Applications for the 2025-2026 Academic Year Open September 1.
Prospective students are encouraged to review the admission and application requirements below. Once you are ready to apply, please complete your online application through GradApp. If you have any questions, consider attending one of our information sessions or contact our graduate programs coordinator.
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS
Students applying to the program must meet University of Arizona Graduate College admissions standards:
- Degree: Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-US institution of higher learning.
- GPA: A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.*
- English proficiency: International students must demonstrate English language proficiency and submit current test scores. Please review U of A Graduate College English Proficiency requirements for acceptable thresholds and exemptions.
- Entrance exams such as the GRE are not required.
*Applicants that do not meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, may pursue admission in the future by enrolling in 6 to 12 units as a Graduate Non-Degree Seeking student. For more information, please contact capla-grad@arizona.edu.
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE REQUIREMENTS
- The M.Arch program offers two entry points:
- Students with non-architecture undergraduate degrees enter the full three-year (3+) program beginning with the summer program.
- Students with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art in Architectural Studies, studio-centric degrees, typically enter the program with advanced standing in the fall and complete it in two years.
- Students with 5-year NAAB accredited B.Arch degrees are not eligible for admission to the M.Arch program as both degrees are professional architecture degrees and are considered redundant. Students with 5-year B.Arch degrees (non-NAAB accredited) received from international universities are generally eligible for admission as the degrees are not deemed equivalent nor redundant.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required to apply to the Master of Architecture.
Prospective students must submit application materials directly to the University of Arizona Graduate College. Apply online using GradApp, the Graduate College's online admissions application.
All applicants must upload the following documents using PDF format:
Statement of Purpose: Please submit a two to three-page statement of purpose that articulates your interest and motivations for seeking graduate study in the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.
Resume or CV: Please include a resume or CV outlining your academic and professional background.
Letters of Recommendation: Please provide the names and email addresses of three people who can speak to your potential for success in graduate studies. A combination of academic and professional recommendations is preferred.
Portfolio: Please follow the instructions in GradApp for uploading your portfolio, which may include various forms of creative work including drawings or paintings, graphic design, creative writing, woodwork, designs of outdoor/indoor spaces, photography, sculpture, etc.
Transcripts: Please include unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended. If not in English, please be sure to include English translations in addition to the original. Upon admission, you are required to submit official copies of all transcripts to the University of Arizona Graduate College by the end of your first semester.
CAPLA receives great variation in Master of Architecture applications and portfolios because prospective students come from diverse life, professional and educational backgrounds—some nearer to architecture such as interior design, graphic design, art and engineering, and some from less obvious backgrounds such as medicine, education, communications and business.
The admissions committee is comprised of four faculty, one staff member and one student. When we review applications and portfolios specifically, we are looking for the capacity and promise of an applicant to become an architect, generally technical, aesthetic, creative and social impact potential. In conceiving and developing your portfolio we encourage you to:
- Concisely frame your understanding/interpretation of architecture
- Present your motivation for studying architecture
- Present your relevant qualities, skills and experience
Things you may want to illustrate in your portfolio could include 1) creative and/or utilitarian personal projects: crafts, furniture, home additions, creative/technical writing, pastries or drawings/illustrations, etc., and 2) academic or professional projects that exhibit technical, aesthetic or social experiences. Technical drawings are a plus; preferably drawn with a sensitive hand/eye rather than dry quantitative color-coded line weights (showing architectural potential beyond engineering experience).
In essence, we recommend being straightforward about who you are and why you want to become an architect, and to present any visuals that help depict your relevant experiences and qualifications. It is very helpful if you can express why you want to study at the University of Arizona and in the Sonoran Desert.
The admissions process is conducted, in accordance with the SoA bylaws (Section 2; subsection D.1 Graduate Admissions Committees), by the M.Arch Admissions Committee which reviews the transcripts, personal statement, resume, portfolio and letters of recommendation of each applicant.
The M.Arch program offers two entry points. Students with non-architecture undergraduate degrees enter the full three-year (3+) program beginning with the summer program. Students with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art in Architectural Studies, studio-centric degrees, typically enter the program with advanced standing in the fall and complete it in two years.
PREPARATORY EDUCATION
The M.Arch program evaluates “Preparatory Education” in two instances:
- Admission of students with 4-year undergraduate degrees in architecture to the 2-year advanced standing program.
- Matriculated students seeking advanced standing in one or more specific required courses. The M.Arch program does not currently admit transfer students.
Admissions Committee members are to evaluate each applicant’s satisfaction of the NAAB program and student criteria which are claimed in the first year of our M.Arch program. This evaluation is conducted and recorded as part of the regular application review process. If the satisfaction of these criteria is not evident, the committee is required to request additional evidence from the respective applicants. If admission is recommended by the committee and deficiencies remain, admitted students will be required to take additional courses to demonstrate satisfaction of those NAAB criteria, or be required to complete the 3+ year program in its entirety.
HOW DIVERSITY IS CONSIDERED DURING THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS
The M.Arch program has a record of admitting and supporting a diverse student body in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic demographics. The SoA values a range of diverse backgrounds and experiences of students and faculty as it enriches and strengthens the culture and learning in our programs. However, prospective students are evaluated during admissions based on the merits of their application materials as they indicate one’s capacity and promise to become a successful architect. Per the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling we do not ask nor consider personal diversity characteristics during the application and admissions review process.
After their first full year in the program, students are eligible for a number of CAPLA-specific scholarships.
The university also offers other scholarship and financial aid opportunities for incoming and returning students.
Students may be eligible for graduate research and teaching assistantships, though they are not typically awarded in the first semester of the program.
From the West? Get Arizona Resident Tuition Pricing for the M.Arch!
If you're from one of 15 Western states and territories, you're eligible for Arizona resident tuition pricing for the Master of Architecture through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP).