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The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree is the title denoting a collection of three different levels of a Master's degree in Architecture. Many schools offer all three tracks and they range from 1 to 5 years, usually called M.Arch I, M.Arch II, and M.Arch III (M. Arch III being less common).

• M.Arch I is a first professional degree for students that have earned a four year unaccredited undergraduate degree in architecture or related discipline, such as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. Program length varies, but is often anywhere from 3 to 4 years. Some 5-year M.Arch I programs exist offering the accredited professional degree as a graduate degree (without having to receive a degree in another discipline).^{[citation needed]}
• M.Arch II is a post-professional degree involving between a year and two years (depending on which school) of intensive focused work for students that already have a 5-year Bachelor's of Architecture degree.
• M.Arch III is a professional Master's degree that takes 3 to 5 years to complete and it requires no previous teachings in Architecture (some schools do not have an M.Arch III program).

The above degree tracks allow students to pursue the same standards in a masters program but with differing undergraduate backgrounds. The process of earning a M. Arch I, M. Arch. II, or M. Arch III leads to a graduate with similar knowledge and experiences. When students graduate with a Master of Architecture in any of the above tracks the degree on the diplpoma only states "Master of Architecture" without regard to the track taken by the student.

These degrees are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) as professional degrees, allowing the recipient to qualify for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), after three years of experience working in an architect's office. First time students matriculating with a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degree can also qualify for registration. Some programs offer a concurrent learning model, allowing students the opportunity to work in the profession while they are earning their degree, so that they can test for licensure immediately upon graduation.

Graduate-level architecture programs consist of course work in design, building science, structural engineering, architectural history, theory, professional practice, and elective courses. For those without any prior knowledge of the field, coursework in calculus, physics, computers, statics and strengths of materials, architectural history, studio, and building science is usually required. Some architecture programs allow students to specialize in a specific aspect of architecture, such as architectural technologies or digital media. A thesis or final project is usually required to graduate.

An architectural thesis is the culmination of a student’s research. Submission of the thesis represents the completion of the final requirement for the degree and may be presented as graphic representations, a written work, or physical forms. According to Groat and Wang, Architectural Research Methods, the scope of the research inquiry must not be too broad or too narrow. A good topic will clearly and simply identify a body of literature to which the topical question can be referred. Additionally, a thesis question must have significance to not only the student, but his or her peers, and to the field of architecture.

As of March 2006, there were eighty-four accredited Master of Architecture programs in the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Note: Schools where a Bachelor of Architecture can also be earned are marked with *

Colleges and universities in the United States with accredited Master of Architecture degree programs are listed below.

• Andrews University, Division of Architecture, [1] Berrien Springs, Michigan
• Arizona State University School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), [2] Tempe, Arizona
• Ball State University*, Department of Architecture, [3] Muncie, Indiana
• The Boston Architectural College* Boston, Massachusetts
• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Department of Architecture, [4] Pomona, California
• The Catholic University of America, School of Architecture and Planning, [5] Washington, D.C.
• Clemson University, School of Architecture, [6] Clemson, South Carolina
• Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), [7] New York, NY
• Florida A&M University*, School of Architecture, [8] Tallahassee, Florida
• Florida International University*, School of Architecture, [9] Miami
• Taliesin, The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, [10] Scottsdale, AZ
• Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Architecture, [11] Atlanta, Georgia
• Hampton University*, School of Engineering - Architecture, [12] Hampton, Virginia
• Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Illinois Institute of Technology*, College of Architecture, [13]
• Iowa State University*, Department of Architecture, [14] Ames, Iowa
• Judson College
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
• Kent State University*, College of Architecture & Environmental Design, [15], Kent, Ohio
• Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan
• Louisiana State University*, College of Art + Design, [16], Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, [17] Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
• Montana State University
• Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland
• New Jersey Institute of Technology*, Newark, New Jersey
• NewSchool of Architecture and Design, [18], San Diego, California
• North Carolina State University*, Raleigh, North Carolina
• North Dakota State University*, Fargo, North Dakota
• Northeastern University
• Norwich University*, Northfield, Vermont
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
• Parsons The New School for Design, Department of Architecture, Interior Design and Lighting, [19] New York, New York*
• Prairie View A&M University*, Prairie View, Texas
• Pratt Institute*, New York, New York
• Princeton University, School of Architecture, [20] Princeton, New Jersey
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*, Troy, New York
• Rhode Island School of Design, [21] Providence, Rhode Island*
• Rice University*, Houston, Texas
• Roger Williams University*, Bristol, Rhode Island
• Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia
• Southern California Institute of Architecture ("SCI-Arc"), [22] Los Angeles, California*
• University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
• Syracuse University*, Syracuse, New York
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
• Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
• University of California, Berkeley, College of Environmental Design, [23] Berkeley, California
• University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, [24] Los Angeles, California
• University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, Cincinnati, Ohio
• University of Colorado at Denver
• University of Detroit Mercy*
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
• University of Houston, Hines College of Architecture*
• University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Kansas, School of Architecture and Urban Design, [25] Lawrence, Kansas *
• University of Kentucky, College of Design, [26] Lexington, Kentucky *
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette*
• University of Maine at Augusta
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Massachusetts-Amherst
• University of Miami*, Coral Gables, Florida
• University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning [27], Ann Arbor, Michigan
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte*
• University of Notre Dame*, Notre Dame, Indiana
• University of Oklahoma*, Norman, Oklahoma
• University of Oregon*, Eugene, Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania, Penn Design, [28] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Universidad de Puerto Rico
• University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
• University of Southern California*, Los Angeles, California
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville*
• University of Texas at Arlington*
• University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture, [29] Austin, Texas
• University of Texas at San Antonio, College of Architecture, [30] San Antonio, Texas
• University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
• University of Washington, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, [31] Seattle, Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, [32] Blacksburg, Virginia*
• Washington State University*, Pullman, Washington
• Washington University in St. Louis [33]
• Woodbury University, in Burbank, CA - Master of Architecture in Real Estate Development
• Yale University, School of Architecture, [34] New Haven, Connecticut

Colleges and universities in Canada with accredited Master of Architecture degree programs are listed below:

• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• Carleton University
• Université Laval
• McGill University
• University of Manitoba
• Université de Montréal
• University of Toronto
• Dalhousie University
• University of Waterloo

Universities in Australia with accredited Master of Architecture degree programs are listed below:

• RMIT University
• Deakin University

Four United States schools are candidates for accreditation, meaning that their newly-created programs may be accreditated to offer the M.Arch. degree upon proof of meeting NAAB standards. They are:

• Academy of Art University
• California College of the Arts (offers accredited B.Arch, M.Arch accreditation expected in 2008.)
• Cornell University (offers accredited B.Arch.)
• University of Hartford

• The Mackintosh School of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland.
• Hochschule Liechtenstein (candidate for accreditation, language: English)

• Doctor of Architecture
• Bachelor of architecture
• Architecture
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards