Curriculum Guides
One of the advantages of the Master of Architecture degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the reduced time-frame in which traditional students are able to complete degree requirements. By traditional student, we mean a student with a four-year pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies degree or its equivalent. Students from other majors may be required to complete additional coursework beyond what is shown here. Additional information is presented below for students who are not from an architecture undergraduate program.
The graduate program consists of 42 total credit hours. These credits are completed over the course of four continuous semesters allowing the student to graduate in 15 months. The beginning summer semester provides an initial experience and overview of regional architecture and urban design issues. Building upon this introduction, the student identifies and develops a thesis design project over the next three semesters. This is augmented by seminars, electives, and courses in non-western architecture and professional practice.
All applications will be reviewed to ascertain fulfillment of the educational criteria of the SIU undergraduate program. Any deficiencies will be defined upon acceptance into the program as well as the necessary course requirements to eliminate those deficiencies. Those requirements must be fulfilled prior to completion of the Master of Architecture degree. Every student graduating from SIUC with a Master of Architecture degree must meet National Architecture Accrediting Board Student Performance Criteria.
Three curricular guides are presented below. The 15-Month Curriculum is for students with a four-year pre-professional degree in architecture. The 27-Month Curriculum is for students with a four-year degree in interior design or an allied area of practice. The 39-Month Curriculum is for students with any other four-year degree.
15-Month Curriculum
This curriculum is for students with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies pre-professional degree or its equivalent. Students who follow this curriculum have full standing for the master's program without need to take undergraduate coursework to fulfill deficiencies in their architectural education. We refer to these students as Track I students at SIUC. The Master of Architecture Curriculum Guide may be downloaded in PDF format.
| Here is the curriculum effective June 2009: | |
| Summer I Semester: | |
| ARC 550-6: Regional Architecture Studio | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
| Fall Semester: | |
| ARC 500-3: Research Methods and Programming | 3 |
| ARC 541-3: Arch. Systems & Environment Seminar | 3 |
| ARC 551-6: Comprehensive Design | 6 |
| ARC 591-3: Architectural Professional Practice I | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Spring Semester: | |
| ARC 532-3: Architectural History III: Non-Western Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 552-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis I | 6 |
| ARC 592-3: Architectural Professional Practice II | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Summer II Semester: | |
| ARC 554-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis II | 6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 593-6: Research Paper |
6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 599-6: Thesis | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
Electives
A number of elective courses have been developed to serve the Master of Architecture program. Students are not limited to taking an architecture elective. Students may complete any elective offered for graduate study at the university. We encourage cross-disciplinary study in areas of interest relevant to the thesis topic selected by the student.
Electives shown here are offered regularly but not every semester or academic year. Check the Schedule of Classes to see which electives are offered in a given semester.
| ARC 501-3: Seminar: Architectural Theory | 3 |
| ARC 502-3: Architecture Seminar* | 3 |
| ARC 503-3: Environmental Behavior Studies in Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 531-3: Seminar: Architectural History | 3 |
| ARC 571-3: Architectural Visualization | 3 |
| PSAS 480-3: Designing Outdoor Spaces | 3 |
| ANTH 410K-3: Ecological Anthropology |
3 |
*ARC 502 may be taken as a means of covering specialized instruction in architecture. For example, some students have recently completed studies in Color Theory in Architecture by taking ARC 502 Seminar.
27-Month Curriculum
This curriculum is primarily intended for students who have completed a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design or its equivalent. Students who follow this curriculum have advanced standing for the master's program but not full standing. We call these students Track II students at SIUC. Note: All tracks follow the same graduate path to the Master of Architecture degree. Additional undergraduate coursework is required of students in Track II and III to bring their standing to full status. Students from other allied areas of study may qualify for this curriculum. This is determined through individual review of each student's application. If the BSID curriculum in which an applicant has earned a degree differs significantly from the BSID curriculum at SIUC, modifications to the curriculum shown here may be required. The 27-Month Master of Architecture Curriculum is available in PDF format.
| Here is the curriculum effective June 2009: | |
| Fall I Semester: | |
| ARC 341-4: Building Technology II | 4 |
| ARC 361-3: Architectural Structures I | 3 |
| ARC 381-2: Environmental Design I | 2 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total: |
12 |
| Spring I Semester: | |
| ARC 342-3: Building Technology III | 3 |
| ARC 362-3: Architectural Structures II | 3 |
| ARC 452-6: Design VI | 6 |
| ARC 462-3: Architectural Structures III | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Summer I Semester: | |
| ARC 550-6: Regional Architecture Studio | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
| Fall II Semester: | |
| ARC 500-3: Research Methods and Programming | 3 |
| ARC 541-3: Arch. Systems & Environment Seminar | 3 |
| ARC 551-6: Comprehensive Design | 6 |
| ARC 591-3: Architectural Professional Practice I | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Spring II Semester: | |
| ARC 532-3: Architectural History III: Non-Western Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 552-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis I | 6 |
| ARC 592-3: Architectural Professional Practice II | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Summer II Semester: | |
| ARC 554-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis II | 6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 593-6: Research Paper |
6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 599-6: Thesis | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
39-Month Curriculum
This curriculum is primarily intended for students who have completed a bachelor's degree in any field of study. Students who follow this curriculum have limited standing for the master's program. We call these students Track III students at SIUC. Note: All tracks follow the same graduate path to the Master of Architecture degree. Additional undergraduate coursework is required of students in Track II and III to bring their standing to full status. Any student with an earned four-year college degree can qualify for this curriculum. The 39-Month Master of Architecture Curriculum is available in PDF format.
| Here is the curriculum effective June 2009: | |
| Summer I Semester:* | |
| ARC 121-3: Architectural Communication I | 3 |
| ARC 122-3: Architectural Communication II | 3 |
|
Total: |
6 |
| Fall I Semester: | |
| ARC 231-3: Architectural History I | 3 |
| ARC 251-4: Design I: Concept | 4 |
| ARC 271-3: Computers in Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 361-3: Architectural Structures I | 3 |
| ARC 381-2: Environmental Design I | 2 |
|
Total: |
15 |
| Spring I Semester: | |
| ARC 232-3: Architectural History II | 3 |
| ARC 242-3: Building Technology I | 3 |
| ARC 252-4: Design II: Order | 4 |
| ARC 362-3: Architectural Structures II | 3 |
|
Total: |
13 |
| No courses are taken in the summer following Spring I. | |
| Fall II Semester: | |
| ARC 341-4: Building Technology II | 4 |
| ARC 451-6: Design V: Urban | 6 |
| ARC 481-3: Environmental Design II | 3 |
| ARC 591-3: Professional Practice I | 3 |
Total: |
16 |
| Spring II Semester: | |
| ARC 342-3: Building Technology III | 3 |
| ARC 452-6: Design VI: Integration |
6 |
| ARC 462-3: Architectural Structures III | 3 |
| ARC 482-3: Environmental Design III | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Summer II Semester: | |
| ARC 550-6: Regional Architecture Studio | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
| Fall III Semester: | |
| ARC 500-3: Research Methods and Programming | 3 |
| ARC 541-3: Arch. Systems & Environment Seminar | 3 |
| ARC 551-6: Comprehensive Design | 6 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Spring III Semester: | |
| ARC 532-3: Architectural History III: Non-Western Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 552-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis I | 6 |
| ARC 592-3: Architectural Professional Practice II | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total: |
15 |
| Summer III Semester: | |
| ARC 554-6: Graduate Architectural Design/Thesis II | 6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 593-6: Research Paper |
6 |
| -OR- | |
| ARC 599-6: Thesis | 6 |
Total: |
6 |
*Summer I courses are not always required. Students with no or limited background in architectural presentation techniques should take these courses.
Mailing Address
SIUC SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE MC 4337 | 410 QUIGLEY HALL | 875 S. NORMAL AVENUE |
CARBONDALE, IL 62901-4303 | PHONE: 618-453-3734 | FAX: 618-453-1129