Master of Architecture Application Requirements
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M.Arch Tracks
At Wentworth, we believe in recognizing, to the extent possible, the prior scholastic achievements of our applicants. Depending on one’s undergraduate education, applicants could be eligible for advanced standing in the M.Arch program as follows:
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1-Year Track
If you hold a Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSArch) from Wentworth, you are uniquely eligible for advanced standing to bypass the first two years of the curriculum, entering into the third and final year. In addition, BSArch students who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher by the time of application receive automatic admission to the M.Arch program. Automatic admission does not mean that you do not need to apply- it just means that once you do apply, admission is guaranteed. Notice of auto-admit status is broadcast to students once grades are posted for the fall semester of their senior year, in advance of the priority application deadline for the graduate program (Feb. 15).
If you hold a professional Bachelor of Architecture, you are also eligible for advanced standing in the program, entering into the third and final year.
Please note that applicants do not apply for advanced standing in the M.Arch program. Rather, placement is determined during the review process by the admissions committee, following a careful review of the applicant’s undergraduate transcript.
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2-Year Track
If you have already earned a pre-professional degree in architecture, you will typically be granted advanced standing to bypass the first year of the curriculum. The 2-yr. track allows you to instead enter into the second year and have the opportunity to earn a professional degree in architecture in just two years. Most commonly, a pre-professional degree in architecture is a Bachelor of Science, but we often find eligibility in the transcripts of those who have earned a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Design, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, or a Bachelor of Environmental Design. In all cases, a major in architecture is required (e.g., a BS or BA in Architecture, a BFA in Architecture, a BDes in Architecture, etc.).
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3-Year Track
The M.Arch program is designed to allow students with no formal background in architecture to complete a professional degree in just three years. If you hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution, you are qualified for this option. Some applicants who are admitted to the 3-yr. track have backgrounds in architecture-adjacent field such as urban studies or landscape architecture. More often, applicants come from less directly related fields such as business, fashion design, engineering, biology, environmental studies, painting, or anthropology.
Application Requirements
All applications to the Master of Architecture, regardless of the track, require the following materials:
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Online Application
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Statement of Interest
Required of all applicants. Please describe why you are interested in pursuing a Master of Architecture at Wentworth. We’d like to hear about your general motivations for earning a graduate degree in the field, as well as your interest in our specific program. Consider how earning a M.Arch will further your personal and professional goals, what aspects of architecture are of interest to you, and how your previous experiences in work, life, and study might prove useful in this endeavor. If you already hold a pre-professional degree in architecture, please highlight why you are interested in the program at Wentworth, in relation to other schools. If you do not hold a degree in architecture, please highlight why you are interested to study architecture. Statements should be limited to 750 words and uploaded as a letter-sized .pdf file via the online application portal.
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Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
Your resume or curriculum vitae should showcase your competencies and credentials, and list all relevant coursework, research, extracurricular or professional activities. Required of all applicants.
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Official Transcript(s)
Applicants must request that their undergraduate degree-awarding institution send an official transcript to gradadmissions@wit.edu.
Electronically sent transcripts are preferred, but you can mail transcripts to:
Attn: Graduate Admissions
Wentworth Institute of Technology
550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115Transcript copies will be accepted for the application review, but a final official transcript with degree conferral will be required before enrolling into a graduate program. Mailed transcript(s) must be in a sealed envelope from the registrar’s office; loose or opened transcripts will not be accepted. For degrees obtained outside the United States, official credential evaluations are required.
Current Wentworth students applying to the 1-year Track: The Graduate Admissions Office will obtain your transcript on your behalf.
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Design Portfolio
Required of all applicants, except Wentworth BSArch students who have earned automatic admission.
Portfolios should include work that demonstrates your proficiency in architecture and/or other visual media, and they should reflect the full range of your creative, research, and technical skills. The portfolio should be fully digital and shared with the admissions committee during the application process as either a link to an online portfolio that is meant to be viewed in a browser, or as a link to a PDF hosted on a filesharing platform such as Google Drive. Please do not attempt to upload a PDF to the online application.
Please note, hardcopy portfolios are not accepted.
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Recommendations
Two letters of recommendation are required of all applicants except Wentworth undergraduate students, who only need to provide the names of two fulltime faculty members who are willing to serve as a reference. Letters should address your ability to succeed in a graduate-level professional architecture program.
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Other Requirements
Proof of English proficiency (for non-native English speakers); view Wentworth's English proficiency requirements. International applicants are also required to submit proof of financial support.
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Application Fee
A non-refundable $50 fee is required (except for Automatic Acceptance students. See requirements for the 1-year track for more details).
Additional Requirements: 1-, 2- and 3-Year Tracks
In addition to the above general requirements, there are specific eligibility and application requirements for each track. Locate the track to which you intend to apply and read all directions carefully.
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1-Year Track
Eligibility: Bachelor of Science in Architecture students at Wentworth who wish to enroll in the one-year Master of Architecture program must do so in their senior year. Acceptance is based on a portfolio evaluation by department faculty, cumulative GPA, resume, a statement of objectives, and references.
Automatic Acceptance: Internal candidates who have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the end of their junior year qualify for Automatic Acceptance into the program. Students who have earned Automatic Acceptance must submit all the materials listed above, with the exception of a Design Portfolio and Application Fee. Automatic Acceptance applies only to applicants currently enrolled in Wentworth’s Bachelor of Science in Architecture program and may not be deferred.
In addition to the above requirements, all applicants to the 1-year track Master of Architecture must submit:
Reference list. All current Wentworth students who wish to be considered for the 1-year track must provide the names and contact information of two people who may be contacted as references. A space on the online application is provided to list these references and their contact information.
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2-Year Track
Eligibility: Candidates who have earned a four-year NAAB-based Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree at another institution – or who have graduated from Wentworth’s B.S. in Architecture program more than one year prior to submission – must complete the external candidate application process for the two-year program. Wentworth graduates may still be considered for admission to the one-year program based on the department’s assessment of their status.
Wentworth’s Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (BINT) students are eligible for the Master of Architecture 2-Year Track. Prospective BINT students are required to take two courses prior to matriculating into the M.Arch program:
- PHYS 1000 College Physics 01 or equivalent – prerequisite for ARCH 8400 Structures 01 (a required course in the fall semester of the first year of the 2-year M.Arch track). Offered in spring, fall and summer semesters, and;
- ARCH 2600: Energy and Resources in Architecture – prerequisite for ARCH8250 (a required course in the fall semester of the first year of the 2-year M.Arch track). Offered in spring semester only. It is highly recommended that BINT students enroll in ARCH 2600 in the spring semester of the senior year.
In addition to the above requirements, all applicants to the 2-year track Master of Architecture must submit:
Recommendation Letters. With your application, you should submit the names and titles for two people who are providing you with letters of recommendation.
Proof of English Proficiency (for non-native English speakers). Please review Wentworth's English proficiency requirements. International applicants will also be required to submit proof of financial support.
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3-Year Track
Eligibility: Candidates who have earned a four-year undergraduate degree in a discipline other than architecture may apply to the 3-year track. The Master of Architecture program is structured as a three-year sequence of study for external candidates without previous degrees in architecture. Prospective students in the 3-year Master of Architecture track are required to have completed one semester of algebra- or calculus-based physics (including mechanics), prior to admission to the program.
In addition to the above requirements, all applicants to the 3-year track of the Master of Architecture must submit:
Recommendation Letters. With your application, you should submit the names and titles for two people who are providing you with letters of recommendation.
Proof of English Proficiency (for non-native English speakers). Please review Wentworth's English proficiency requirements. International applicants will also be required to submit proof of financial support.
Portfolio Recommendations
The following recommendations are designed to help you produce a strong architectural portfolio:
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Format
Applicants should submit an electronic copy of their portfolio. A link to an online portfolio is preferred, but portfolios may be uploaded to the application as a PDF. Portfolios should be designed for viewing one page at a time (not as a two-page spread) using landscape orientation and standard aspect ratios such as 4:3 and 16:9.
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Content
Please show a range of your original design work, including design drawings, sketches, model images, photography, sculpture, writing samples – any work that conveys your artistic sensibilities. Emphasize four to five of your best projects. Non-academic creative and professional work may be included if it demonstrates your abilities to perform successfully as a graduate student.
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Organization
Portfolios should be well organized with a brief introductory text for each project. Each project should be clearly labeled. Indicate whether the project was completed as part of a course by including the name of the professor, studio, and semester. In the case of team projects, you must identify your role on the team and specify authorship of drawings, images, and artifacts seen in the portfolio.
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Professional Quality
The goal of the portfolio is to legibly display the quality of your design and creative work. Focus your efforts on making the clearest presentation with simple layouts of imagery and brief, informative texts using straightforward typefaces scaled for ease of reading on a laptop. Make an effort to document your work carefully so that all images of your work are of high resolution and large enough to understand in detail; the committee expects a professional presentation.
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