Master of Architecture Application Process

Master of Architecture Application Process

Deadlines

Priority Deadline: January 5

The program only admits students to start in the autumn semester. The autumn application remains open after the priority deadline; please contact Jon Bullock (bullock.151@osu.edu) if you would like to submit a late application.

Admissions Process

The Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions administers the application, and a complete set of instructions can be found on their website.

  1. Begin an application through Graduate and Professional Admissions
  2. Prepare Materials
  3. Complete and submit your application
  4. Monitor Your Application Status Online

Cost of Attendance

For information about the cost of attendance, see the Graduate and Professional Admissions website.

For information about funding, see Funding & Scholarships.

Statement of Purpose

A 1–2 page statement of purpose should indicate your academic and career goals.

Portfolio

Regardless of their previous experience, all applicants must submit a portfolio. Applicants submit a portfolio through Graduate and Professional Admissions' online document submission. There are no prescribed requirements for the portfolio except for restrictions on filesize: a digital file may not exceed 30MB.

The portfolio should be well-designed and cohesive, and it should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to clearly present material. Program-related projects are strongly encouraged, but the portfolio may include any creative visual work (e.g. photography, painting). The number of pages and format of the portfolio is left to the discretion of the applicant.

GRE

The GRE is not required for admission to the Master of Architecture.

CV or Resume

Your resume should be 1-2 pages. Upload the document to your online application.

Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from each institution from which college credit was awarded. Ohio State transcripts are not required. A scan of an official transcript (front and back) may be uploaded to the online application to fulfill this requirement. If admitted, a final official transcript must be submitted. Mailed transcripts should be sent to Ohio State's Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. See the application instructions for details.

There are no course prerequisites for admission into the program, but it is recommended that you have taken a basic math and physics course prior to starting the program. A bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) from an accredited college or university is required to be considered for admission to the MArch program.

Applicants who possess a bachelor of science in architecture or a bachelor of arts in architecture from an NAAB accredited program, or a four-year architecture degree from an accredited foreign college or university may be considered for admission into the MArch program with advanced placement into the second year of the program at the discretion of the admissions committee. Applicants will be placed into the first or second year of the three-year program based on an evaluation of all application materials.

Note that if an applicant with a previous architecture background is placed into the full three-year program, he/she may potentially waive out of classes based on prior coursework. This waiver process is completed in the first week of classes and typically requires a review of previous course syllabi. The waiver policy is meant to avoid repetition and allows students to explore interests through electives.

GPA
In order to be considered for admission, applicants should have at least a 3.0 cGPA on a 4.0 scale, or a B average on another scale from the last institution from which they earned a degree.

For cGPAs lower than 3.0, contact Jon Bullock.

Letters of Recommendation

Enter information for three recommenders in the online application including a professional or academic email address for each. Once you have submitted the application, each recommender will receive an email request with a link to submit their letter online.

English Proficiency Scores

Official TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB scores are required for any applicant whose native language is not English, and who has been educated primarily outside of the U.S. Exclusions and details can be found on the Graduate Admissions website. Target scores are as follows: 100 TOEFL IBT, 86 MELAB, or 7.5 IELTS. Valid test scores must be from within the last two years.

Financial Review

Admitted international applicants are required to show evidence that they have sufficient funding to pay for all tuition and living expenses while at the university. Instructions would be sent if/when the applicant accepts the offer of admission. Please do not send these documents until requested.

For more information, see Graduate and Professional Admissions

Monitor Your Application Status

Your initial status will first become available 2–3 days after we receive your application and you should monitor the status of your application at appstatus.osu.edu.

First time applicants are sent an email assigning them an OSU ID and username. Previous Ohio State students will use their regular Ohio State login.

If your status shows missing letters of recommendation, you can use this link to send reminders and add new recommenders. As materials are received, they should be marked as complete online within 5 business days.

Test scores and transcripts typically take several weeks to be processed. Note that during the months of December and January, we do receive an influx of applications and processing time may take longer. Please continue to monitor the status of your application and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Please do not upload documents multiple times as each item submitted will be included in your application.

Your application status will say “pending” until a decision has been made on your application. When a decision has been made, your status will reflect the decision and you will receive a notification. The majority of admissions decisions and financial aid awards will be made February through March, though notifications may continue through the summer.

Need more information? Please contact:
 

Jon Bullock
Graduate Programs Coordinator
614-688-1795
bullock.151@osu.edu