Master's Program

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The School of Architecture accepts applications using our downloadable pdf application form. Required sections include personal information, educational history, and personal statement. Once you have completed the application, please email it to admissions@tsoa.edu. Please then navigate to our Tuition page to pay the $50 application fee.

For questions at any time during the application process, please contact the Office of Admissions.

Telephone 1-480-750-4475

Email admissions@tsoa.edu

Application Deadlines

Spring 2023

October 15, 2022

General International And Domestic Application and Fee Deadline for the Spring 2023 Program

October 30, 2022

General Applicant Portfolio and Letters of Recommendation Deadline for the Spring 2023 Program

Fall 2023

January 15, 2023

Early International And Domestic Application and Fee Deadline for the Fall 2023 Program
Early applicants receive $1,000 tuition discount for the first semester

January 30, 2023

Early Applicant Portfolio and Letters of Recommendation Deadline for the Fall 2023 Program

April 15, 2023

General International And Domestic Application and Fee Deadline for the Fall 2023 Program

April 30, 2023

General Applicant Portfolio and Letters of Recommendation Deadline for the Fall 2023 Program

What Do You Need To Apply?

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters are required from persons familiar with the applicant’s intellectual and design abilities. At least one should be from a teacher/professor that has worked with the applicant in an academic setting. The recommender should complete the recommendation in the School-provided format and it must be submitted by the published application deadline. Reference letter templates are included in the application packet.

Portfolio

A portfolio of creative work must be submitted. The portfolio should reflect your level of creative ability. The portfolio for Master of Architecture should include architectural projects, when appropriate, or creative work in other media, such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design, furniture design, or photography. The portfolio should also consist of creative work in the realm of human experience.

The portfolio is to be submitted electronically.

Transcripts

Applicants must provide an official transcript, or academic record for each institution of higher education previously attended, even those that did not confer a degree. All transcripts must include a key, legend, or back copy of the transcript. Non-English transcripts must be accompanied by an English translation provided by a recognized credential evaluation service. Scans must be clear and legible, and all transcripts/records should include the student’s name. Transcripts provided with the application are considered unofficial and will be used for evaluation purposes only.

Any admission offers will be contingent on receiving and verifying all official transcripts, certified translations, and/or credential evaluations pertaining to the applicant’s entire post-secondary academic career, prior to the registration deadline.

Post-acceptance, official transcripts must arrive in an envelope sealed and stamped by the Registrar’s office. If the official transcript does not include the conferral date of the baccalaureate degree, please request an official copy of the diploma or provisional certificate as well. Transcripts (and diplomas) not in English must be accompanied by a translation and evaluation provided by a credential evaluation service.

Any fraudulent activity or discrepancies found between unofficial and official transcripts will result in the immediate revocation of the admission offer.

Transfer Credit Policy

The school recognizes that students come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Some students have prior academic coursework or work experience in architecture that may enable them to enter the school at a more advanced level than those students without such experience. The school provides students the opportunity to apply prior learning and work experience toward their degree requirements at the School, while placing importance on living and working within the community in the development of a community-trained architect. For that reason, the school does not consider prior learning and work experience as justification for reducing the minimum residency
requirement of two years.

A masters student seeking to use coursework completed at another institution must provide the Director of Admissions with an official transcript, the official explanation of the institution’s course numbering system and grading system, and the course description from the catalog of the institution. Students may choose to submit evidence of prior learning and work experience to document their
entering levels. Students who submit thorough documentation of prior learning and work experience upon enrollment at the school will receive a thorough review of their prior experiences preceding enrollment. That review, completed by faculty, will be used to establish a foundation for required course work and Architectural Practice requirements.

The school may waive certain coursework and/or Architectural Practice requirements for students based on official transcripts received from accredited post-secondary institutions or documented architectural practice experience certified by the student’s supervisor. However, the student is still required to demonstrate Proficiency in the related learning outcomes. Students who do not choose to submit evidence of prior learning and work experience at the time of enrollment may choose to do so as part of any subsequent Learning Portfolio submission. That work will be evaluated during the regular review.

Students may apply for Architectural Practice credit from previous work by thoroughly documenting activities completed and hours worked under the supervision of a registered architect and signed by that supervisor. A maximum of 300 hours of previous work experience will be accepted toward fulfilling the School’s Architectural Practice requirements and are subject to the approval of the Review Committee.

  • A maximum of 42 transfer credits from other institutions may be approved for use on the program of work. This is roughly equivalent to the number of credits awarded during the school’s first, foundation course of study.
  • The grade must be B-(80% or higher) or above
  • Courses must be equivalent in quality and content to a graduate level course.
  • Courses may not have been used toward another degree.
  • Coursework earned on the quarter system is normally calculated at two-thirds of the credit for courses offered on a semesterly basis. Thus, a three credit-hour course taken on the quarter system may be transferred as no more than two credit hours.
  • Coursework taken abroad or on other credit-hour systems will be recalculated for semester
    hour credit and the amount of credit approved will be determined by an evaluation of the
    content of the course as compared to an equivalent TSOA course.
  • If approved for use, the course must be used within a six-year time limit. Courses older than
    six years may not be transferred.

Resume (Curriculum Vitae)

A resume of academic and employment information, awards, honors, etc.

Interview

Applicants are required to complete an admissions interview with the Admissions Committee, preferably in person. Should applicants be unable to complete in person, Skype or another form of electronic communication may be utilized, but only as a last resort.

Personal Statement

In 1,000 words or less describe your interest in your chosen program of study and your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree. The personal statement should be provided with the application. The personal statement is your way of introducing yourself to the Admissions Committee and is one of several credentials that will determine your eligibility for admission. The essay should also discuss your interests, passions, constructions, and involvements.

Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement

The school requires that in-person students show proof of vaccination from COVID-19. Students who are not vaccinated may arrange to attend on-line classes.

Application Fee

An application fee of $50 USD, which is non-refundable and not applicable toward any other fees, is required via check, money order, credit card or wire transfer payable to The School of Architecture. Applications received without the fee will not be processed. Application fees are subject to change.

Prerequisite Classes

Admitted applicants to the M. Arch program are required to feel comfortable with computers and computer-related technology: Students will be expected to start the program with an awareness of current versions of design software (AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Rhino, SketchUp) and basic graphic design skills: color theory, fonts, and 2D layout. Students lacking these skills are highly encouraged and may be asked to partake in a summer Immersion Experience in order to gain proficiency prior to the fall semester.

International Applicants

English Language Proficiency

We require all applicants whose first language is not English to adequately demonstrate English competency as a part of the application process. Students may demonstrate competency by submitting scores from IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or TOEFL. Our institution requires a minimum overall band score of 7.3 on IELTS academic
test. Acceptable TOEFL scores are between 95 and 109.

The School of Architecture only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your official test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution.

E-delivery Account Name: Shelby Hamet
E-delivery Account Address: shamet@tsoa.edu

Visa and Immigration Information

All newly accepted international students are required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to submit proof of ability to fund their first year of attendance prior to issuance of I-20 forms. Immediate family members joining the community will also need to prove sufficient funds. Persons entering the program should plan on a minimum of three years of attendance