Students seeking admission to the UNLV Master of Architecture program must apply to the UNLV Graduate College. The School of Architecture application priority deadline for fall admission is January 15.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must:

• Application materials (to be uploaded digitally in the Grad Rebel Gateway system) include a letter of intent, design portfolio, letters of recommendation, writing sample, transcripts, TOEFL (if applicable), NAAB matrix for previously completed architecture coursework (if available), and AXP transcript (if available). All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College admission and registration requirements.

The Master of Architecture program offers prospective students two paths:

1. For applicants holding a Bachelor of Science in architecture (BS Arch) or its equivalent, the program offers a two-year degree path in the 4+2 program.
2. For applicants with academic backgrounds outside of architecture or holding a Bachelor of Arts in architecture, the duration of the 3+ path varies based on an individual student’s academic background and preparation.

Each student applying for admission will be individually assessed by the School of Architecture Admissions Committee with implications for potential advanced standing or required preparatory coursework in either path articulated such that the candidate understands the length of professional degree program prior to accepting the offer of admission.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding subdisciplines and subplans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Students who qualify for admission to UNLV may declare their major in any one of the School of Architecture’s undergraduate programs. Entering students begin their studies in the School of Architecture’s foundation curriculum until the end of their second year, when they are eligible to apply for entry into the major.

Student progression from second to third year is competitive and requires the submission of a portfolio of work and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Admission to the second-year studio programs is competitively based on a student’s grade point average and successful completion of first-year studies. Before enrolling in upper-division courses, including studio, within the School of Architecture, a student must gain approval by the Faculty Review Committee. Admittance to upper division is based upon a faculty review of:

1. Successful completion of all required courses in lower-division studies and the achievement of a minimum grade point average of 3.0. (See “Major Degree Requirements” in the current Undergraduate Catalog and the current degree sheet for your major.)
2. Completed School of Architecture application for upper division.
3. A portfolio of creative work.
4. A written statement describing your professional interest and career-development opportunities as you pursue any of the three design professions offered by the SOA.

The application deadline for the BS IAD,  BS ARCH, and B LAND programs is April 14 at 5pm.

Transfer students applying for upper-division programs of the school from other institutions must submit the following to be considered for admission based upon faculty review:

1. Portfolio of design work that demonstrates graphic skills, model-making skills, basic two- and three-dimensional composition, basic understanding of spatial organization, understanding of color, and basic site and handicap accessibility planning.
2. Completed School of Architecture application for upper division, including documentation and description of community service and/or professional experience.
3. A creative or research essay produced for any course or an essay as defined by the School of Architecture faculty annually.
4. Letter of professional intent.
5. Official transcripts from other institutions previously attended.

While the university accepts credits transferred from other accredited institutions, transfer credits are not applied to the School of Architecture programs until reviewed and accepted by this unit. Transfer credits for required program courses must be from NAAB-, CIDA-, or LAAB- accredited institutions. Transfer coursework must be equivalent in both content and level of offering. In addition, a faculty review of samples of work (or portfolio of work) from previous studio or laboratory classes is required.

Attendance at classes, laboratories, studios, and seminars is required. If excessive absences are noted in a particular course, the student will be notified in person and by letter that he or she will be administratively withdrawn if further unexcused absences are noted. If further absences occur after notification, the student will be withdrawn from the course and the program.

All lower-division design studios must be taken in sequence. With the consent of instructor and program advisor, an upper-division student in one design program may substitute one upper-division studio in another design program, except that students in the Architecture program may substitute another upper-division studio for AAE 482 only.

The School of Architecture reserves the right to retain, photograph, or record any or all student projects for the program’s future use or publication.

Courses in the School of Architecture are graded with a letter grade with pluses and minuses. Grades received from UNLV or other institutions are also evaluated for letter grades only in determining grade point averages for admission to the program’s upper division.

Upper-division students in the School of Architecture design programs are required to complete a 200-hour internship with a professional design firm.

Because the school’s upper-division programs are sequential, and space in the program is limited, students are encouraged to progress through the curriculum with their class.

All students are required to have a laptop computer by the beginning of their second year of enrollment in the School of Architecture program. A recommended list of laptop configurations and program software is available from the School of Architecture front office and the School of Architecture website.

Students in the lower-division program who are placed on probation must observe rules or limitations that the School of Architecture imposes on their probation as a condition of retention. If after one semester on probation an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 has not been achieved and/or the conditions of probation have not been met, the student will be disqualified from enrollment in School of Architecture courses. Appeals may be made to the Program Standards Committee before the beginning of the following semester. See university retention standards.

Students in upper-division programs are placed on probation when they incur any of the following:

1. Failure, incomplete, or withdrawal from any required course.
2. A semester GPA below 2.5.
3. A grade of below C- in any course required for a major.
4. Violation of the university code of student responsibility and/or any admission agreement. See university retention standards.

Students on program probation must observe rules or limitations that the School of Architecture and the Planning Standards Committee place on their probation as a condition of continuation. Students will be removed from programs if:

1. After one semester on probation, the requirements imposed are not met and/or the overall GPA is not above 2.5.
2. Failures or withdrawals in required courses are not resolved at the next offering of the course or failures or withdrawals from required sequential courses are not resolved.
3. Incompletes in required sequential courses are not completed before the first day of class of the next semester.
4. Any course required for a major in which a grade of less than C- is received must be retaken with an earned grade of C- or above. For design-studio courses, this must be accomplished prior to progressing to the next studio level.

Students removed from programs are not guaranteed reinstatement even if probation requirements or requirements necessary for readmission are fulfilled. Appeals may be made to the Program Standards Committee.