Maurizio R. Sabini, Ph.D., RA,
Int’l Assoc. AIA
Professor of Architecture & Director
Office: (417) 873-7580
msabini@drury.edu
Curriculum for the Five Year M.Arch. Degree
Five-year curriculum for architecture students
The Hammons School of Architecture offers a NAAB accredited five-year first professional master of architecture degree that includes summer course work. The required architecture courses are integrated with the experiencing our world (EOW) liberal arts curriculum of the university. This integrated curriculum provides a design focused education, within a liberal arts context, in preparation for professional architecture practice.
The first two years of the program are the pre-professional years. Enrollment in the first year of the pre-professional program is based upon high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores. All students interested in pursuing a degree in architecture should file an intent to study architecture form with the architecture office prior to completing all the pre-professional course requirements.
Because the architecture curriculum is sequentially structured, student course records are reviewed at the end of each semester to assure the prerequisites have been completed with acceptable grades before students are allowed to advance to the next year level of the program. The grade of incomplete in any prerequisite course will necessitate the completion of that work and receipt of a final grade prior to the first day of any course requiring the prerequisite. Students who have not completed the prerequisite for any ARCH course as of the first day of class will be removed from the roster of that class.
Application to continue in the professional program at the third year level must be made at the beginning of the spring semester of the sophomore year. Admission requires the completion of the first two years of courses listed below with a GPA of 2.75.
Year & Term | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year: | ARCH 111: Foundations of Design | 3 |
| Fall | ARTZ 123: Drawing | 3 |
| ARCH 251: History of Architecture, Urbanism & Art I | 3 | |
| CORE 101: Drury Seminar | 3 | |
| MATH 203**: Mathematics & Inquiry | 3 | |
| EXSP 220: Personal Wellness | 2 | |
Credit Hours: | 17 | |
| First Year: | ARCH 112: Architectural Design II | 5 |
| Spring | ARCH 124: Architectural Representation | 3 |
| ARCH 252: History of Architecture, Urbanism & Art I | 3 | |
| CORE 103: Drury Explorations | 1 | |
| Drury Foundations | 3 | |
| EOW Core Requirement | 3 | |
Credit Hours: | 18 | |
| Second Year: | ARCH 213: Architectural Design III | 5 |
| Fall | ARCH 233: Introduction to Building Systems | 3 |
| ARCH 253*: Theories of Architecture | 3 | |
| PHYS 201: Principles of Physics | 4 | |
| EOW Core Requirement | 3 | |
Credit Hours: | 18 | |
| Second Year: | ARCH 214: Architectural Design IV | 5 |
| Spring | ARCH 225: Computers in Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 234: Structures I | 3 | |
| EOW Core requirement and elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours: | 17 | |
Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all coursework with an ARCH designation and ARTZ 123, GLST 101, GLST 102, GLST 200, MATH 203 and PHYS 201 for that work to count toward the requirements for the master of architecture degree or the minor in architecture. Students who fail to make a C- or better in any ARCH designated course after two tries will not be allowed to continue in the architecture program.
Master of Architecture - Professional Program | ||
| Third Year: | ARCH 315: Architectural Design V | 5 |
| Fall | ARCH 335: Environmental Systems I | 3 |
| ARCH 336: Structures II | 3 | |
| ARCH 335****: History of Modern Arch | 3 | |
| Greek I | 3 | |
Credit Hours: | 17 | |
| Third Year: | ARCH 418*: Global Studio | 3 |
| Spring | ARCH 426*: Travel Journal | 3 |
| ARCH 456*: Culture and Place | 3 | |
| Elective | 6 | |
Credit Hours: | 15 | |
| Third Year: | EOW requirement or Elective | 3 |
| Summer | Credit Hours: | 3 |
| Fourth Year: | ARCH 417*: Community Studies Studio | 5 |
| Fall | ARCH 427: Prof. Communication | 3 |
| ARCH 467: Facility Programming | 3 | |
| MARC or EOW electives | 6 | |
Credit Hours: | 17 | |
| Fourth Year: | MARC 519: Comprehensive Design VIII | 5 |
| Spring | ARCH 437: Environmental Systems II | 3 |
| ARCH 438: Structures III | 3 | |
| MARC Elective, Enrichment or EOW Core | 6 | |
Credit Hours: | 17 | |
| Fourth Year: Summer | Internship Experience or alternate Summer International Study Requirement fulfillment. | |
360 hours of internship must be completed prior to beginning 5th year coursework. | ||
| Fifth Year: | MARC 520: Architectural Design IX | 5 |
| Fall | MARC 557: Architecture Seminar | 4 |
| MARC or EOW electives 6 | 6 | |
Credit Hours: | 15 | |
| Fifth Year: | MARC 521: Architectural Design X | 6 |
| Spring | MARC 569: Professional Practice | 4 |
| MARC or EOW electives | 6 | |
Credit Hours: | 16 | |
Total Credit Hours : | 170 | |
* May be taken in either the fall or spring semester.
** Course entry levels vary based on math placement.
*** Can be completed either summer after the third year.
****Can be taken fall of either third or fourth year.
Areas of Concentration
Professional Program students must take four non-architecture electives totaling twelve hours as well as three Architecture elective selected topics courses, 2 of which are designated M.Arch. level, totaling nine hours. of these required 21 hours, a total of nine (six within architecture and three outside) must focus on a specific concentration designated by the student at the beginning of the 3rd-year fall semester. The architectural design studios are informed by the various areas of concentration. All students must complete MARC 520 focusing on a faculty defined project within their selected area of concentration. The Thesis Studio MARC 521 is the capstone opportunity for further exploration of design as informed by individual student interest.
Concentrations may be chosen from among three broad categories: Design Theory and History; Technology and Sustainability; or urban and Regional Studies. Alternately, students may propose to the HSA Curriculum Committee an individually defined concentration that may be more suited to the student's interests and career goals. Students are responsible for submitting a concentration plan to their advisor by the end of the third week of the 3rd-year fall semester. The plan must identify the selected concentration and
propose how the non-architecture portion of the concentration requirement will be satisfied. All concentration plans must be approved by the student's advisor. Planning for individually defined concentrations should begin in the second year, and proposals for these must be approved both by the advisor and by the HSA Curriculum Committee.
Concentrations are intended to give depth to M.Arch. coursework and to provide a means of structuring selected-topic and elective coursework. It is expected that coursework within concentrations will also contribute to students' research agendas in the Architecture Senior Seminar course and to Design Thesis projects.
Performance Requirement
It is the HSA policy that students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester to review their plans and progress toward graduation. Students in the professional program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 to remain in the architecture program. Students whose GPA drops below 2.75 will have one semester to reachieve the 2.75. Failure to do so will result in
removal from the architecture program. No ARCH or MARC-designated course shall count toward graduation without a grade of C- or better. Failure to make a C- or better in any ARCH or MARC- designated course after two tries will result in removal from the architecture program.
Total requirements for the five-year Master of Architecture degree:
170 hours
These requirements satisfy the National Architectural Accrediting Board Conditions and Procedures.
