Program Description
Cornell’s post-professional Master of Science, Advanced Architectural Design program (M.S. AAD) is an intensive, advanced architectural design research program open to individuals holding a B.Arch. or professional M.Arch. degree. The program offers a critical framework for investigating pertinent design concerns, practices, and technologies in 21st-century architecture and urbanism. Three- and four-semester options are available, both starting with a summer semester in New York City and continuing at the Ithaca campus.
The M.S. AAD is designated as a STEM program in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology making international graduates eligible to extend their F-1 visas for up to three years to work in the United States.
M.S. AAD Policies
Students are expected to follow all university, college, and program policies. Failure to comply with any policy or petition decision may result in review by the program committee.
Academic Standing
To be in good academic standing, a student must:
- Successfully complete a minimum of 12 academic credits each semester; and
- Earn a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.300; and
- Follow the prescribed program curriculum and comply with all university, college, and program policies; and
- Earn no letter grade lower than C in a design or thesis course.
Grades
All required courses (ARCH 6110, ARCH 6301, design studios, and required TI courses) must be taken for a letter grade. Open electives can be taken with either the letter or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading options. Classes completed with an audit grade cannot be applied toward any curricular requirement.
Specifically:
- A grade of C or higher is required for a design studio class (ARCH 7111, ARCH 7112, and ARCH 7113) or thesis class (ARCH 8906 and ARCH 8907) to count towards studio degree requirements.
- A letter grade of D- or higher is required for ARCH 6110, ARCH 6301, and all TI elective courses. Grades of S will not be accepted.
- A letter grade of D- or higher, or a grade of S or SX is required for the required open electives.
Advanced Standing/Transfer Credit
There is no advanced standing or transfer credit in the M.S. AAD program. All students must complete all curricular requirements at Cornell’s Gensler Family AAP NYC Center and Ithaca campuses during the semesters specified.
Program Information
- Program Mode of Delivery: In Person
- Program Location: Ithaca, NY
- Minimum Credits for Degree: 42 (Three-semesters); 57 (Four-semesters)
- Length of Program: Three and Four-semester options; Full-time study
Program Requirements
The M.S. AAD program has two distinct curricular options, one that is completed in three semesters and one that is completed in four. Both options have the same initial summer and fall semesters. After the summer semester in New York City, the program continues in Ithaca, where the three-semester option consists of two additional design studios and six elective classes (four Territories of Investigation electives and two open elective); while the four-semester option requires one additional topic studio, and seven elective classes (four Territories of Investigation electives and three open electives), in addition to the two-semester thesis.
Students wishing to pursue the four-semester curriculum for the M.S. AAD must apply during the fall semester, with a thesis topic representative of their Territory of Investigation. They must then choose a two-member thesis committee before the end of the semester.
Curriculum for Three-Semester Program
Required Departmental Non-Elective Courses | Semesters | Subject | Course Numbers | Credits |
| 3 | Design Studio | ARCH 7111, ARCH 7112, ARCH 7113 | 18 |
| 1 | Computational Thinking | ARCH 6110 | 3 |
| 1 | Architectural Territories of Investigation | ARCH 6301 | 3 |
| Territory of Investigation Electives | | 12 (4 courses of 3 credits each) |
Required Open Electives
Semesters, Requirement, Credits | Semesters | Requirement | Credits |
| 1 | Any 3 credit (or greater) course at the 5000-level or above | 3 |
| 1 | Any 3 credit (or greater) course at the 5000-level or above | 3 |
Total Academic Credits: 42
Semester Pathway
Plan of Study Grid | Summer Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 6110 | Computational Thinking as Design Process | 3 |
| ARCH 6301 | Architectural Territories of Investigation | 3 |
| ARCH 7111 | Design A | 6 |
| | Hours | 12 |
| Fall Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 7112 | Design B: Topic Studio | 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 7113 | Design C: Topic Studio | 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| | Total Hours | 42 |
Curriculum for Four-Semester Program
Required Departmental Non-Elective Courses | Semesters | Subject | Course Numbers | Credits |
| 4 | Design Studio | ARCH 7111, ARCH 7112, ARCH 8906, ARCH 8907 | 30 |
| 1 | Computational Thinking | ARCH 6110 | 3 |
| 1 | Architectural Territories of Investigation | ARCH 6301 | 3 |
| Territory of Investigation Electives | | 12 (4 courses of 3 credits each) |
Required Open Electives
Semesters, Requirement, Credits | Semesters | Requirement | Credits |
| 1 | Any 3 credit (or greater) course at the 5000-level or above | 3 |
| 1 | Any 3 credit (or greater) course at the 5000-level or above | 3 |
| 1 | Any 3 credit (or greater) course at the 5000-level or above | 3 |
Total Academic Credits: 57
Semester Pathway
Plan of Study Grid | Summer Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 6110 | Computational Thinking as Design Process | 3 |
| ARCH 6301 | Architectural Territories of Investigation | 3 |
| ARCH 7111 | Design A | 6 |
| | Hours | 12 |
| First Fall Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 7112 | Design B: Topic Studio | 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester |
|---|
| |
| ARCH 8906 | Thesis in Advanced Architectural Design I | 9 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| Second Fall Semester |
|---|
| ARCH 8907 | Thesis in Advanced Architectural Design II | 9 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| | Hours | 15 |
| | Total Hours | 57 |
M.S. AAD Requirement Areas
Territories of Investigation (TI)
Students in both the three- and four-semester curricular options select a specialized Territory of Investigation (TI) at the end of their first semester, chosen from among the following four options:
- Architecture and Discourse (A+D): Theory, criticism, publishing, cultural production, design research, historical structures and contemporaneity in design
- Architecture and Ecology (A+E): Sustainable practices, soft infrastructures, materials research, environmental simulation, computational design, digital fabrication, performance-driven design
- Architecture and Representation (A+R): Emerging technologies of representation, drawing fields, digital and generative design, new cartographies, media spaces, architectural publications and exhibitions, theories of representation
- Architecture and Urbanism (A+U): Urban geography, typological studies, urban theory, networks, infrastructures, urban imaging, urban ecologies
Territory of Investigation Electives (4 courses, 3 credits each, taken for a letter grade)
TI elective classes may include designated classes within the Department of Architecture, as well as non-departmental classes that are either designated by the M.S. AAD committee as appropriate for particular TIs or those approved as relevant to the designated TI by the student’s advisor (assigned at matriculation) or thesis committee chair.
Open Electives
All M.S. AAD students select open electives from any department in the university. Open electives must be 3 or more credits at the 5000-level or higher.
Studios
In the fall semester, students select a topic studio relevant to their chosen TIs. Those in the three-semester program then select an additional topic studio for their spring semester, while those in the four-semester program proceed into their two-semester thesis for the spring and following fall semesters. In special circumstances, a student in the three-semester program may petition to take an independent design studio during their final semester, insofar as it accommodates their TI and has the approvals of a sponsoring faculty member and the M.S. AAD committee.
Admissions
Please visit the AAP website to view application deadlines and more detailed information on application requirements.
The Department of Architecture has specific requirements for the admissions process for the Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design program:
- Students holding a professional bachelor of architecture degree (B.Arch.) or a professional master of architecture degree (M.Arch.) may be admitted as candidates for the post-professional M.S. AAD program. International students must submit an official certification that the degree held is a professional degree entitling them to practice architecture in their country.
- The M.S. AAD program has a summer start term; there is no fall or spring semester admission.
- Applicants still enrolled in a B.Arch. or M.Arch. at the time of application must have a conferral date no later than May 31 in order to be eligible for admission.
Application and Portfolio Requirements:
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended.
- All applicants must meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement.
- Academic Statement of Purpose
- A portfolio of creative work must be submitted online via the CollegeNET application.
- Resume/CV optional but strongly encouraged.
Expected Supply Fees
Architecture: Architecture students should allow a minimum of $1,100 up to $3,000 for expendable supplies each academic year, depending on academic level, courses selected, and projects chosen.
