCH 202: Graduate Option Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 230: Advanced Architectural Design Theory + Criticism* (3 units)
- ARCH 240: Advanced Study Of Energy + Environment* (3 units)
- ARCH 250: Introduction To Structures* (3 units)
YEAR 2
FALL
- ARCH 203: Integrated Design Studio (6 units)
- ARCH 207C: Professional Practice Colloquium (1 unit)
- ARCH 204A: Final Thesis Seminar (3 units)
- ARCH 207D: The Cultures Of Practice (3 units)
SPRING
- ARCH 204B: Final Thesis Studio (6 units)
- Elective
- Elective
52 TOTAL UNITS
Total Graduate Credit Hours will vary per student.
*Course substitution requests for this requirement may be submitted at the beginning of the fall semester of your first year of enrollment. If a required course is approved for substitution, you must take an advanced course in the same area prior to graduation.
CONCURRENT DEGREES
At CED, you can earn a concurrent degree with your MArch. Follow the links below to learn more about our options to earn either a Master of Landscape Architecture or Master of City Planning alongside your MArch.
FINANCING YOUR EDUCATION
We are committed to recruiting students of outstanding achievement and potential, regardless of ability to pay.
In addition to tuition, UC Berkeley students pay several types of fees, including a campus fee, student services fee, and others. Students enrolled in professional degree programs, including the MArch, are also charged Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST). Find current tuition and fee information on the Office of the Registrar website.
The Department of Architecture offers several scholarships to incoming students, based on evidence of academic excellence and/or financial need. Notification of these awards will arrive within a few weeks of your acceptance letter. Students are also encouraged to apply for competitive university fellowships.
Find information about financial aid, fellowships, and student employment on CED’s Fees + Financial Aid web page.
If you plan to pursue social impact work after earning your degree, we encourage you to apply for the Arcus Social Justice Corps Fellowship, which provides full funding so you can graduate debt-free. (Please note that the Arcus Fellowship is available only to domestic students.)
Internships + Careers
All of our students also have access to one-on-one counseling offered by the College of Environmental career advisor, as well as Berkeley’s robust career services, for up to two years after graduation.
The depth and reach of our pedagogy well prepares you to join architectural design firms, as well as to hold teaching positions at leading institutions around the world. Our graduates are prepared to serve as national and international architectural design leaders, building thriving communities in a world of rapid political, economic, and environmental change.
APPLY
So you’re ready to apply? We recommend you start the application process as soon as possible. As a prospective graduate student, you’ll submit your application through UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division. You’ll find lots of useful information on the Graduate Division website, including application instructions and information about funding your education.
UC Berkeley begins accepting applications in early September for the following fall term only (no spring admissions). The fall semester begins in mid-August.
IMPORTANT DATES
Applications Open: Thursday September 12, 2024
Application Deadline: Friday January 3, 2025 8:59PM PT / 11:59PM ET
Admission Decision Notifications: Mid-March 2025
Funding Decision Notifications: Late-March 2025
Decision Deadline: April 15, 2025
Semester begins: Mid-August 2025
HOW TO APPLY
- Review admissions requirements on the Graduate Division website
- Gather materials:
- Unofficial transcripts for each prior college or university attended
- Statement of Purpose. See prompt below. For tips on writing the Statement of Purpose, please see Writing the Statement of Purpose on the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website.
- Personal Statement. See prompt below. For tips on writing a Personal History Statement, please see the Personal Statement Guide on the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website.
- Contact information for three recommenders
- Resume/CV
- Evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. For waiver eligibility, visit the Graduate Division website. Please note, Architecture requires a TOEFL score of 100. Our IELTS score requirement is the same as the Graduate Division’s
- Portfolio
- Information about studio coursework
- List of relevant publications or presentations
- List of honors/awards
- URL of website where your work is published, if applicable
- Start your application on the Graduate Division website. You do not have to complete the entire application at one time: we recommend you start your application and review it as soon as possible.
- Scroll down and select Architecture MArch.
- Follow the instructions in the application. See below for MArch-specific instructions and specifications for supplemental materials.
- Pay the application fee. Please note that only domestic applicants are eligible to apply for a Graduate Division fee waiver. The Department of Architecture is not able to offer fee waivers.
- Submit application. Allow yourself at least one hour prior to the deadline to submit your application. Late applications or changes to the application after the deadline will NOT be accepted.
- After submitting your application, you will receive an email from UC Berkeley’s Graduate Admissions Office confirming your submission.
- We strongly encourage you to log back into your application to monitor the status of materials received/processed, such as fee waivers, test scores, and recommendations.
- We send admissions decisions, along with notification of fellowship awards, in mid to late March.
Only online applications (including letters of recommendation) are accepted. All documents, regardless of language of instruction, must be translated into the English language. Transcripts, diplomas, and certificates should be provided in the original language of instruction AND in English. Transcripts must show your full name, degree conferral date, and degree.
- MArch Specific Instructions
Statement of Purpose (500 word max):
Please share your analysis of an aspect of the built environment (architecture, building, urban space, architect, architectural movement, theoretical or historic argument, piece of architecture historical writing, etc.) either authored or vernacular, that has had an impact on your decision to pursue a graduate education in architecture.
Concurrent applicants: Please submit a Statement of Purpose that follows the program’s guidelines for each program you are applying for.
Personal History Statement (500 word max):
What does your application not say about you? Please elaborate on a specific experience that has shaped your decision to pursue architecture.
Concurrent applicants: Please submit a Personal History Statement that follows the program’s guidelines for each program you are applying for.
The purpose of the portfolio is to demonstrate a student’s creative ability and design sensibility.
The portfolio should demonstrate capacity for design thinking, sensibility towards design execution, and the ability to carry an idea through, showing design synthesis that goes beyond the aggregation of discrete elements. Your portfolio will be reviewed as a whole, and should represent your work in the best possible light.
Any material that is not entirely the applicant’s own work must be clearly identified. This includes identifying the applicant’s role and contribution in any group work, and identifying the use of AI to generate any written or visual content.
Portfolio requirements for advanced standing (Two-Year MArch program):
The portfolio must include a clear presentation of knowledge about current design practice in architecture. This should be demonstrated within comprehensive sets of drawings and models showing understanding of architectural processes and conventions. It must include projects completed as part of studio courses. Independent work done outside of this context must include information about the project.
The portfolio should facilitate the evaluation of tools for expression of those conventions, including, but not limited to, two-dimensional orthographic drawings such as plans, sections, and elevations, and three-dimensional representations such as axonometrics and obliques. Physical models, renderings, and other media formats are also encouraged, but the absence of architectural drawings will be taken into account when the admissions committee determines if an applicant will be evaluated for advanced standing (Two-Year MArch).
Applicants without academic or professional training in architecture may submit work that shows other evidence of creativity (studio art, hand drawing, furniture or installation design, fabrication and construction craft, etc) and clearly demonstrates interest in the proposed subject field. If architectural design projects are included in the portfolio, the applicant should include an explanation of how they completed the project (training, project brief, etc).
There are no specific restrictions on formatting, file size, number of projects, or number of pages, but the document must be a single pdf and portfolios of a practical size (approximately 10 MB and 20 pages) with image and drawing quality and legibility maintained are appreciated. Any dimensions may be used for the portfolio, which can be formatted either in single pages or two-page spreads, but please keep in mind that review will take place on monitors of varying size.
Evaluation of Pre-Professional Degree
- Admissions Criteria
- Ranking System
- Review Committee Members
Applicants to the Master of Architecture degrees are evaluated in three main areas:
1. Statement and Letters (Evaluate applications in relation to: Diverse experiences, commitment to the discipline, potential for leadership)
2. Academic Record (Evaluate applications in relation to: Curricular choices, scholastic achievement, potential to succeed in required coursework)
3. Portfolio* (Evaluate application in relation to: Spatial sensibility, graphic clarity and creativity, potential as a designer) Relative weight given to the criteria: Each of the three is weighted equally. Approximate schedule of the review cycle: Deadline for submission for applications: Early January First phase review: End of January Second phase review: End of February Final Decisions: Early March All decisions to Graduate Division by March 15
*The portfolio provides you the opportunity to show your creative ability. It need not necessarily be all architecture-related. In fact, if you have no experience in this area you would be wise to confine the examples to your best work, regardless of the media. The best results will emerge if you think of your exhibit in its entirety as a design project. The reviewers hope to see your projects displayed in a well-thought-out format, carefully executed. Most importantly, leave yourself plenty of time to think about and develop your creative work.
The Department of Architecture welcomes applications from students with a range of academic and personal backgrounds. Each application is viewed holistically by multiple admissions committee members. For more information on the UC Berkeley diversity policy, please see the Graduate Division website.
First Phase: The MArch Admissions Committee members each review a portion of the applicant pool using the criteria listed above and ranking them from 1(weak) to 5(strong) and make a recommendation to either admit/review/deny. The cumulative scores are the basis of a ranking and about a third of the highest ranked applicants move on to the next phase where they are reviewed by additional members of the faculty.
Second Phase: The applicants who move forward are then reviewed by two faculty reviewers using the same criteria and ranking method as above. Their cumulative scores create a numerical ranking which produce the final ranked list from which the MArch Admissions Committee selects the new students.
Third Phase: The MArch Admissions Committee reviews the top half of the list to fill the department spaces assigned by the Graduate Division. The Committee uses the numbers, recommendations, and written comments from faculty reviewers. Again, the committee reviews each applicant in the three areas above and in relation to all the top ranked applicants to make the final admission decisions. The committee also considers the background and strengths that each individual can contribute to their entering class. This process allows students with varied backgrounds and emphasis into the program to support and maintain the different areas of interests we provide.
For Graduate Division admissions ranking purposes, applicants will ultimately be in either: Group A: 1-A; 2-A; or 3-A which signifies Program and Admit, or Group D: 1-D; 2-D; or 3-D which signifies Program and Deny
The Admissions Committee is composed of members of the MArch Committee and includes the Chair of Graduate Advisors. It is a standing committee of approximately four to five members appointed by the Chair of the Department.
Student Tuition + Fees
For a complete breakdown of student tuition, fees, and charges please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website: Graduate Professional – College of Environmental Design.
These figures may not be final; actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California or, as authorized, by the President of the University of California. Accordingly, final approved levels and charges may differ from the amounts shown.
Note there is a Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST) increase over the next 5 years of 3.5%. PDST is not covered by tuition remission associated with academic student employment (ASE) as a GSI, GSR, Reader or Tutor and departments are not able to provide aid to cover the PDST for all students each semester.
For an estimated Graduate Student Budget, which includes tuition/fees, books/supplies, room/board, personal costs, transportation and health insurance, please visit the Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships website: Cost of Attendance: Graduate Student Budget.
For information about course costs, please visit CED’s Fees + Financial Aid Page
- Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Appointments
- Graduate Student Research (GSR) Appointments
- Student Assistant Appointments
- Graduate Fellowships
- Other Types of Financial Aid
- Reporting + FAFSA
Architecture offers around twenty-five TA appointments per semester in undergraduate and graduate level courses. These appointments are made at 25% time for a full five months and typically include a partial fee remission in addition to a monthly salary. Applications are announced in mid-semester for the following semester, and students in CED apply via a Department Google Form. Qualified candidates must acquaint themselves with UC policies on GSI appointments.
The GSI Teaching and Resource Center provides more information on required courses, the first time GSI conference, and tracks eligibility.
For GSI appointments in the Department of Architecture, Ph.D. students receive priority appointments in the area they are researching. M.Arch students will receive priority appointments with primarily Studio courses. First semester M.Arch students are typically not hired as GSIs.
Faculty hire GSRs based on available research funding throughout the year. GSR appointments may be short term or up to a year in length, and may or may not include a fee remission. Salary is based on the complexity of assigned work, and skill-set of the student. As faculty grants are approved at various times during the year, we encourage students to contact faculty directly and to pay attention to email notices of new GSR appointments. More information on GSR appointments can be found on the Graduate Division website.
Some number of Student Assistant appointments are available during the academic year for the department. Students who have loans may convert part of their loans to Federal Work-Study thus reducing their loans by working.
Salaries will vary depending on complexity of work assigned and skill-set required. Some Student Assistant appointments may also be short term and do not offer a fee remission.
The Department of Architecture and UC Berkeley offer multiple types of graduate fellowships:
- Some fellowships are highly competitive and granted only to incoming PhD students. Ph.D. funding is made on a case-by-case basis and involves multi-year funding packages which include a combination of teaching appts and departmental fellowships.
- Some fellowships are awarded to incoming M.Arch students by The Department of Architecture based on merit, need, and/or diversity.
- Many students also successfully apply for external fellowships and grants.
- M.Arch Student awards range from the UC Graduate Opportunity Award (GOP) targeted specifically towards diversity applicants, to departmental awards such as Block Grants, PDST awards, named awards and other departmental fellowships.
- Incoming M.Arch Students awards are primarily based on merit, with a select few based on diversity (GOP). The departemental awards cover some part of tuition or fees for one or two semesters in the first year. Award levels vary, and are typically provided for just the first year of study.
We recognize the cost of graduate education and the need for many students to seek out other types of aid during their studies, including obtaining loans. The UC Berkeley Financial Aid office works with students who need to learn of additional forms of funding
International students are eligible for most Department of Architecture and UC fellowships; however they have special requirements for obtaining visa and entry to the U.S. and must show proof of funding for a minimum of one year. The Berkeley International Office offers comprehensive services to international students on obtaining visas, financial aid, housing etc.
Incoming international students MUST ATTEND the International Graduate Students Orientation!
The Berkeley International Office calendar lists all events and webinars.
All U.S. citizens and residents who are in receipt of any type of financial aid or fellowships MUST file the FAFSA.
Accreditation/Licensure
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 eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The University of California, Berkeley, College of Environmental Design, Department of Architecture, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- M.Arch (non-pre-professional degree + 72 credits)
- M.Arch (pre-professional degree (120 credits) + 48 graduate credits)
The most recent NAAB accreditation visit for all programs was 2016.
Next accreditation visit: 2024
For licensing in California, our 2- and 3-year, NAAB-accredited Masters of Architecture degree has an experiential equivalent of 5 years (maximum credits allowed). Candidates eligible as of January 1, 2005 or after are subject to IDP/IAP requirements. Please see the California Architects Board website for more information about experience equivalents.
FAQ
Eligibility
- Am I eligible for the M.Arch program?
- Can I transfer from another Masters program?
- Am I eligible for the M.Arch Program with advanced standing (two-year professional program)?
The following are prerequisites for the M.Arch Program:
- REQUIRED Bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
- REQUIRED Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 or better (on a 4-point scale) in the last two years of undergraduate study (also known as your advanced G.P.A.)
- Please calculate your GPA.
- Note that we do not require an uploaded GPA calculation worksheet.
- For those applicants whose undergraduate university does NOT use a 4-point scale, the calculation of an advanced GPA is NOT required. If this applies to your previous institution(s), please enter “N/A” in the GPA section.
- REQUIRED For those applying without an undergraduate degree in Architecture: completion of college-level or equivalent calculus and introductory physics, including mechanics (by the time of admission); Must pass course with a grade of at least C minus.
For those who have taken Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus or Physics in high school, the following scores will satisfy the prerequisites: 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam or at least a 3 on the AP Calculus BC exam; at least a 3 on the AP Physics B exam.
Physics + Calculus Requirements
- The requirement would need to be satisfied prior to the start of the Fall semester.
- You may take a course from any accredited university or community college.
Physics courses must include topics of mechanics. If you are unsure you may send your syllabi via email to check. - If you plan to take the course at a California Community College, please consult assist.org in order to verify the course will satisfy the requirement.
- Third party vendor courses are not accepted (straighterline, chegg, coursera, etc).
- AP credit is accepted with an exam score of 4 or higher.
Official policy is that we are unable to accept transfer units for our M.Arch program. You may join our program as a new student however you would be required to complete the full number of units required for the program. Note Regarding Transferral of Units: Accepted students may apply to waive courses already taken in Undergraduate program. Waived courses must be replaced with advanced/alternative level of the same course. For example: if a student waives Introduction to structures, they must enroll in advanced structures.
Advanced standing is awarded at the discretion of the admissions committee during the time of application review. The admissions committee will determine advanced standing individually for each student during the admissions review. Please note that there is only one application for the M.Arch 2 and 3 year programs.
Application
- What should my statement of purpose include?
- What should my personal history statement include?
- What are the requirements for my portfolio?
- What should I include in my portfolio?
- Is the GRE required?
- I am an international student. What standardized test do I need to take?
- Did you receive my TOEFL/IELTS scores?
- I have a question about my visa.
Application Essay Part 1 (500 words). Write a short essay that responds to the following questions. What do you want to contribute to the field of architecture during your time at Berkeley and after? How will Berkeley contribute to these aspirations?
CONCURRENT APPLICANTS ONLY: Please include this essay in addition to the prompt listed in the Graduate Admissions section.
Application Essay Part 2 (500 words). Choose one of the following questions below to share more thoughts.
- What is at stake for the future of architecture?
- For whom do you want to design and why?
- What does your application not say about you?
CONCURRENT APPLICANTS ONLY: Please include this essay in addition to the prompt listed in the Graduate Admissions page.
Your portfolio may contain up to 10 MB of design content. The number of pages and projects is up to the applicant. Any dimensions may be used for the pages, but keep in mind that the portfolio will be viewed on a computer screen.
- Clearly indicate any collaborative/team projects, and describe your role in their production. Only include collaborative projects in which you played a significant role. Any drawings, models, or photographs included in the submitted portfolio must be exclusively your work or demonstrate your significant contribution to the project.
- Specify any projects made with AI (Artificial Intelligence) or similar production tools and cite all software, prompts, and processes. Clearly explain your role in the production of the work.
- Label each project as "academic" or "professional." Explicitly describe your role in each project. Any drawings, models, or photographs included in the submitted portfolio must be exclusively your contribution.
- Any drawings, diagrams, texts, or other intellectual content borrowed from others must be credited.
The digital portfolio should contain recent, high-quality work that showcases creative ability and design sensibility. It may contain a diverse range of work and will be judged on both content and overall design. Work included in the portfolio should primarily be cohesive projects that clearly show a capacity for design thinking, which includes the ability to see an idea through from conception to final design. Any material that is not entirely the applicant's own work must be clearly identified.
Applicants with prior experience in architecture should be sure to clearly demonstrate understanding of architectural conventions and proficiency in the softwares used by including a comprehensive set of drawings including, but not limited to, two-dimensional orthographic drawings such as plans, sections, and elevations, and three-dimensional representations such as axonometrics and obliques. Renderings and other media formats are also encouraged, but the absence of architectural drawings will be taken into account when the admissions committee determines if an applicant will be evaluated for advanced standing (2 year MArch).
Applicants without academic or professional training in architecture may submit work that shows other evidence of creativity (studio art, construction/renovation, furniture design, etc.) and clearly demonstrates interest in the proposed subject field.
The reviewers hope to see your projects displayed in a well-thought-out format, carefully executed, so think of the composition of the portfolio as another design project that will be taken into consideration.
The GRE is not required.
Applicants from countries where English is not the official language must submit official evidence of English language proficiency. For the English language proficiency requirement you have the option between two tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). You can find more information about an exemption on the Berkeley Graduate Division website.
Once your application is submitted, you may check the status of your scores on your online application status page.
For questions about your visa documents, contact the Berkeley International Office at internationaloffice@berkeley.edu or visit their website.
Program Details
- Which programs are STEM Designated?
- How many students are typically accepted into the programs?
- Which program is best suited for me?
- What Is the MArch Waiver and Substitution Process?
The following programs are STEM Designated:
MAAD (one-year post-professional Master of Advanced Architectural Design)
M.Arch Program with Advanced Standing (two-year professional program)
M.Arch Program (three-year professional program)
Concurrent Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture
Concurrent Master of Architecture and Master of City and Regional Planning
Concurrent Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Engineering
On average, (30) Students for the MAAD program, (40) Students for M.Arch Program with Advanced Standing (two-year professional program), and (100) Students for M.Arch Program (three-year professional program) are accepted.
You can find more information on the Master of Architecture page about program paths depending upon previous education and experience.
Course substitutions for required courses are possible after consultation with a graduate student affairs officer and faculty advisor and after the successful completion and submission of the Course Substitution Application Form. Please note that students will need to replace substituted courses with an advanced level of the same course unless otherwise stated.
Option 2 (Advanced Standing)
Course substitution applications for Option 2 requirements must be submitted at the beginning of the fall semester of your first year of enrollment. If a required course is waived, you must still take an advanced course in the same area.
Option 2 Advanced Course Options
- If waived out of ARCH 230, students must take an advanced course in design theory and criticism, such as ARCH 238 Dialectic of Poetics and Technology, ARCH 239 Special Topics in Architecture Design Theory and Criticism.
- If waived out of ARCH 240, students must take an advanced course in energy and environment, such as ARCH 243 Natural Cooling, ARCH 249 Special Topics in the Physical Environment in Buildings.
- If waived out of ARCH 250, students must take an advanced course in structures, such as ARCH 259 Special Topics in Building Structures.
- If waived out of ARCH 260, students are required to take an advanced course, in construction, such as ARCH 269 Special Topics in Construction and Materials.
- If waived out of ARCH 270, students must take an advanced course in history, such as ARCH 279 Special Topics in Architectural History.
- If waived out of ARCH 207D, students are NOT required to take an advanced course in cultures of practice.
Option 3
Course substitution applications for Option 3 requirements must be submitted at the beginning of the fall semester of your first year of enrollment. If a required course is waived, you must still take a 3- to 4-unit advanced course in the same area with (with the exception of ARCH 207D).
Option 3 Advanced Course Options
- If waived out of ARCH 230, students must take an advanced course in design theory and criticism, such as ARCH 238 Dialectic of Poetics and Technology, ARCH 239 Special Topics in Architecture Design Theory and Criticism.
- If waived out of ARCH 240, students must take an advanced course in energy and environment, such as ARCH 249 Special Topics in Energy and Environment
- If waived out of ARCH 250, students must take an advanced course in structures, such as ARCH 259 Special Topics in Building Structures.
- If waived out of ARCH 260, students are required to take an advanced course, in construction, such as ARCH 269 Special Topics in Construction and Materials
- If waived out of ARCH 207D, students are NOT required to take an advanced course in cultures of practice.
Financial Aid
- What types of funding are available for students?
- Where can I obtain more information on tuition and fees?
M.Arch students fund their education in a variety of ways including the following:
Departmental Awards (no separate application required)
Graduate Fellowships
Prizes & Awards
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) appointments
Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions
External fellowships and grants
You can find more information regarding funding higher on this page.
For up-to-date information about tuition and fees, please visit the UC Berkeley's Registrar’s Website: Fee Schedule - Graduate: Professional - College of Environmental Design. We also encourage you to view the Graduate Cost of Attendance and available financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
Careers + Internship Information
- Where can I find information about career opportunities and internships?
First, visit our career opportunities and internships page, which pulls directly from Handshake.
As a student in the program, you would have access to appointments with a CED career counselor. To book an appointment with a career counselor you would use Handshake. Handshake uses cutting edge technology to help you more easily connect with employers and source jobs, internships, event information, and On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) opportunities.
If you have any additional questions, please email our graduate advisors at archgrad@berkeley.edu. Feel free to reach out to us!