Master of Advanced Architectural Design Application Instructions

The MAAD is not a NAAB accredited degree. International students interested in pursuing licensure in the United States should apply for the MArch degree. The MAAD degree program is classified as a STEM-related discipline by the U.S. government, which opens up new research and funding opportunities and has important implications for our international students, post-graduation.

[  ] Follow the application instructions for all UTSOA graduate programs.
[  ] See below for requirements for MAAD requirements.

Prerequisites for admission include a professional 5-year baccalaureate degree in architecture from a NAAB accredited school or its international equivalent.

[  ] Follow the Graduate School instructions to submit the application, application fee, transcripts, and test scores.

The GRE is waived for Fall 2025 MAAD applications. It may take 72 hours to be removed from your MyStatus. There is no reason to reach out in the interim. 

+ You have the option to indicate an area of interest on the  application.

[  ] Upload your statement through MyStatus.

+ The statement of purpose must be double spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font, and a maximum length of 2 pages. DO NOT exceed 2 pages in length. Applicants should address the following:

• Discuss the development of your interest in a graduate-level architecture program.
• Identify the theme for which you are applying, including the basis for choice, applicable past work/volunteer experience, and goals for applying to the degree after graduation.
• State the faculty member(s) you have identified and wish to work with, and explain the basis of this selection.
• Discuss any special circumstances that you believe require further clarification.

+ You may submit your online application before finishing your statement of purpose. You can later upload your statement through MyStatus.

[  ] Manage and track your letters through MyStatus.
[  ] Provide recommenders' emails as part of the online application.

+ Recommenders may include former instructors and professional employers.
+ Letters should include comments on the applicant’s intellectual, communicative, and leadership abilities as well as their capacity for creativity and relevant personal characteristics.
+ After you submit your application and pay your application fee, notification emails will be sent to your recommenders. Any delay in submitting your application or application fee will delay the notifications to your recommenders.

[  ] Upload through MyStatus. 

[  ] Upload portfolio as a single pdf through the portfolio credential on MyStatus.

The portfolio helps the reviewers determine your potential to perform successfully in a studio-based design curriculum. In order to review each application fairly and accurately, the reviewing committee requires evidence in one or more categories:

• The level of creative skill you possess in any medium.

• The extent of your interest in the MAAD, made evident through your abilities in composition, physical form-making, or perception of the environment.

• Your ability to translate ideas into physical form, even if in simple terms such as drawing.

FORMAT

Portfolios should be designed and formatted for on-screen viewing (avoid a double-spread layout). The maximum file size is 25 MB.

ATTRIBUTION

For each project, list the applicant’s name, the project’s date, and an indication as to whether the project was academic, office-related, or personal. In the case of collaborative or professional work, the contribution by the applicant must be precisely described.

ORGANIZATION

The organization of the portfolio is a design exercise. It should be clear, succinct, and thoughtfully composed to best reflect your interests and skills. The quality of the work is of greater importance than quantity.

CONTENT

Applicants seeking a post-professional degree should submit examples of work demonstrating an ability to pursue study at an advanced level. The portfolio should be of high quality and provide evidence of well-developed graphic skills, a sense of design (including integration of building technologies), and an understanding of space, form, and volume at different scales. The committee assumes the portfolio represents the applicant’s best abilities in design.