Program Director: Frank M. Bosworth
Professor and Assistant Director School of Architecture
Program location: 500 West Livingston Street, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 610.8325
CityLab-Orlando@ufl.edu
CityLab-Orlando
The University of Florida, School of Architecture launched its CityLab-Orlando Advanced Master of Architecture professional degree program in the Fall 2012. CityLab-Orlando is located in downtown Orlando in the University of Central Florida Center for Emerging Media and provides a unique opportunity to study architecture, urban theory and explore emergent design methodologies in the city of Orlando. The CityLab-Orlando program focuses on the exploration of architectural ideas within the context of the city, and engages with the City of Orlando as a learning laboratory.
CityLab-Orlando accepts applications from qualified graduates of four year pre-architecture programs, five year BArch programs (with advanced standing). University of Florida students enrolled in the Advanced MArch. program on the Gainesville campus may apply for admission for a single or multiple semesters.
CityLab-Orlando is a partner with the University of Central Florida and Valencia College in a unique 2+2+2 academic experience leading to a Master of Architecture degree. The program also builds upon the University of Florida’s research mission, and will consider students interested in pursuing a Master of Science in Architectural Studies degree (M.S.A.S.) with a focus on urban issues in architecture for admission.
Program Overview
The University of Florida’s, CityLab-Orlando Advanced Master of Architecture (Advanced M.Arch.) program leads to a professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the educational credentials you need for licensure as a registered practicing architect. Advanced Master of Architecture students follow one of two curricular tracks, determined by the school’s graduate admissions committee on the basis of educational background and portfolio quality:
- A two-year curriculum for those with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design, a successful record of six to eight previous design studios, and a portfolio reflecting sufficient design proficiency.
- A one-year curriculum for those with accredited professional degrees (five-year Bachelor of Architecture or Master of Architecture) and a portfolio reflecting outstanding design proficiency.
Students accepted into the program are notified in their acceptance letters as to which of these curricular paths they will follow.
The culmination of the Advanced Master of Architecture is a Thesis or a Master’s Research Project. This final exercise is intended to be a highly personal synthesis of the knowledge, experience and skills gained in design studio and support courses, driven by your own specific focus and individual interests. Students successfully completing the program of study will demonstrate a thorough understanding and comprehension of the subject matter relevant to the discipline and will have an understanding of: The cultural, social, technical, economic, and environmental contexts that shape buildings, the history of architecture as it is present in built form and spaces, architectural forms and spaces and their resulting meanings, the materials and methods of construction available to the architect, and the varied and constantly evolving methods utilized in architectural design.
Admission Requirements
The UF School of Architecture’s graduate admissions committee considers applications for Fall Semester entry ONLY. It reviews the following application materials as part of the process:
- Undergraduate grade point average, calculated from the last 60 semester credits (or 90 quarter credits) of your bachelor’s degree. A 3.0/4.0 grade point average is required for admission.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections is required for admission. (The analytical score is not counted.)
- Portfolio of previous design studio or creative work (8.5″ × 11″ format).
- Official transcripts and credentials from all previous higher education institutions attended.
- Three letters of recommendation from people qualified to assess your academic or professional experience.
- A letter of intent, detailing your motivation and goals in pursuing a graduate education in architecture stating your intention to attend the CItyLab-Orlando Program.
- Foreign applicants only, results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): a score, of 550 (paper format) or 213 (computer format) is required for admission.
All applications are reviewed by the graduate admissions committee which bases its decision on the overall strength of the application package. The application deadline is January 15 of each year and all application materials must reach the University of Florida by this date. Late applications are not necessarily turned away, but they cannot be guaranteed priority for placement. The committee will notify you of its decision by letter by early February.
M.Arch. Two-Year Track Curriculum
Advanced Master of Architecture students must earn at least 52 credits to receive their degree. The following curriculum outlines an idealized two-year track toward graduation. Your graduate advisor will review your academic records to ascertain if additional course work is required, or if previous course work can be substituted for any of the requirements shown.
Graduate 1: Fall Semester (13 credits)
ARC 6241 Advanced Studio 1 (6 credits)
ARC 6505 Structures Wood Steel Concrete (4 credits)
Elective (3 credits)
Graduate 2: Spring Semester (14 credits)
ARC 6355 Advanced Studio 2 (6 credits)
ARC 6242 Research Methods (2 credits)
Environmental Technology Option (3 credits) **
Elective (3 credits) *
Graduate 3: Fall Semester (14 credits)
ARC 6356 Advanced Studio 3 (6 credits)
ARC 6913 Master’s Research Project / Thesis Prep (3 credits)
History/Theory Option (3 credits) **
Elective (2 credits) *
Graduate 4: Spring Semester (12 credits)
ARC 6971 Thesis or ARC 6979Master’s Research Project (6 credits)
ARC 6281 Professional Practice (3 credits)*
Elective (3 credits)*
*Electives are courses freely chosen by students to broaden their intellectual horizons, creative resources and professional background. Any graduate course (numbered 5000 or higher) within or outside the UF School of Architecture meets the elective requirement.
**Options are a selection of courses in a given subject area, from which students choose and take to meet the designated requirement. Typically, two or three choices in each option category are offered during the Fall and Spring Semesters, depending on scheduling logistics, faculty assignments and student demand. At least one course in each option category is available each of these semesters.
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying to the University of Florida’s Graduate School of Architecture’s Advanced Master of Architecture Program CityLab-Orlando, you should follow the application procedure and requirements found at the following link http://gsoa.dcp.ufl.edu/main/articles/howtoapply. In addition, you must indicate your preference for the CityLab-Orlando program in your “Statement of Purpose”.
For more information regarding University of Florida’s Graduate School of Architecture’s Advanced Master of Architecture CityLab Program, contact Frank M. Bosworth Ph.D. Assistant Director School of Architecture at CityLab-Orlando@ufl.edu or Becky Hudson at bhuds@dcp.ufl.edu