The professional master of architecture (MArch) degree is the second component of architectural education at Ball State University. It is for students who seek licensure in the profession and is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).
The first component is the bachelor of arts/science in architecture, our preprofessional four-year undergraduate degree.
With two options, our graduate degree is for those committed to developing—with faculty and fellow students—the attitudes, skill, and methods needed to work as an architect in support of a sustainable built environment of the highest quality.
We see the built field—and architecture as part of it—as an embodiment of culture in all its diversity and complexity. It is in constant flux while adhering to an underlying coherence. The built field consists of both ordinary and special buildings. Spaces found in built fields span time and space from dense urban agglomerations to the most rural settlements.
The evolution of the built field—depending on both convention and invention for its sustenance—is guided by professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including architects, public officials, corporate leaders, and everyday users.
In light of these realities, and because we expect our graduates to engage in diverse forms of local and global practice during their careers, we challenge students with knowledge both new and old. We stress how to learn and how to design, incorporating the methods that constitute the profession’s shared body of knowledge.
Because we respect the lessons practice offers, we emphasize the idea of the reflective practitioner as a conceptual framework linking internship to our teaching in classrooms, studios, and field experiences.
Because of this viewpoint, a distinct part of our program are required internships.
- Our internships are organized in a variety of patterns, with students working in architecture firms all over the country and world.
- These professional internships relate to academic work through seminars that draw lessons from the practice experience.
- Some options require detailed case studies of projects in the offices where students work—studies supported by a mentor in the firm but guided by a faculty member of the Department of Architecture.
Another distinct component of our program is the opportunity to explore a concentration within the broad profession of architecture of particular interest that complements the core requirements.
We welcome students from around the world—of all ages, races, and backgrounds—who wish to work with us on the vital issues and opportunities that face the profession as it seeks to contribute to improving our man-made environment. Learn about our admissions process.