Instruction in the School is offered through several types of courses:
- The Introductory Workshop, mandatory for all incoming students for a period of one week prior to Labour Day, involves the engagement of environmental and architectural concerns of the West Coast through field trips, design exercises, and seminars.
- Lecture courses and seminars
- Design studios (required core studios and vertical options) explore selected topics in architectural design. Students are expected to present and defend their proposals in the course of critical dialogue with faculty members, visiting professionals, and their peers during reviews.
To qualify for the Master of Architecture, students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 119 credits including a sequence of structured core coursework, 15 credits of electives, and a major Graduation Project as follows:
- Workshop Course: ARCH_V 502
- Lecture/Seminar Courses: ARCH_V 5041, 5051, 5111, 5121, 5131, 515, 517, 523, 531, 532, 533, 541, 543, 551, and an advanced history/theory requirement from one of ARCH_V 504, 505 or 5382
- Design Studio Courses: ARCH_V 500, 501, 520, 521, 540
- 15 credits of electives which may be selected from: ARCH_V 504, 505, 522, 537, 538, 544, 545, 561, 571, 572, 573, 577
- Graduation Project: ARCH_V 548, 549
1 These courses are prerequisite to more advanced-level courses and should therefore be completed in the first and second year of the program.
2 Winter Session study abroad advanced history/theory offering.
Students holding a pre-professional architecture degree, as noted in the Admissions section, above, will in general be eligible to qualify for the Master of Architecture by completing fewer credits than 119; the minimum requirement being 82 credits. The exact number of credits to be completed and the program of study will be established at the time of admission, and will vary according to the applicant's previous education and level of achievement.
A student may be waived from a required course if he/she has completed a similar course at a prior date. For this to take place, a student must validate the equivalence with the faculty member responsible for the course. A waived course is to be replaced by another of the same credit value so that there is no change to the number of credits required for completion of the degree.
Students may undertake courses outside Architecture for elective credit toward their degree. Such courses must be demonstrated to be relevant to the student's program of study. Students must submit a request for permission to enrol in the course for credit towards the Master of Architecture, in writing, to the Chair of Architecture.
See Courses, for complete university course information.
Detailed and current information regarding Architecture courses is available at Architecture.
Study Abroad Program
A student who enrols in the full-term Study Abroad Program may substitute ARCH_V 538 (Study of Architecture Abroad) for elective credits and ARCH_V 539 (Architectural Design Abroad) for ARCH_V 520 or 540, so as to make up a full term's work abroad.
Co-operative Education Program
An optional Co-operative Education Program providing relevant, faculty-monitored and paid work experience is available for motivated and qualified students.
In order to be considered for the Co-operative Education program, a student must have completed all first and second year required courses.
The program consists of work experience in an established company or organization for two consecutive academic terms.
A co-operative education term may commence at the start of the Summer Session or either Winter Session Term.
Each co-operative education term is equivalent to three academic credits and is considered elective credit.
Successful completion of the requirements for the Co-operative Education Program includes satisfactory completion of each of the two terms of co-operative education and completion of a technical report.
Program Specific Expenses
Apart from the cost of living and tuition, certain additional expenses must be anticipated to include books, equipment, the Introductory Workshop (ARCH_V 502) and support technology and equipment.
Students electing to participate in a Study Abroad Program must be prepared to meet further expenses.
Graduation Project
The Graduation Project, consisting of ARCH_V 548 and ARCH_V 549, provides an opportunity for students in the professional M.Arch program to identify, delineate, and explore a topic of their choice leading to a proposal for a specific architectural project clearly situated in a fully articulated context. Students are required to demonstrate their ability to define an architectural project, to acknowledge the varied scales of resolution appropriate to the task, and to take responsibility for the management of the process to complete the project on schedule.
The Graduation Project is overseen by the Graduation Project Review Committee (GPRC), a subcommittee of the faculty.
Complete details on the criteria for and completion of the Graduation Project can be found within the Graduation Project Guidelines here.
Graduation Project Part I: ARCH_V 548
The purpose of Part I of the Graduation Project is to explore a chosen topic, to discover and define the architectural project that is inherent or implicit within it, and to develop an outline program through which the project may be explored in terms of its design ramifications. ARCH_V 548 is a one-term, 3-credit course. In order to be eligible to enrol in ARCH_V 548, a student must have successfully completed all requirements for second year.
Graduation Project Part II: ARCH_V 549
The purpose of Part II of the Graduation Project is to explore in deliberate design terms the material of Part I. ARCH_V 549 is a one-term, 9-credit course. In order to enrol in ARCH_V 549, in addition to passing ARCH_V 548, a student must have reduced any outstanding course requirements beyond ARCH_V 549 to a maximum of 18 credits.
The final grade will be determined by the supervising committee in consultation with guests and other faculty in attendance at the final presentation. A minimum of 68% is required in order to obtain credit for the course. It should be noted that in cases where the time taken to complete the Graduation Project has been extended, the final grade will fully reflect the period of time taken to complete the project.
Should a grade of less than 68% be attained for ARCH_V 549, the student would then be required to take a leave from the program for a period of twelve months. The student would then be required to submit a new Part II proposal and, with the approval of the GPRC, begin again with a new topic and a new supervisory committee. It would be necessary for the student to undertake any needed preparatory work acceptable to the new committee chair without credit, prior to re-registering.
Should a student receive a grade of less than 68% after a second attempt, the student would be required to withdraw from the program and would not be permitted to re-register.
Graduation Project Final Report
The Graduation Project Final Report consists of an amalgam of the work of Part I and Part II, submitted with the purpose of, in part, providing a bound copy of the project to be held in the Architecture Reading Room. Adherence to specified format requirements is expected.
Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements
University regulations establish a five-year time limit for the completion of a master's program. For provisions regarding on-leave status, see On Leave Status.