Future graduate students | Architecture

The professional Master of Architecture degree prepares graduate students for entry into the profession of architecture. It offers an extension of the knowledge base required of practicing professionals to students with a pre-professional undergraduate degree in Architecture from an accredited university program.

Combining elements of a professional master's program and a research-oriented master's program, the Waterloo Master of Architecture offers a unique opportunity to engage in self-directed research and develop a minimum three term independent research and design thesis while completing the required coursework for professional preparation. The program supports the development of critical thinking in architecture. While it introduces students, through coursework, to the ethical, legal, administrative and practical aspects of the profession, the program builds upon a firm commitment toward architecture as a cultural act and practice. As such, the Waterloo MArch professional degree focuses on preparing students for a future that can only be constructed with the accumulated material of our collective cultural histories. Balancing technological innovation with techniques and knowledge drawn from vernacular architecture, and contemporary questions with academic rigour and historical study, Waterloo’s goal is to inflect positive change in future architects’ capacities’ to act and think.

View on YouTube

Options available to graduate students include - co-op opportunities, international research travel, a term in the Rome studio, and the University’s Water Program and Structures Certificate. With the support of our community of internationally-recognized faculty, staff, and students, students have the opportunity to position an architectural design and research thesis in relation to complex contemporary situations informing future architectural practice.

Please note that faculty do not directly admit students. All inquiries about admission should be sent to archinfo@uwaterloo.ca.

Degree Options

Master of Architecture

The Master of Architecture is a two-year degree program. The program accepts applicants from pre-professional architecture programs, in which students are expected to have completed the majority of the courses required for professional accreditation. Students holding a pre-professional Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) from the University of Waterloo (or an equivalent degree to the BAS from another university) can complete the Master of Architecture degree requirements in a minimum of three terms and up to a maximum of six terms. All other students with a pre-professional Architecture degree admitted into the Master of Architecture will be required to complete two terms of transitional coursework in preparation for the thesis year and are expected to complete degree requirements in a maximum of six academic terms.

Intake for the program is in the Fall term only.

Master of Architecture (Water)

The University of Waterloo offers a unique research-based Masters and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) collaborative program in Water. This program, jointly offered by ten departments across the Faculties of Arts, Engineering, Environment, Mathematics and Science, is intended to promote multi- and inter-disciplinary perspectives related to water. The goal of the program is to supplement disciplinary (specialist) training offered in individual departments with perspectives from a variety of water-related disciplines. Students graduating from the collaborative program will be better equipped to work in multidisciplinary teams to solve increasingly complex water issues.

How to Apply

The application process at Waterloo is managed electronically. Applicants are required to complete the online application form.

A non-refundable application fee applies.

The online application requires 1 - 2 business days for processing and then an account will be created for you in Quest, the student information system.

You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to upload your documents.

For complete details on the University of Waterloo application requirements please visit Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Admission requirements

A four-year, honours pre-professional undergraduate Architecture degree or professional Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minimum overall average of 75% (B)

International applicants should refer to the International Student Admissions Guide to verify
International equivalency requirements.

Additional admission requirements:

Applicants being considered for admission to the Master of Architecture may be required to verify English Proficiency which may include a written exercise or interview as instructed by the School of Architecture. Details will be communicated when required after initial assessment of applications is complete. This is an additional departmental requirement and not a substitute for the English Language Proficiency examination.

Application documents

Online application form
Two academic letters of reference – Referees will be emailed to complete and submit the official University of Waterloo Graduate Studies Reference form.
CV/resume
Supplemental Information Form which includes statement of your proposed research interest (form available on Applicant Quest)
Portfolio (uploaded electronically to Applicant Quest account)
Academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended (past or current) showing all courses and marks, along with the transcript legends/keys/grading scales uploaded using Quest. Degree certificates (if obtained) must be uploaded with the transcripts.
English Language Proficiency certification
Applicants are required to submit an English language proficiency (ELP) examination score unless any one of the following conditions is met:

Completion of 3 or more years of post-secondary education or completion of a graduate degree at a Canadian institution or university

Completion of 3 or more years of post-secondary education or completion of a graduate degree at a university at which English was the primary language of instruction, as indicated on the ELP exemption list

You have been employed for at least 3 years in a position in which English was the language of business in a country listed as “all exempt” on our ELP exemption list

*Students holding a Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree from Waterloo are not required to submit a portfolio. Additionally, Waterloo transcripts are not required but you must declare your University of Waterloo studies on the application.

Application deadline

January 15 (for admission in September) - all application documents must be uploaded to Quest by February 1.

The Master of Architecture program starts each year in the Fall term.

Portfolio Requirements

Portfolios should be submitted in a single PDF document of no more than 50 pages or 30MB, formatted on 8.5x11” pages horizontal format. The design and format of the portfolio should be kept simple so that it can properly illustrate the projects within without obscuring or overpowering them.

The purpose of the portfolio is to show creative and critical thinking, as well as a developed architectural ability. Applicants should include art and design work that illustrates those characteristics. The portfolio work itself should illustrate the concepts and ideas that applicants are mobilizing in their work, not simply technical ability. In order to make the ideas of the portfolio works clear, applicants should include a one paragraph description of each work, and caption all drawings where explanation is required.

The work that applicants can show could have been done in previous undergraduate architecture degrees, as well as work done in offices, or independently. Any collaborative work must be clearly labeled with the names of all collaborators and an outline of the applicant’s role in the collaboration. Any work done in an office under the supervision of a senior architect must include the name of the firm, that of the supervising architect, and a description of the role the applicant performed in the project. All images in the portfolio not produced directly by the applicant must clearly credit name of the drawing’s author.

All portfolios must be uploaded to Quest by February 1 following the formatting requirements above.

Please do not mail a hard copy.

Additional Information

Tuition and fees

For information on tuition and incidental fees visit Student Financial Services.

The Master of Architecture is a Coursework/Research based program. Fees are assessed on a term-by-term basis.

Funding/Scholarship Information

Teaching Assistantships/Research Assistantships

Teaching assistantship (TA) positions are open to graduate students in good standing in the Master of Architecture program. The School of Architecture will make information about the TA positions available to graduate students prior to the start of each academic term. Applications will be required on a term-by-term basis.

There may be Research Assistantship opportunities within the School of Architecture, dependent upon Faculty member grant funding and requirements.

Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS-M)

These scholarships are awarded to top domestic (Canadian and permanent resident) students. The value of these awards ranges from $17,500/year to $35,000/year. The competition for these awards is administerd once per year normally in the Fall with applications due by the beginning of December.

Detailed information including the application deadline is available on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs external awards web page.

Ontario Graduate Scholarship

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is a merit-based scholarship. Students in all disciplines of academic study are eligible to apply. Students must apply for the OGS at the institution where they want to hold it. For more information and how to apply, visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Ontario Graduate Scholarship web page.

Loans, Bursaries, and Other Assistance Programs

OSAP provides various types of assistance based on financial need to eligible students.

For full details on OSAP and out of province student loans visit Student Awards and Financial Aid.

University of Waterloo Bursaries and Assistance

Waterloo provides a variety of bursaries for students who find themselves in financial need, including Graduate Birth and Parental Leave, Research Travel Assistantship, and Day Care Bursaries. For additional busaries, emergency loans, and graduate scholarship resources please visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs financial need funding web page or the database web page.

University of Waterloo Awards

The Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs office provides information about scholarships and financial aid, and maintains a searchable database of awards for which you may be eligible.

International Student Funding

Please visit the International Funding page for information on bursaries and scholarship opportunities. Please note the Master of Architecture is not an eligible program for the International Master and Doctoral Student Awards.

Accommodations

The School of Architecture is located in Cambridge, Ontario. There are no residences operated by the University of Waterloo; students live in private housing accommodations. Visit Off-Campus Housing for local rental listings.

How to Apply (Non-Degree)

CACB Non-Degree Applicants

The Professional Practice course (ARCH 655) offered by the School of Architecture, University of
Waterloo is open for admission to professionals seeking certification through the Canadian Architecture Certification Board (CACB).

Applicants applying for the Professional Practice course, must have a letter from the CACB confirming
further studies are required as part of the academic qualification assessment. This letter must be uploaded with your application documents.

ARCH 655 - Architectural Practice: Ethics, Professional Liability and Business is offered once per calendar year as a block course in the month of April.

Deadline to apply : October 1.

How to Apply

The application process at Waterloo is managed electronically. Applicants are required to complete the online application form.

A non-refundable application fee applies.

After your online application has been received by Waterloo, an account will be created for you in Quest, the student information system. You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to upload your documents.

Required Application documents:

Online application – Select program – Architecture part-time, non-degree
CACB confirmation letter
Current Résumé
Academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended showing all courses and marks, along with the transcript legends/keys/grading scales uploaded using Quest. Degree certificates must be uploaded with the transcripts.
English Language Proficiency certification
Applicants who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary work at a Canadian institution, or at an institution, at which English was the language of instruction, will be required to provide certification of English language proficiency. Refer to the Discover Graduate Studies webpage for acceptable tests and requirements.
Proof of Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Resident status

Deadline to apply: October 1.

Tuition

Non-degree students are assessed part-time tuition fees at the Research or Coursework Master rate. For up to date information on Graduate fee schedules visit Finance-Student Accounts.

Accreditation information

The professional Master of Architecture in conjunction with the pre-professional Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree from the University of Waterloo compromises an accredited professional education.

In Canada, all provincial/territorial associations/institutes/orders recommend a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. In Canada, the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) is the sole agency authorized by the Regulatory Organization of Architecture in Canada (ROAC) to accredit Canadian professional degree programs in architecture for the purposes of architectural licensure. The CACB recognizes two types of accredited degrees offered at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture: the Master of Architecture (professional) and the Bachelor of Architecture (pre-professional). A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards.

Master’s degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The program in Architecture at the University of Waterloo received accreditation for a 6-year term by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) in 2024. The program is scheduled for its next review to continue maintaining its accredited status in 2030.

View the 2024 Visiting Team Report.

Guide to Program and Student Performance Criteria.