Academic Programs. Professional Preparation.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
B.A. in Design: 4 years
This undergraduate baccalaureate program introduces students to design as a language, to exploration via design thinking, and to a solutions-based design methodology to address the most urgent challenges of our time. Students will learn to apply design thinking to different fields such as business, social sciences, and engineering. It serves as an entry point to various career paths such as graphic design, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, program design, and product design. The degree is structured to be coupled with either a second major or the selection of 1 of 3 concentrations: Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, Preservation Studies, or Sustainable Real Estate and Development.
B.S. Architecture, Pre-professional Degree: 4 years
Fully approved and accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
This undergraduate baccalaureate program offers an integrated curriculum in the liberal arts and architecture designed to promote an understanding of design as a cultural expression while providing a strong preparation for graduate professional study in architecture or an array of other potential career paths. Students will engage design education, complemented by the study of architectural history and theory, structures, freehand drawing, digital media, and building construction systems.
B.Arch. Professional Degree: 5 Years
This undergraduate baccalaureate program is structured with required courses and electives to give students thorough professional preparation, opportunities for study in the liberal arts, and advanced study in architecture. Students will obtain design education through the study of architectural history and theory, structures, freehand drawing, technological systems, digital media, and urban studies. They will be fully immersed in digital design techniques while learning to incorporate knowledge from historic, environmental, social, programmatic and technological studies into the design studio.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
M.Arch. I First Professional Degree: 3.5 Year Track
Our First Professional Master of Architecture degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and is designed to accommodate students who hold a baccalaureate degree in any field from an accredited college or university. The program fulfills the professional degree requirements leading to architectural licensure and registration. The 3.5 Year Track is structured for students with minimum or no previous architectural education. The seven-semester curriculum begins with a rigorous summer introductory semester, followed by four semesters of core instruction. The final two semesters are primarily elective options, encouraging students to develop customized educational experiences through our rich course offerings. Students with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree, bachelor’s degree in Interior Design or in other three-dimensional design fields may qualify for one semester advanced standing. Students with a pre-professional architecture degree should apply to our 2 Year Track.
M.Arch. I First Professional Degree: 2 Year Track (Advanced Standing)
Our First Professional Master of Architecture degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and fulfills the professional degree requirements leading to architectural licensure and registration. The 2 Year Track provides an accelerated path for students with substantial architectural education. Those with a pre-professional degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Architecture or a Bachelor of Environmental Design, or international students with a terminal architecture degree in their respective country who wish to work towards licensure in the US and Canada should apply to this track to gain advanced standing. Typically, students will complete the curriculum in four semesters, two semesters of core instruction to fulfill NAAB requirements and two semesters of elective options to develop independent scholarship. International students with license to practice architecture or eligible for licensure in their respective countries may qualify for further advanced standing to complete the degree in three semesters.
M.S.ARC Post-Professional Degree: 1 Year
Fully approved and accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Our Post-Professional Master of Science in Architectural Research and Design degree program (formerly known as M. ARCH II.) is the most advanced research venue at Tulane School of Architecture. It is a selective design research degree that builds on the deep expertise of our faculty and the strategic commitment of the school and the university as a whole. It is intended for individuals with an accredited professional architecture degree interested in teaching and research as a career in the field of architecture.
MPS - Master of Preservation Studies
Fully approved and accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Master of Preservation Studies program offers an interdisciplinary opportunity to learn the essentials of preservation practice in one of America’s most historic cities. The MPS program builds upon the design strength of the School of Architecture, the expertise of its faculty, and its commitment to the immediate community, the nation, and the Gulf-Caribbean Region. The comprehensive three semester curriculum, combined with a student-designed practicum or thesis, insure that those interested in historic preservation receive the education that meets their individual needs and desires. This holistic and multidisciplinary approach will prepare graduates to occupy positions of leadership in community preservation and cultural heritage management.
MSRED - Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development
Fully approved and accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Master of Real Estate Development one-year program prepares post-baccalaureate students from diverse fields to explore the regenerative development of cities. The program blends educational material in business, architectural design, planning and related fields to empower its graduates to become effective and influential participants and contributors in the fields of real estate, finance, development and design. The program draws from case study examples across the United States exploring the power of public-private partnerships, innovative financing strategies, and the fundamental teamwork that is necessary for any successful and sustainable real estate development enterprise.
M.Arch. I + MPS / M.Arch. I + MSRED Dual Degrees
We offer our graduate students the opportunity to pursue a Master of Architecture degree in conjunction with the Master of Preservation Studies or with the Masters of Sustainable Real Estate Degree, typically with one additional semester of course work. Contact the Director of Graduate Architecture for details.
MBA + MSRED Dual Degree
Graduate students may also pursue a dual Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development and Master of Business Administration, the only such dual degree program in the country. Admissions are managed by the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.
Minors and Certificates
We offer undergraduate minors in Architecture, Preservation Studies, Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, and an intensive summer minor program in Real Estate. At the graduate level, we also offer certificates in Preservation Studies and Sustainable Real Estate Development.
In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
Tulane University School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
B. Arch. (professional degree), M. Arch. I (first professional degree).
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2022