Building Expertise in the Built Environment
Wentworth’s Bachelor of Science in Architecture is a 4-year, full-time, pre-professional program that leads to a 1-year NAAB accredited Master’s program. The curriculum is divided into two parts: the first three semesters and the remaining five semesters.
In the first three semesters, you will get a broad introduction to the field of architecture, which serves as the foundation for all three concentrations. Lecture courses convey an overview of the discipline’s history, theory, technology and practice; experiential studio courses focus on design fundamentals, graphic skills and a conceptual understanding of building tectonics. Wentworth’s emphasis on both the art and the science of architecture is stressed throughout this introductory curriculum.
In the next five semesters, you will build on the skills and knowledge gained in the first three semesters, while engaging in more complex and varied studio topics, such as tectonics, site and environment, comprehensive design and community design. You will also study topics such as structures, environmental systems and professional practice. Our experienced faculty will encourage you to form connections between subjects and develop a well-synthesized approach to design.
Focus in on an Area of Particular Interest
The Bachelor of Science in Architecture program offers three areas of concentration – Adaptive Interventions, Emerging Technologies and Urbanism – that allow you to pursue a specific focus in their study of architecture. The core architectural education is similar across concentrations, and all achieve the same learning outcomes. All students are required to select a concentration at the end of their first semester in sophomore year.
Adaptive Interventions – Investigates architecture as a discipline with a primary focus on interventions into contingent existing conditions. Adaptive re-use, regenerative urbanism, sustainability, critical regionalism and related strategies are addressed at scales ranging from the individual building to the urban environment.
Emerging Technologies – Explores the material nature of architecture, the craft of building and the role of emerging technologies as they inform the design process. Emphasizes the broad architectural and cultural implications of technology and advances an ethos of research through making.
Urbanism – Focuses on the influence of the arts and humanities, ecology and landscape, economics and politics, and society on design at the urban scale. Challenges students to explore the representation of complex social, cultural and ecological systems as a form of research, offering the skills and insights necessary to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries and provide leadership in reshaping our cities.
Learn more about our School of Architecture and Design.
For Wentworth grads, a fast track to success (1-Year Program)
Students who have successfully completed the Bachelor of Science in Architecture program at Wentworth may earn a Master of Architecture (MArch) degree through an intensely focused one-year program of study. This degree is an essential credential for those who aspire to professional registration and licensure as architects.
Your first-semester coursework would include a special topics studio, a seminar on research methods and a class focused on thesis preparation. These subjects are designed to prepare you for the final semester’s thesis studio and advanced topics seminar. You will have the opportunity to fully develop and defend original research in the form of a design thesis that you will present.
Learn more about our School of Architecture and Design.
From Bachelor to Master in just 4 semesters (2-Year Program)
Wentworth’s two-year Master of Architecture (MArch) program provides a graduate-level course of study for students who have successfully completed a four-year NAAB-based Bachelor of Science in Architecture at another institution. The MArch degree is typically completed in four semesters, contingent upon the department’s evaluation of prior coursework. This degree is an essential credential for those who aspire to professional registration and licensure as architects.
First-year coursework includes two studios, core courses in theory and professional practice, as well as architectural electives. Second-year coursework centers on the development of advanced, research-based knowledge, including a special topics studio, a seminar on research methods, and a class focused on thesis preparation. In the spring, you would enroll in a thesis studio and advanced topics seminar, enabling you to develop and defend original research in the form of a design thesis.
Learn more about our Department of Architecture.
Make your architectural plans a reality (3-Year Program)
The Three-Year Master of Architecture (MArch) program provides a graduate-level course of study for students who have successfully completed a four-year Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in a discipline other than Architecture. Through this program, you will contribute to ongoing architectural discourses by cultivating your unique vision through intentional inquiry and making.
Coursework is designed to expose students to a wide range of professional avocations in the field of architecture. With an emphasis on developing your critical thinking skills and design expertise in the design studio sequence, studio projects will address tectonic, social and environmental themes at multiple scales. Through hands-on, experiential learning, you will learn to synthesize present-day critical themes of inquiry and discovery, emerging as a forward-thinking design professional.
The three-year program is structured as follows:
- First-year coursework includes Graduate Foundations Studios complemented with History, Theory and Technology courses.
- Students advance to Graduate Design Studios in the second year; their research in courses and studios inform one another, ensuring the development of fundamental skill and knowledge sets.
- Third-year coursework focuses on the development of advanced, research-based inquiry through the Special Topics Travel Studios in the fall and Thesis Studio investigations in the spring. The fall studios are supported with a seminar on research methods and a Thesis Preparatory Course.
Learn more about our School of Architecture and Design.