Admission Information
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
University of South Florida: In order to enroll in the M. Arch. program, interested students must be accepted into the University as well as the School. Undergraduate students must be accepted into the University of South Florida by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and graduate students must be accepted by the Office of Graduate Admissions. In addition, interested students must be accepted into the School of Architecture and Community Design. These are separate admission processes that involve different application forms, supportive materials, and deadlines. For University requirements, interested undergraduate and graduate students should refer to the appropriate USF catalogs. The application requirements for the School of Architecture and Community Design (SACD) are indicated below.
[School of Architecture and Community Design]
Admissions into the School are available in the Fall semesters only. The deadline for application is February 1 of the same calendar year for which the applicant is seeking admission. All admission applications must include the following:
1. a completed SACD application form;
2. undergraduate transcript(s) (as applicable);
3. a sample of creative work (a non-returnable, 8.5” x 11” design portfolio);
4. three (3) letters of recommendation;
5. a one-page statement of academic/professional intent; and
6. a GRE test score.
In addition to the above, those who wish to enter the M. Arch program as undergraduates must have:
7. completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit earned;
8. completd the General Education requirements and Gordon Rule of Florida; and,
9. earned an overall minimum GPA of 3.0.
[SACD Space Availability]
Admission into the School of Architecture and Community Design is based upon the School’s current resources. If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the School, preference will be given to applicants with higher GPA’s, GRE test scores, superior letters of recommendations, and stronger design portfolios. For all successful Fall semester candidates, proof of meeting the School’s prerequisite course requirements must be received prior to July 31. Candidates who fail to do so will forfeit their admission into the School and will be replaced by other candidates on the School’s waiting list.
[Waiting List Status]
Students who are placed on a Fall admission’s waiting list will be notified in August should vacancies occur. “Wait-listed” students who do not gain admission in the Fall semester must re-apply for admission in the following year.
[AutoCad Prerequisite]
AutoCad Prerequisite
Students will be required to take a computer course prequisite for drafting. Below is the associated information.
[SCHOOL ACCREDITATION]
“In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognized two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.“
The USF School of Architecture and Community Design offers the professional Master of Architecture degree and is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.