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On-Campus Degree Path
The Master of Architecture degree at SIU is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board as a first professional degree in architecture. It meets the education requirement to become a licensed architect in all U.S. states, territories, as well as the provinces of Canada.
This is a first professional degree intended for individuals who have completed a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture or architectural studies and requires a minimum of 42 credit hours that can be completed in as little as 15 months including a summer, fall, spring and summer semester sequence.
The core of the architecture program is the design studio. In our master's program, students are exposed to concentrations in community and regional design, technology, theory and building design. Advanced courses in research methods, programming and professional practice prepare our graduates for a variety of architectural intern positions.
Program Requirements
The SIUC School of Architecture Master's of Architecture program curriculum has been created to provide a superior architectural education and satisfy the Nation al Architectural Board (NAAB) “Student Performance Requirements”. The program offers multiple tracks toward degree completion, depending on entry qualifications.
Students, who have already earned a four-year pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies degree, or its equivalent, may be able to complete the program in a little as 15 months of study. Students from other majors may be required to complete additional coursework (see the 27- and 39-month curriculum guides). Our Graduate Catalog degree requirements page can help you with more information on each track and on our architecture courses list you will find all of the architecture courses we have to offer.
View our Program Curriculum Guides (PDF):
- 15-Month Curriculum (for students with a 4-year pre-professional degree in architecture)
- 27-Month Curriculum (for students with a 4-year degree in interior design or an allied area of practice)
- 39-Month Curriculum (for students with any other four-year degree)
Program Format
The online Master of Architecture program uses a cohort-based education model. A cohort is a group of students who begin the program together and stay in one unit until graduation. This allows students to develop deeper professional relationships with each other as they pursue their shared interest in obtaining the degree.
Each cohort is encouraged to use online chat rooms, email, and instant messaging to stay in touch with each other and to assist in answering questions, posing issues to professors, and other class matters. Although separated by distance, the cohort model for education can bridge the divide and create lasting, working relationships.
The online program consists of the same courses as our on-campus program. Each term includes a six-hour studio course. There are six 3-credit hour lecture or seminar classes. All courses last a full term. At any given point in the program, students are actively completing a studio and two lecture courses (except in the summer term when only a studio course is completed).
The traditional semester-based time frame is used in this program. Students who begin in the fall of one year may complete the program in December of the following year, or in May two years after their start date. SIU offers a graduation ceremony in both semesters, and we encourage online students to attend graduation, if possible.
Program Costs
View our tuition and fee structure through the Off-Campus Tuition and Fees Calculator for additional information. Some courses will require the purchase of additional materials. Please estimate the travel costs of attending up to three weekend-long studio intensives in the first two semesters of the program. The closest major airport is St. Louis, MO (airport code: STL). Some visits occur in St. Louis instead of Carbondale to minimize travel time and costs for students. An option to stay in the dorms on the campus where we meet is available to control the costs of these visits further.
Financial aid and scholarships may be available. Please visit the SIU Financial Aid website for more information.
Contact Information
Rolando González-Torres, PhD
Associate Professor
311G Quigley Hall
Mailcode 4337
875 S. Normal Ave.
Carbondale, IL 62901
Ph: 618-453-1982
E-mail: rgonzalez@siu.edu
Vision
The SIU architecture graduate program invites students to unleash their potential and join in the exploration, development, and creation of architecture in the heartland of America. It is our vision to be an architectural program of excellence built upon the cultural and environmental heritage of the Southern Illinois region that provides a superior education and produces the highest quality architectural scholarship and research to serve our global communities.
Through our cultural heritage, environmental context and the tradition of integrating emerging technology and innovative practice, the mission of the architecture faculty and students is to explore, create, and develop architecture as a synthesis of design excellence, artistic expression, technology and community involvement.
Goals
- Graduates who are lifelong learners, leading citizens and professionals in communities throughout the world.
- Development of individual creativity through the expression of human, social and environmental values.
- Service to our communities through problem solving and creative efforts in the addressing of regional issues.
- Fulfillment of the vision expressed by Ernest Boyer and Lee Mitgang in Building Community through:
- Producing architecture that enhances the quality of life of our communities, serves the needs of clients, uplifts the human spirit, preserves the environment, provides social justice and expands aesthetic frontiers.
- Pursuing the scholarship of discovery, integration, application and teaching.
- Providing a curriculum that is liberal, flexible and integrated both within the discipline of architecture and in connections with other disciplines in the design-build process.