Graduate programs

The NAAB accredited professional Master of Architecture at Portland State University encourages substantive investigation of significant urban situations and prevailing architectural issues pertinent to contemporary human experience. It meets the demands of an accredited first professional degree in architecture as determined by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Through a series of focused design studios, and courses in humanities, technology and the profession, the program encourages depth in questioning, aptitude in discursive thinking, and versatility in means of representation as each student assimilates the skills, knowledge and dexterity to negotiate the professional demands of comprehensive design while developing a mode of creative inquiry that extends beyond established conventions to possibilities yet to be tested in a critical arena. Student generated questions and polemics will form the inspiration for the final year Design Thesis exploration culminating in a unique thesis proposal fully articulated in drawings, models and text.

We offer two tracks towards the Master of Architecture: the 2-year track for candidates with a pre-professional undergraduate degree in Architecture (74 credits); and the 3-year track for candidates with a Bachelor's degree in any discipline (134 credits).

We also offer two graduate certificates: a Graduate Certificate in Public Interest Design consisting of coursework and fieldwork that will prepare future leaders in architecture and related fields to aid currently underserved populations throughout the world through sustainable design methods, with an emphasis on addressing social, economic and environmental issues; and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Design, focusing on the design of urban public space, offered in partnership with the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning.

Admission requirements

Architecture M.Arch. 2 year

Architecture M. Arch. 3 year

Public Interest Design Grad Cert

Urban Design Grad Cert

Public Interest Design Graduate Certificate

Degree Requirements

The course of study for the Certificate in Public Interest Design is divided into credits for coursework and fieldwork, with a minimum of 18 credit hours. Fieldwork will provide students with real world experience in the practice of public interest design through immersed applied-learning opportunities. Fieldwork may be achieved through participation in rotating programs through the Center for Public Interest Design that offer opportunities for engagement and action within a community, or through an approved practicum working with a firm or organization engaged in public interest design work. As the culmination of their certificate, students will submit a thorough portfolio of the work they participated in to complete their fieldwork, containing a thoughtful reflection of their experience within the realm of public interest design and how it can inform their careers going forward.

Coursework

Core Requirements

Arch 533Contemporary Issues Seminar - Public Interest Design in Practice

4

Arch 541Practicum - Public Interest Design Fieldwork

4

Subtotal: 8

Choose at least ONE course from EACH of the three focus areas below, for a combined total of 10 credit hours:

Social

Arch 585Design Thesis

6

(PID Focus, Architecture students only)

Mgmt 521S/Mgmt 521SDesign Thinking for Social Innovation

4

(offered online)

PA 543Creating Collaborative Communities

3

USP 550Participatory Planning

3

USP 552Urban Poverty in Critical Perspective

3

Environmental

Arch 563Building Science Research Topics

4

(PID focus)

ESM 588Environmental Sustainability

4

ESM 528Urban Ecology

4

Geog 532Urban Landscapes

4

USP 588Sustainable Development Practices

3

Economic

Arch 543Topics in Professional Practice

4

(PID focus)

PA 525Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations

3

PA 541Social Entrepreneurship

3

Mgmt 522SMoney Matters for Social Innovation

4

(offered online)

USP 580Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations

3

USP 590Green Economics and Sustainable Development

3

Subtotal: 10


Total Credit Hours: 18