Program Overview
The University of Florida’s Master of Architecture (M. Arch.) low residency program at CityLabs are self-funded distance education programs that lead to a professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the educational credential required for licensure as a registered architect in most states. Both locations utilize a hybrid format requiring both face-to-face and online class attendance
In Orlando, studios meet twice a week, once synchronous online, and once in-person at the Orlando studio. In Jacksonville, the degree is delivered in a low-residency, blended delivery (online and face to face) format, utilizing hyflex technology. Forty-five percent of the program is delivered face to face. Face-to-face sessions will occur in 2, 3, or 4-day “intensives” (depending on what stage a student is in the program) and are offered at the JaxLab studio, with online class meetings each week when not meeting face to face.
Both facilities are available for student use 24/7 during the semester. They are furnished with a digital conferencing facilities to link students with their peers in other CityLabs and Gainesville campuses and offer web-based conferences, presentations, and research meetings delivered from remote locations where SoA faculty participates. Students are provided studio space and access to plotting, printing, 3d printing, and laser cutting equipment. Students are encouraged to use the facility for their studio work and peer meetings throughout the semester.
CityLabs offer opportunities for specialized investigations and degree credentials through its Master’s and Graduate Certificate Degrees and combinations to engage the positive impact that architecture and urban design can have on the built environment, natural systems, and society, emphasizing building technologies, regenerative design practices, sustainable development, and public policy.
Master of Architecture
(Advanced Program)
52 Credit Hours
Admission is restricted to students who have completed a qualifying pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture (such as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Design in Architecture), a successful record of six to eight previous design studios, and a portfolio of work reflecting sufficient proficiency in architectural design.
Master of Architecture
(Core Program)
100 Credit Hours
For those students who completed undergraduate degrees in other disciplines and/or did not completed pre-professional undergraduate degree programs, we offer a 100-credit program that includes 48-credits of Core or Foundational studies, in addition to the 52-credit Advanced program.
Master of Architecture
(2nd Professional Degree)
30 Credit Hours
This program may be offered to students currently holding an accredited professional degree, such as a five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) or a previous Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree. Applicants for this program are expected to have outstanding portfolios and the ability to conduct advanced independent research in architecture.
Deadlines
Applicants to the Graduate Certificate degrees are reviewed once yearly. Please submit all application materials by 15 January to be considered for the fall semester and October 1st for the spring semester.
We will consider late applications received after these deadlines only on a space-available basis.
National Architecture Accreditation Board Statement
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 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The University of Florida School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Track I: Undergraduate pre-professional degree with architecture major + 52 graduate semester credit hours
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Track II: Undergraduate degree with non-architecture major + 100 semester credit hours
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Track III: Undergraduate professional degree + 30 graduate semester credit hours
For more information on NAAB-accredited programs, visit our Accreditation Page