The NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program at Lawrence Technological University offers an innovative, technology-driven approach that integrates advanced design methodologies, environmental responsibility, and real-world problem-solving. Our program is designed to empower students with the critical skills and technical expertise needed to address contemporary architectural challenges, and is an essential step in becoming a licensed architect.
Have questions about the Master of Architecture program or the application process? Our Enrollment Coaches are here to assist! Whether you’re exploring programs, have questions about requirements, or ready to take the next step, we’re just a call or email away.
Learn when and where it fits your schedule; the program can be completed almost entirely online.
We believe the best learning environments are collaborative in nature, which is why we’ll provide you with resources and opportunities to work with professionals employed at the largest firms in the region. And you’ll receive real-time critiques and feedback from your professors.
Our collaborative experience personalizes your learning as faculty and peers get to know you and your aspirations – enriching your learning and professional goals through more supportive engagement in the classroom.
LTU is one of only four nationally accredited M.Arch programs that can be completed almost entirely online. As an online student, you are completing the same program as students in our M.Arch program on campus.
As a nationally renowned program focused on teaching, our faculty believe in student-centered learning. We keep classes small and coursework challenging but manageable — you’ll never feel like a number in an overcrowded classroom.
LTU has delivered the M.Arch program for 10+ years, with proven success through our alumni community’s impact in the field.
We keep pace with the cutting edge of technology in the architectural field, in our hands-on learning opportunities that prepare our students to successfully approach contemporary challenges in the field.
Track II of the M.Arch program is intended for students who have earned at least a pre-professional degree, typically the Bachelor of Science in Architecture, at another institution. Applicants who hold the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Lawrence Tech can complete the program in as little as 36 credit hours. We welcome qualified students from other institutions who wish to complete their graduate studies and earn their accredited M.Arch degree at LTU.
Students may complete all but four of the upper division credits of the Track II of the M.Arch program online (There is one, 4-credit summer course, the Design Build Studio, which requires students to work on campus for one week).
The information below is based on the Lawrence Technological University Graduate Catalog 2025-26. View our Course Catalog page for more information about our individual courses.
The Architecture Foundation Studio sequence is a series of three courses intended to introduce students to the principles and processes of architectural design. All courses in the AFS sequence address the elements of architecture and their contextual relationships as well as design tools, techniques, and processes. The third course in the sequence, Architectural Foundation Studio 3 (AFS-3), focuses on more advanced refinement and development of architectural proposals. The studio will explore architectural design through traditional visualization methods alongside more experimental representational tools and techniques. The primary purpose of the studio will be to refine student knowledge in the relationship between visual practices and architectural development.
ARC5034
4
Students complete a comprehensive site and building design project through demonstration of investigative and design skills engaged with site conditions, historical traditions and global culture. Each project integrates environmental, structural and spatial ordering systems and addresses issues of sustainability, accessibility, and life safety in the design. The course focuses on skill in required technical documentation and producing a set of architectural drawings delineating the project and fulfilling course objectives. This course meets the NAAB accreditation standards for a comprehensive architectural design studio and is supported by professional consultants who provide expertise, through lectures, demonstrations, reviews and other activities, in content areas required for the course. The studio component of the course emphasizes the fully-integrated architectural proposition. The consulting/lab component conducts technical research, computation, and documentation in support of the studio.
ARC5126
6
A leading design practitioner and collaborating faculty define a specific topic and process for an advanced design investigation exploring current issues in critical practice. Students research, generate and represent design ideas in a collaborative team format and working process, reflective of studio practice in the design professions.
ARC5804
0
This is the on-campus component of ARC 5804 Design-Build Studio. This is when students will take what they’ve worked on during the semester and build it in real life
ARC5800
6
Students complete an advanced-level design project that includes guided research, a design process, and a design proposition. The projects will respond to a specific studio topic determined by the instructor so that students can develop an understanding of the theories and principles of design, practice, and sustainability with a demonstrated ability to synthesize and integrate these understandings.
ARC5814
4
and
Students complete an advanced-level design project that includes guided research, a design process, and a design proposition. The projects will respond to a specific studio topic determined by the instructor so that students can develop an understanding of the theories and principles of design, practice, and sustainability with a demonstrated ability to synthesize and integrate these understandings.
ARC5824
4
-OR-
Advanced architectural research and critical investigation on a pre-selected and approved topic. The research topic is broadly based within architectural discourse with a clear theoretical position. Students expand and develop a year-long personalized program of architectural investigation in consultation with a supervisory committee. The topic of investigation should be not only of personal interest but also further the theoretical boundaries of the discipline of architecture.
ARC6514
4
and
Continuation of research and architectural investigation from Thesis 1. Final outcome of the project is determined by the student in consultation with the thesis committee and will have relevance to the discourse of architecture. Final grading is determined by the thesis chair in review with the final jury. The final jury includes members of the thesis committee.
ARC6524
4
Total Credits:
22
History and philosophy of architecture in a context of related arts, crafts, and designed setting, studied in significant periods of the western world of antiquity, the Middle Ages (including Byzantine and Islamic extensions), and the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
ARC5613
3
History and philosophy of architecture and related design studied in significant periods in Asian, Pre-Columbian cultures and in the modern world from the 18th century. Lect. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: ARC 3613 (min. grade D-).
ARC5623
3
A historical and theoretical study of the transformation of European and American architecture in the 20th century. Study topics may include the effects of urbanism and suburbia, architecture of commerce and everyday life, and everyday and political expression through building. Lect. 3 hrs Prerequisites: ARC 3623 (min. grade D-).
ARC4183
3
Investigation of ecology and ecological systems in specific relation to design and the built environment. The course will explore both historical and current issues that illuminate global and societal concerns regarding ecology. Issues will be examined from a social, political, biological and practical perspective and address the current and future development of architecture. The professional role and ethical responsibility of the architect will be examined to foster ecological awareness and understanding of responsible practice. Case studies, readings, reports, and projects generate discussion around ecology and faculty lectures define relevant topics for debate and review.
ARC5423
3
A comprehensive survey course of the theoretical positions of design through history culminating in the 20th century. The studies will track the origins, attitudes, and development of aesthetics in Western society. The class will follow developments in classical Greece, the Enlightenment and birth of modernity in Europe, the academic French architecture, the industrial age of England and the political upheavals of the early twentieth century Europe. Examples will include architecture, interior design, urban planning, engineering and industrial design, Lecture format with required papers.
ARC5643
3
Total Credits:
15
This course is an introduction to the behavior, analysis, and design of structural members and systems. It provides a basis for the understanding of elementary force flow in structural systems and an intuitive understanding of how systems react to and resist loads. This course introduces the theory of statics with analytical and graphical solutions. Topics include the determination of loads, the resolution of force systems, and equilibrium analysis; and structural principles related to shape (centroids and moment of inertia), the properties of materials (stress, stiffness, and modulus of elasticity), shear and bending moments, deflection, column theory, and elementary indeterminate structures. Instructional methods include lectures, advanced digital media, video, in-class problem solving, demonstration models, and the investigation of historical precedents. The course provides the knowledge of structural theory which is the basis for the code based procedures in subsequent courses.
ARC5513
3
This course is an introduction to the behavior, analysis, and design of structural members and systems. It provides an understanding of force flow
and load path in structural systems and how they react to resist gravity and lateral loads. This course introduces the theory of statics with analytical
and graphical solutions. Topics include determination of loads, resolution of force systems, equilibrium analysis, and structural principles related to
shape (centroids and moment of inertia). The properties of materials (stress/strain, stiffness, modulus of elasticity), shear and bending moments,
deflection, and indeterminate structures will also be studied. The course also includes methods of analysis for lateral stability due to wind and
earthquakes loads, the development of one and two-way span systems, the structural behavior and force flow in long span, high rise, and lateral
force structural systems. Instructional methods include lectures, advanced digital media, videos, in-class problem solving, demonstration models,
and the investigation of historical precedents. The course provides knowledge of structural theory, which is the basis for the code-based design
procedures in subsequent courses.
ARC5713
3
Structural Systems 2 expands on the general principles and methods of analysis presented in Structural Systems 1. It prepares students for both
quantitative and qualitative approaches to structural principles and analysis. Coursework includes design of steel, concrete, and timber structural
systems, the evaluation of structural members in linear frame systems, and addresses building codes and industry standards (IBC, ACI, NDS, AISC).
The course considers force and load transfer in systems and helps students develop an intuitive understanding of how systems react to and resist
loads. Students will evaluate a series of small project-based structural systems and design basic structural elements using steel, concrete, and wood
based on current structural codes. Instructional methods include lectures, advanced digital media, videos, in-class problem solving, demonstration
models, and the investigation of historical precedents.
ARC5723
3
This course is the first in a sequence of two that address building construction systems. The course introduces principles of construction materials and assemblies based on their properties, performance, and environmental impact. Course content will engage criteria for defining appropriate building structure and enclosure systems in response to qualities of durability, aesthetics, thermal performance, and energy resources. The course will also introduce building systems and life safety systems guided by standards of practice and building code regulations. Students develop construction drawings, models, and outline specifications to demonstrate ability and understanding of the course content and objectives.
ARC5313
3
This course is the second in a sequence of two that address building construction systems. The course focuses on principles of sustainable construction assemblies based on performance and environmental impact. Course content will engage criteria for defining appropriate building structure and enclosure systems in response to variables of geography, climate, thermal performance, and energy resources. Course content also includes building service systems and application of life safety systems through egress, accessibility, and code compliance. Students develop construction drawings, models, and outline specifications to demonstrate ability and understanding of the course content and objectives.
ARC5323
3
The course reviews the theories of sound perception, analysis of architectural acoustics, room acoustics, sound isolation, sound absorption, electronic sound reinforcement, and the study of acoustic properties of materials and room shapes to provide speech privacy, enhance speech clarity, enrich music spaces and control noise. The course also addresses basic electrical theory, utility connection options, emergency backup, distribution, and safety considerations as they relate to building construction. Electrical lighting is studied as part of an assimilated section covering the fundamentals of illumination, integrating natural daylighting and electrical lighting design for energy conservation. Class projects include investigations into course subjects to further enhance understanding of real work applications.
ARC5413
3
The course address issues of human comfort; principles of heat transfer emphasizing calculation of heat loss and heat gain; heating, ventilating and cooling equipment, system selection and sizing; spatial requirements; moisture migration; air pressurization; psychrometric analysis; and sustainable design including acceptable indoor environmental quality (IEQ), low embodied energy material selection and energy conservation. The course includes an overview of water supply and waste water systems, domestic hot water, plumbing layouts/fixtures; and the basics of fire protection, including smoke control and automatic extinguishing water-based systems. Group class project work includes analysis of heat loss/heat gain and domestic hot water (DHW) equipment and HVAC system investigation for an existing structure.
ARC5413
3
Total Credits:
21
*Courses require content of College Physics and Precalculus
†Courses may be waived for advanced standing by previous BSArchitecture degree
This course focuses on leadership skills specific to the allied disciplines of design within the College of Architecture and Design. Students will engage models of leadership relevant to a dynamic and evolving professional context. Course content will include typologies of leadership organization, principles of successful teamwork and collaboration, viable economic frameworks, ethics and design entrepreneurship.
DES4112
2
Intensive study and application of research methodologies used for academic, theoretical, and design practice. The course will include historical and current methods of research in behavioral sciences, building sciences, and environmental design. The course utilizes computer applications and engages case studies in design research. Sources of research include those utilized in educational, governmental, professional, and legal environments.
ARC5013
3
An overview of the professional architectural practice from a regulatory, procedural and ethical perspective. The course addresses the NAAB standards for a professional degree program, the NCARB standards including the Intern Development Program, and the state laws governing requirements for licensure and professional practice. Topics include the history of the profession, professional services, contract documents, legal relationships, professional ethics and codes of conduct, governmental regulations, regulatory codes, and professional firm organization.
ARC5643
3
Total Credits:
8
Graduate CoAD Elective
5/6XX3
3
Graduate Elective
5/6/7XX3
3
Students completing the LTU BSArch degree.
Students with a degree in a non-architecture field.
Students with a degree in a related design field (e.g., interior design, landscape architecture).
Applicants to Track II of the M.Arch program are required to present the following documents for admission:
A completed Graduate Application, which can be submitted online at this link
Official transcripts of all completed college work.
A résumé describing your educational and work experience as well as extracurricular activities and interests.
A comprehensive portfolio of work demonstrating a range of visualization and design abilities and experience. The portfolio requirements are linked below.
Syllabi from undergraduate courses that demonstrate exposure to the following:
Understanding of building technology, including construction materials and systems, building enclosure, environmental control systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, lighting, acoustics, and fire suppression), and structural systems.
Understanding of architectural history, from prehistory to the present.
The minimum Bachelor’s degree GPA is 3.0 for acceptance into Track II. Track II students whose GPA is 2.80-2.99 are eligible for conditional admission. Conditional admission students must apply for the fall semester, and must earn a “B” grade or higher in their first studio course, as well as must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of the first semester to remain in the program.
Deadline: Summer Admission: March 1 / Fall Admission: August 1 / Spring Admission: November 15
For more information about these requirements or the program in general, please contact Rosalie Parks at rparks@ltu.edu or 248.824.6731.
THESIS (1+2) is a two-part academic course, part of the required Master of Architecture curriculum at Lawrence Tech.
The Design Build Studio is a charrette-style studio that balances between generative creative work, workshop instruction, and intensive feedback sessions.
The Master of Architecture program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
As a part of the NC-Sara Reciprocity agreement, Lawrence Technological University is required to disclose publicly, the educational requirements for professions that require a license or certification to practice in that field.
