Architecture

North Dakota State University (NDSU) offers a 5-year National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited, first-professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree program housed primarily in a beautifully-restored historic industrial building in downtown Fargo, which has emerged as an exciting, student-oriented urban district. Most students entering the graduate program in architecture come directly from the NDSU pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture program. The curriculum includes field trips to cities across the country and is supported by a professionally-staffed wood shop, digital media labs, and laser cutters and 3D printing for model-making. Both traditional and digital media are emphasized. An optional semester abroad, plus foreign study tours during summers are offered.

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure.

The NAAB, which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. The next accreditation visit will be in 2026.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Admission Requirements

• Students currently enrolled in the 4-year pre-professional degree at NDSU may apply to the Master of Architecture program. Transfer students with pre-professional or professional degrees in architecture from another school may be considered for admission to years 4 and 5 in the program, based on test scores, GPA, and portfolio review.  Transfer students should contact the department directly before application to the Graduate School.
• Candidates must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be considered for full graduate standing

Curriculum

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Click here for course descriptions.

Bakr Mourad Aly Ahmed, Ph.D. 
Virginia Tech, 2002
Creative/Research Interests: Beach Resort Design, Sustainable Design Modeling, Eco-Tourism Development, Building Capacity Measures, Advanced Environmental Planning

Mark Barnhouse, M.Arch.
Pratt Institute, 1988
Creative/Research Interests: Water Resources and the Built Environment, and the Graphic Interpretation of Parametric Data about the Built Environment

David Bertolini, Ph.D.
Temple University, 2007
Creative/Research Interests: Architecture and Film Theory, Ideology and Aesthetics

David A. Crutchfield, M.Arch., AIA
University of Texas at Austin, 2004
Creative/Research Interests: Theoretical Inquiry into Architecture as the Interrelation of Nature, Culture, and Aesthetics; Innovation, Analysis, and Critical Evaluation of Eco-social Design; Sustainable Design in Professional Practice

Heather L. Fischer, MDS-HP
Boston Architectural College, 2014
Creative/Research Interests: Architectural Drawing; Environmental Design/Planning; Historic Preservation; Public Policies; Rural/Cultural Landscapes, and Planning

Paul H. Gleye, Ph.D. 
University of California Los Angeles, 1983
Creative/Research Interests: Place-making, Historic Preservation, City Centers

Charlott Greub, M.Arch.
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, 1992
Creative/Research Interests: Art, Urban Planning, and Design

Susan Kliman, Ph.D.
University of Arizona, 2015
Creative/Research Interests: Desert Architecture, Energy Modeling, Sustainability

Ganapathy Mahalingam, Ph.D.
University of Florida, 1995
Creative/Research Interests: Computer-Aided Architectural Design, Architectural Acoustics, Computational Modeling of Design, Interdisciplinary Research, Architectural Philosophy and the Architectural Genome Project

Ronald H.L.M. Ramsay, M.Arch.
University of Texas at Austin, 1992
Creative/Research Interests: Architectural History, Historic Preservation, the Progressive Era, Planning History, Professionalization, Faith and Form

Regin Schwaen, M.A.A. 
City Building, Arkitektskolen i Aarhus, 1992
Creative/Research Interests: Urban Buildings, Conceptual Models, Minimal Concrete Structures, Visual Communication

Cindy Urness, M.Arch. 
Pratt Institute, 1988
Creative/Research Interests: Building Technology, Urban Design, Utopian Cities, Sustainable Design, Universal Design, Student Success

Stephen Wischer, M.Arch., MFA 
University of Calgary, 2004
Creative/Research Interests: History/Theory, Existential Philosophy, Interdisciplinary Relationships, Art, Embodied Artifacts, Process, Experience and Poetics