Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Master of Architecture (On Campus)
Rochester, USA
Master degree
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 41,424 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Key Summary
About: RIT’s Master of Architecture (on campus) trains 21st-century architects with emphasis on sustainable design, technology-enhanced design, urbanism. The program integrates engineering, computer science, materials, and construction, and stresses preservation and reuse using Rochester as a learning environment. The degree is NAAB-accredited (2017). RIT’s diverse, inclusive community supports cooperative education and paid work programs and offers research and programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Career Outcomes: Graduates pursue roles in Architecture and planning, Interior design, Design, Renewables and environment, Government, Higher education. Jobs include architect, urban designer, sustainability consultant, building technologist, preservation specialist, design researcher, policy advisor, and design educator.
Most of our programs offer "rolling" application review - there is no specific deadline for applications; applications will be accepted and reviewed throughout the year.
At a time of significant transition in the profession, RIT's architecture program allows for the full incorporation of the skills and knowledge critical to the 21st-century architect. The program produces broad-thinking architects well-grounded in the principles and practices of sustainability who can apply their knowledge and talents to the architectural problems posed by the modern city.
Sustainability
With a global need for a more sustainable world, including buildings and their impact on energy consumption and carbon footprints, the focus of many courses reflects the conditions of sustainable design and practice.
Technology
Design exploration is enhanced through the understanding of the implication of technology on both the design process and product. The program enables students to focus and collaborate in many specialized areas of technology, including engineering, computer science, imaging science, materials and construction, and products and remanufacturing.
Urbanism
Because a degraded urban environment has grave implications for social, economic, cultural, and environmental health, the program pays particular attention to urban settings and urban principles. The complexity of the urban environment requires an interdisciplinary approach to architecture education—one that references economics, public policy, sociology, and regional culture. The program focuses on the practices and principles of preservation and adaptive reuse. The city of Rochester, New York, serves as an active learning environment for students.
Accreditation
The master of architecture program received accreditation in 2017 by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
The program is designed for students with a broad range of interests and backgrounds who are interested in studying architecture at the graduate level, whose undergraduate degrees were obtained in fields either inside or outside of architecture. The curriculum has been shaped by the global emphasis of sustainability, factors that impact urbanism, and the application of the principles of design and craft; along with a focus around building technology, materials, construction, and systems.
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op
Cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study
Graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available yearly, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Students are required to complete 105 credit hours. Designed as a full-time program, courses are offered on campus, primarily during the day. Much of the course work is studio-based and includes technical courses, sustainability courses, and electives. In addition to three required sustainability courses, students take one sustainability elective. Students prepare a thesis during their final year of study. Students take four graduate electives, drawn from courses offered by the colleges of Art and Design, Business, Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Liberal Arts. In addition to course work, students must fulfill one co-op experience and one global experience.
Integrated learning/integrated practice
Like all strong design programs, the program’s core education takes place in the studio. The studio curriculum integrates construction technologies, material science, and mechanics into the design. From the outset, students often approach design problems within teams, learning to value, and leverage collective intelligence. The integrated learning model prepares students for the increasingly integrated practice of architecture, where integrated project delivery is fast becoming the dominant model, and architects are orchestrating teams of professionals from a variety of fields, including engineering, management, science, and computer science.
Industries
- Architecture and Planning
- Interior Design
- Design
- Renewables and Environment
- Government (Local, State, Federal
- Higher Education