M. ARCH. ADMISSIONS

Please be aware that M.Arch. tuition fees are under review. We anticipate having information by the end of January about revised tuition fees.

Applicants to the MArch program must hold a degree in almost any discipline [BA, BSc, BFA, BASc, etc.] that is academically equivalent to a UBC four-year Bachelor’s degree. To be eligible for admission, the applicant must have a 'B+' average in third and fourth year-level coursework. Please review the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for more detailed information.  If you do not meet the minimum requirement, please review the FAQs.

Students entering the program with an undergraduate degree normally take a minimum of three and one half years to complete the requirements. However, students holding a pre-professional architectural degree [Bachelor of Environmental Design or Bachelor of Arts with a major in Architecture, for example] will typically be given advanced standing at the discretion of the School's Admissions Committee.

Assessment of applications will be made solely upon the basis of all aspects of the applicant's submission. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that his/her application is sufficiently well-documented to illustrate academic achievement, work experience and creative potential.

These components of the application need to received by
January 6, 2012:

Applications should be addressed to:

Admissions Committee
Architecture
University of British Columbia
Room 402 - 6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2

Application Form
A completed online application form for the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of British Columbia, along with the non-refundable fee.
See Grad Studies' electronic application which is forwarded automatically to the architecture office.

Resume
A summary [in résumé form] including education, work experience, travel, volunteering, or other relevant experience deemed appropriate is required.

Statement of Interest
A statement of reasons for desiring to study architecture as well as reasons for selecting UBC Architecture [one page].

Portfolio
A portfolio of work is required that demonstrates aptitude and experience in creative endeavors. This should include significant evidence of two and three dimensional skills and thinking.

The production of a portfolio may appear daunting to those without a background that includes creative activity. The intent here is simply to demonstrate in deliberately visual terms the kinds of interests and accomplishments that accompany the applicant's desire to enter into a professional program in architectural studies. A broad range of work may have value in communicating to the Admissions Committee a clearer sense of the applicant's current level of achievement, and the implicit sense of capability to be productive and successful in this demanding program.

The MAXIMUM size for the portfolio is 20 pages [these can be doublesided] and 23 cm x 30 cm x 1.5 cm (9” x 12” x 1⁄2”). Portfolios exceeding these requirements will not be considered. Applicants should not submit work on CDs or in any other electronic form ‐it will not be viewed. If working in collaboration with others, please clearly indicate your contribution / responsibility of the submitted work.

Transcripts
The applicant must send to UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture two official transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions. This includes transcripts from universitites where you may have done an exchange. Although your credit may appear on your home institution, other valuable information appears on the exchange institution transcripts. If the applicant is currently completing a degree, any acceptance will be conditional on the successful completion of the degree with requirements as noted.

If the academic records are in a language other than English or French, you must arrange for appropriate translations to be attached. Please carefully follow the Faculty of Graduate Studies instructions on translation processes.

References
The applicant must send to UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture three letters of reference from referees, preferably academic, who will provide references indicating an assessment of past ability and future success in an architecture program.

UBC Graduate Studies has recently initiated a secure online reference process. In the online application, if you have given the email address of your referee in the space provided, the referee will automatically be sent an email stating that she/he is to supply a reference for you with a link to the secure application site. The referee will write the recommendation, then submit it electronically; it automatically comes to the Architecture office. Your referee does not need to submit a hard copy of this in a signed sealed envelope. Please ask your referee before you complete the online application to write the recommendation and let her/him know about this electronic option.  In order to give your referee sufficient time to submit the e-reference by the deadline, your online application should be submitted well in advance of the deadline.

One thing that has been noticed about the e-references is that some referees are not nearly as expansive as they could be. The “box” that they fill in on the e-ref is expandable, and they can easily write a page long reference for you in the box – or copy from an existing letter.

Forms for reference letters may be found on the Graduate Studies website under Application Reference Forms. These, or references on letterhead, must be submitted in signed, sealed envelopes and submitted from the referee or with your application package.

Other Application Pieces

English Language Tests
Test of English as a Foreign Language: Applicants from a country where the primary language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by obtaining a score of at least 100 [1BT], 250 [computer based] in the TOEFL or International English Language Testing Service: A minimum overall band score of 7.0 is required with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component of the academic (NOT general) IELTS test.  A passing score must be received by the office on or before the deadline date for your application to be considered. 

Graduate Record Examination
While not required, GRE results may be submitted as additional evidence of scholastic promise and aptitude.

Notification of Acceptance
Every portion of each application must be reviewed by the full Admissions Committee before final decisions are made and it is not generally possible to provide an immediate response to inquiries. The Committee works in an effective manner, and generally results will be available by the middle of March.

Interest in the program far exceeds the School's resources and facilities, so the places are awarded on a competitive basis. Architecture reserves the right not to accept applicants for admission even though they may meet the entrance requirements.

Please note: All documentation submitted will not be returned to the applicant.

Contact Information
Enquiries and applications should be addressed to:

Admissions Committee
Architecture
University of British Columbia
Room 402 - 6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2

T. 604.822.2779
F. 604.822.3808
E: mailto:architecture@sala.ubc.ca