The deadline to apply for fall 2013 admission for graduate study in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design has passed.
Application materials are outlined below. To download a pdf version of the instruction sheet for application and financial aid from our current admissions cycle, click here.
Please note: Applications for spring enrollment are only available for advanced-standing MArch candidates, and are due by October 1; visit the MArch 2 program page for requirements.
All application materials that need to be mailed in hard-copy form (transcripts, GRE scores, portfolio, etc.) should be sent to the following address:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Washington University in St. Louis
Campus Box 1079
Givens Hall, Room 105
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
If you would like to receive our printed Graduate Programs bulletin and be added to our mailing list, please contact Kathleen O'Donnell, Graduate Programs Administrative Coordinator. If you have questions about the graduate program curricula, please contact Peter MacKeith, Associate Dean of the Sam Fox School and Director of Graduate Admissions.
Phone: 314.935.6227 or 800.295.6227 (within continental United States)
Fax: 314.935.7656
wuarch@samfox.wustl.edu
Further information to assist applicants in their preparations is provided below.
Washington University in St. Louis encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The University does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, disability or genetic information.
Courses Prior to Enrollment
MArch 3 applicants are asked to demonstrate satisfactory completion of one course each of elementary calculus and college physics prior to enrollment. These courses assure adequate preparation for the architectural structures sequence that is required of all MArch students. Through the portfolio, MArch 3 applicants are asked to demonstrate ability and experience in freehand drawing and/or two- or three-dimensional basic design exercises.
MLA applicants must demonstrate satisfactory completion of at least one college-level course in the natural sciences and at least one college-level course in the visual arts, such as drawing, sculpture, graphics, and/or basic design. Applicants with an accredited degree in landscape architecture or architecture may be admitted to the MLA program with advanced placement. Applicants who have received a non-accredited degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or environmental design may also receive advanced placement of one or two semesters, upon review of the admissions committee.
Required Application Materials
The following application materials may be submitted in stages; we may receive any of the hard-copy items before or after you have started the online application process. All of the following materials must be submitted by the application deadline. No applicant will be considered for admission until all required items have been received.
1. Completed online application materials:
- Personal information.
- A statement of intention of educational and career goals.
- A resume/curriculum vita (to include education and employment history, honors, awards, and extracurricular activities).
- Three letters of recommendation, to be completed by individuals who know the personal and academic qualities of the applicant (preferably—although not necessarily—academic instructors). These three letters must be submitted through the online application process. Please note that, along with other contact information, you will need to provide each recommender's accurate e-mail address. A fourth recommendation can be included; contact our office with the name and contact information (including e-mail address) for the additional recommender.
2. A non-refundable $75 application fee, either paid by credit card online, or by check or money order, made payable to Washington University.
3. Official transcripts from each college and/or university attended. Photocopies or digital copies can only be accepted when endorsed with an official stamp or seal and an appropriate official signature. Please arrange to have the official transcript(s) submitted in hard-copy form in a sealed envelope, and sent directly to our office; the mailing address is listed above.
4. GRE scores (provided by the testing services). To ensure official test score reports arrive as needed, please use our institution code (6929) and department code (4401) when making arrangements with the testing agency.
5. A printed portfolio showing examples of design work or work in the visual arts, organized and presented in a protected format (see guidelines below).
6. A Test for English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score is required if the applicant's native language is not English. For non-native English speakers, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 on the Internet-based test is required for admission. An exception is made for candidates who have studied four years toward a baccalaureate degree in the United States. To ensure official test score reports arrive as needed, please use our institution code (6929) and department code (12) when making arrangements with the testing agency.
Portfolio
All applicants must submit a printed portfolio to the Office of Graduate Admissions. The portfolio is the most important part of the application to the graduate program. The work presented in the portfolio—whether drawings, paintings, models, sculpture, photography, furniture, or small construction projects—should be the best examples of the applicant's efforts.
- Applicants who have never studied architecture must submit at least 20 examples of work in the visual and constructive arts that demonstrate a potential for accomplishment in further creative study.
- All applicants who have pursued formal studies in architecture or landscape architecture must include examples of their design work related to those areas of pursuit but are also encouraged to include examples of other artistic endeavors.
- Portfolios must be presented in a protected format (e.g., pages that are bound, preferably in a lightweight booklet form, using plastic ring, plastic strip, metal coil, tape, or book binding). Booklet dimensions are to be no larger than 9" x 12". Bulky items such as fabricated metal or wooden boxes or binders are discouraged.
- The layout of the portfolio should be clear, with brief descriptions for each piece or project.
- Applicants submitting work done collaboratively, either in school or in the profession, should clearly indicate the level of their personal contribution.
- All work should be produced in high-resolution digital images. Original pieces of art (ie., actual drawings or paintings) should not be submitted.
Important: A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage must be included when sending the portfolio to ensure its return. Portfolios will not be returned without a SASE.
Dual Degree Applications
To gain admission to a dual degree program involving another division of the University (e.g., Social Work, Business, or Construction Management), students must submit separate applications to and gain admission from both programs. Each program makes admission decisions independently. For further information about dual degree programs, click here.
Financial Aid
Financial aid forms are due by February 15 for all applicants who plan to enroll in the fall semester; spring semester applicants must submit their financial aid forms by October 1. For information about the financial aid application process, click here.
