Master’s degree
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Rice University · Rice School of Architecture · Houston, Texas, United States
- Official award
- Master of ArchitectureM.Arch
- Pathway
- ProfessionalStated for United States
- Format
- On campusOption 1 seven semesters (131 credits); Option 2 five semesters (93 credits)
- Tuition
- Not published
About this program
NAAB-accredited professional M.Arch. with a core sequence in design studio, history/theory, technology and practice, research-platform studios and a final thesis; entered by a seven-semester or a five-semester track.
Intended audience: Applicants with little or no architecture background (Option 1) and applicants holding a four-year undergraduate degree in architecture (Option 2).
- Subject
- Architecture
- Department
- Rice School of Architecture
- Awarding body
- Rice University
Qualification and professional pathway
Pathway is classified only from a statement on an official page. A degree title such as B.Arch, BA, BSc, M.Arch or MSc does not decide it, and no degree by itself grants permission to practise as an architect.
- Degree level
- Master’s degreeA postgraduate degree. Entry requirements differ widely: some accept graduates of any subject, others require a prior architecture degree.
- Pathway
- Professional pathwayThe program itself is a professionally accredited or validated degree in the stated jurisdiction, as shown by the source quoted on the page. Further steps are normally still required before registration.
- Why we classify it this way
- The school states that the M.Arch. is a professional degree fully accredited by NAAB.“Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) professional degree is fully accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB)”Source
- Previous architecture degree required
- Depends on route
- Applicants without an architecture degree
- Yes
- Further professional requirements
- The school says the accredited M.Arch. qualifies graduates to sit for the professional licensing exam.Source
Accreditation, validation and recognition
Recorded for this program and campus, with the authority’s role. Institutional recognition, degree-awarding authority, program accreditation, professional validation and eligibility toward registration are different things; none of them is full professional registration.
Verified in official recordNational Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)Program accreditationFull statusUS
Scope: Master of Architecture, Rice University, Houston TX. NAAB directory lists initial accreditation 1973/74-1974/75; 1976/77, last reaffirmation 2025, status expiration 2032-12-31, next team visit 2033.
Dates: not stated to 31 December 2032
Study structure
- Delivery
- On campusTaught at the listed campus.
- Study mode
- Not published
- Duration
- Option 1 seven semesters (131 credits); Option 2 five semesters (93 credits)
- Studio requirements
- Option 1: 6 semesters of design studios
- Thesis or dissertation
- Students complete either a semester-long thesis project or an additional options studio in their final semester
- Intakes
- Not published
- Campus
- Rice University (Houston)6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005
Teaching language
- Taught in
- English
- English
- English teaching not verifiedAn English-language website does not mean a program is taught in English.
Admissions
- Portfolio
- Not published
- Interview
- Not published
- Documents
- Three reference letters are required; application fee stated as U.S. $85.00
- Official instructions
- Application instructions
Fees and costs
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per year, per credit, whole program), academic year and student category, and is never converted. Annual tuition and whole-program tuition are different figures.
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: tuition, full-time or part-time options, intakes, portfolio requirement.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 19 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 19 October 2026)