Master Degrees in the School of Architecture

The next accreditation visit for all programs is in 2026.

The School of Architecture offers two master’s level degree programs: a Master of Architecture (available in two tracks) and a Master of Advanced Architectural Studies (MAAS).

Each program has specific admissions criteria. Learn more about each program and how to apply below.

Prospective Graduate Students

We are pleased that you are considering NC State University School of Architecture for your graduate degree. We offer two degrees: the Master of Architecture (MArch), an accredited degree that allows you to become a licensed architect in the United States; and the Master of Advanced Architectural Studies (MAAS), a research-based degree for students who do not need an accredited degree. We are an intimate school with dedicated faculty and wonderful students. Learn more about all of the exciting things that we are doing in the School and to answer your questions about the school, college, and university.

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Master of Architecture

The School of Architecture offers two M.Arch. tracks of study depending on the student’s prior degree: a track 1 Master of Architecture for students with an undergraduate preprofessional degree, and a track 2 Master of Architecture for students who hold an undergraduate degree in subjects other than architecture.

Learn more about the program

Master of Advanced Architectural Studies

The Masters of Advanced Architectural Studies is a two to three-semester, research-based innovative program for committed, self-directed students who have earned a professional degree in architecture, or a degree in a related discipline.

Learn more about the program

Graduate Certificate in City Design

The Graduate Certificate in City Design focuses on design at the scale of the city, and within neighborhoods and urban districts. Studios and seminars focus on the challenges and opportunities facing communities and cities in the 21st century, with a particular emphasis upon principles of sustainability and urban ecology.

Graduate Certificate in Energy and Technology in Architecture

Graduate Certificate in Energy + Technology in Architecture

The intent of this certificate program is to provide students the opportunity to focus their elective studies in the area of energy and technology in architecture. This is accomplished through courses and design studio(s) that are focused on building energy systems along with other building systems.

Graduate Certificate in Public Interest Design

The Public Interest Design graduate-level certificate program will provide education in a participatory and issue-based design practice that places emphasis on the “triple bottom line” of sustainable design that includes environmental, economic, and social challenges across the world. The curricular content, which is research, classroom and field-based, exposes students and professionals to use design to address a range of critical challenges that communities face in the world.

Graduate Concentration in the History and Theory of Architecture

Graduate Concentration in the History + Theory of Architecture

The Graduate Concentration in the History + Theory of Architecture allows students to build a broader knowledge and a deeper understanding of the questions of architecture, urbanism, and the built environment. With these critical methods of analysis that the discipline of architecture shares with a variety of other disciplines, the students learn to think, write, and design in an interdisciplinary manner, ultimately bringing these analytical tools to shape their work in the design studio.

Resources for Students

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