New M.Arch. Program Approved

Amherst, October 19, 2004

The University of Massachusetts Program of Architecture+Design in the Department of Art and Art History is proud to announce the state Board of Higher Education voted October 19, 2004 to approve a new, multidisciplinary professional Master of Architecture degree.

This Master of Architecture degree is the first to be offered at a public institution in New England. This degree is required for obtaining a license to practice architecture in most states in the country. The course of study will be organized around an interdisciplinary curriculum involving more than 30 faculty in architecture, interior design, studio art, art history, public history, landscape architecture and regional planning, building materials and wood technology, engineering, environmental science, and management. Students may also take classes through the Five College consortium.

”By offering a broad education to aspiring architects,” said Professor Kathleen Lugosch, director of the new Architecture + Design Program, “our program will train professionals who are better prepared to serve the public good and are more connected to society and its changing technological, environmental and sociological demands.” The program has a secondary mission to broaden the understanding of the built environment and promote visual and spatial literacy among non-majors and members of the public.

In 2002, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) charged with accrediting architectural degree programs, granted candidacy status to the Master of Architecture, saying the proposal at the University of Massachusetts has the potential to create a “new model for architectural education.” The NAAB will review the program for full accreditation in 2008.

The program will be accepting applications for the startup of the pilot curriculum in fall '05. For the first few years, admission will be limited to eight to 12 students per year. A three-year program will be available to students whose bachelor's degree is not in architecture. Eligible students who have completed a BFA in design at UMass-Amherst and other students who earned a four-year undergraduate degree in architecture, or a five-year NAAB-accredited bachelor of architecture from other institutions, can complete the program in two years using a “4+2” track.