Fields of Study

Accountancy: Master of Accountancy

For information contact:
Academic Program Coordinator
Department of Accountancy 310 Laws Hall (513-529-6200)
www.sba.muohio.edu/sba_home/academicdept/accountancy

The department's mission is to have a nationally recognized degree program that provides students with the lifelong ability to seek and acquire accounting and business knowledge and translate it into responsible action in a competitive environment.

This program provides an in-depth understanding of selected areas of accounting and business and the knowledge and skills to prepare graduates for entry-level accounting positions that require more than a bachelor's degree. This program qualifies graduates to sit for the CPA examination in Ohio and most states that require 150 semester hours.

Master's programs in business administration (M.B.A.) and in economics (M.A.) are also offered in the Richard T. Farmer School of Business. These two programs are listed alphabetically.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted on the basis of proven intellectual capability, maturity, and promise of success demonstrated by the undergraduate academic record, results of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), personal statement, and professional, community, and extracurricular activities.

Financial Assistance

In addition to graduate assistantships described elsewhere in this Bulletin, the department awards scholarships on the basis of merit and/or demonstrated financial need. For information, contact the academic program coordinator.

Program Requirements

(30 semester hours)

Prerequisite courses for this program are equivalent to the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in accountancy, including financial accounting research and financial statement auditing.

Accountancy courses requirement (18 semester hours)
ACC 695 Integrated Accounting Capstone (3)

Five other 600-level accountancy courses, excluding those numbered below 620 or above 670

Non-Accountancy courses requirement (12 semester hours)
Graduate-level non-accountancy courses determined by the program director and the department curriculum committee.

Architecture: Master of Architecture

For information contact:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Architecture and Interior Design
Alumni Hall (513-529-7026)
www.muohio.edu/architecture/

Research and Support Facilities

Alumni Hall
The Department of Architecture and Interior Design is located in Alumni Hall, which for many years served as the University's main library. The central portion, which dates from 1909, was conceived as the most lavish building on campus when it was commissioned and remains an impressive space today. The rotunda is a focus for departmental ceremonies, receptions and the annual Graduate Program Dinner. Since its restoration and 30,000 square foot addition designed by the renowned architectural firm Hammond, Beeby & Babka of Chicago was completed in 1997, Alumni Hall has served as a focal point for campus-wide activities. Almost all of the Department's activities are housed within Alumni Hall, including individual studio space for each student in the program as well as classrooms, seminar spaces, faculty and administrative offices, the Department woodshop, the Architectural Design & Visualization Laboratory, Lighting Simulation Laboratory, the Alumni Hall Cage Gallery, and the W.W. Wertz Art and Architecture Library. All department classes, except the larger lecture sessions, are taught in Alumni Hall.

The Center has offices, lab space, and testing facilities at the University's Ecology Research Center located just north of campus. The ERC building, which was constructed by architecture students, includes both passive solar and photovoltaic solar systems. In addition to the passive solar test cells at the center, the department has a 35-foot wind tunnel located in the department's energy design studio. (See the department web site for information on current funded research and student projects supported by the CBSR.)

Divisional Library of Visual Resources: Art Building
The Miami University School of Fine Arts maintains a divisional collection of visual resources located in the Art Building. The collection contains approximately 200,000 items, including approximately 80,000 architectural images, and maintains a video and DVD collection including architecture department lectures and other architecture subjects.

The Hiestand Gallery: Hiestand Hall
The School of Fine Arts maintains a divisional art gallery in Hiestand Hall, near the offices of the Dean and the divisional administration. The Gallery supports faculty and student exhibits, traveling exhibitions, and other exhibit and performance events sponsored by the Departments of Art, Architectecture, Theatre, and Music.

Admission Requirements

Applications are encouraged from students with degrees in other academic disciplines, as well as those with degrees equivalent to the four-year pre-professional degree Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.

Applicants must first satisfy the entrance requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, the department requires the following:

1. A carefully-crafted personal statement describing how Master of Architecture degree from Miami University will help you explore and meet your educational goals and professional aspiration and how you can contribute to the teaching and learning culture of the graduate program in architecture.
2. Three letters of recommendation with accompanying recommendation forms written by individuals who are able to assess your academic and professional potential. At least one letter should be sent from an academic source and one letter from a professional source. Recommendations should be sent directly to the director of architecture graduate studies by the student's referee.
3. A portfolio of creative work is required for all M.Arch. I, M.Arch. II, and M.Arch. III program applicants.
4. A curriculum vitae describing your academic and professional activity and accomplishments, scholarship, research, and personal creative activity should accompany the aforementioned requirements.
5. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required in its entirety and will be considered in addition to the mandatory application materials listed above.

Applications and all supporting information must be received by January 15. Send university application forms to the Graduate School.Departmental admissions information (listed above) should be sent directly to the director of architecture graduate studies at the address below. Acceptance is based on careful review by the Graduate School as well as by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design. Decisions regarding acceptance and graduate assistantship awards are usually made by early March.

Departmental application materials should be sent to:
Director of Graduate Studies in Architecture
Room 100
Department of Architecture and Interior Design
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056

For additional information on curriculum and the application process, including the recommendation form and portfolio requirements, please see our Web site at www.muohio.edu/architecture.

Program Requirements

Programs vary according to undergraduate preparation. The M.Arch. II is a two-year program entailing 60-64 credit hours of graduate level courses (64 hours are required if Digital Media Requirements ARC 615 and ARC 616 are not met prior to admission). This program is designed for students with the equivalent of Miami's Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.

Students who do not have an architectural degree or equivalent can expect to complete a Master of Architecture degree in three to four years. The M.Arch. III program includes 47 credit hours of preparatory courses in addition to the final 63 credit hours for a total of 110 credit hours. After the preparatory courses in both semesters of your first year, you must obtain permission from the graduate faculty to continue.

For students with five-year Bachelor of Architecture degrees, a post-professional program with a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate work is required (M.Arch. I). This program normally requires at least three semesters, including two semesters of studio, and may involve directed research and cross-disciplinary or interdepartmental courses and projects.

National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) Statement

The following statement is required by the NAAB.

Most states require that an individual intending to become an architect holds an accredited degree. There are two types of degrees accredited by the NAAB: (1) Bachelor of Architecture, which requires a minimum of five years of study, and (2) Master of Architecture, which requires a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor's degree or two years following a related preprofessional bachelor's degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration/licensure as architects.

The four-year preprofessional degree, where offered, is not accredited by NAAB. The preprofessional degree is useful for those wishing a foundation in the field of architecture, as preparation for either continued education in a professional degree program or for employment options in architecturally related areas.

Transfer Credits

Students who have completed graduate course work in other architectural graduate programs may petition to receive credit for that work toward a Master of Architecture degree. Decisions about transfer credit, based on the applicant's previous record, are made by the graduate faculty. Transfer credit is granted for work equivalent in content and rigor to Miami University's offerings and may not, by Graduate School stipulation, exceed one-third of the credit hours of graduate course work required by the Department of Architecture and Interior Design.

Length of Program

The program outlines, below, represent the minimum length of each curriculum track. Typically, course waivers granted by the director of graduate studies (in consultation with graduate faculty) do not reduce total credit hour requirements of a program. Under certain circumstances, students entering the M.Arch. III program with strong backgrounds in some design disciplines may petition to have their initial studio (ARC 581) waived. The nature of the studio sequence, however, normally prevents any reduction of semesters in residence in the M.Arch. I , M.Arch. II, and M.Arch. III programs.

These program tracks can be extended only upon consultation with the graduate director and the Graduate School. Candidates with insufficient backgrounds in core curricular areas, as determined by the director and graduate committee, will be required to take additional course work to attain the requisite curricular background.

Thesis

You must produce a written research thesis document and a design thesis project with guidance and approval of a committee of graduate faculty from the Department and the University. The thesis must meet standards, format, and procedures established by the Department of Architecture and Interior Design.

Program Outlines

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Miami's graduate program in architecture accepts students from three different preparation backgrounds. Students from pre-professional undergraduate architecture programs who wish to complete their professional education and hold a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture or a Bachelor of Science in Architecture apply to the M.Arch. II Program. Those who have earned an undergraduate degree in fields other than architecture apply to the M.Arch. III Proram. Additionally, students who have already completed an accredited Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree at an accredited North American college or university, and who wish to pursue a specialized field of research, may apply to the M.Arch. I Program.

Two-Year Professional Program in Architecture (M. Arch. II)
(60 credit hours with pre-professional design degree, 64 credit hours required if Digital Media Requirements, ARC 615 and ARC 616, are not met prior to admission)

The two-year professional program is designed for students with a pre-professional degree that is the equivalent of a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. Normally, a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Architecture is considered an equivalent pre-professional degree. Other undergraduate degree programs, in which the students have completed four years of architectural design studio and requisite course work in architectural history and architectural technology, may also satisfy partial requirements for admission to the M.Arch. II Program.

Students admitted to the two-year program must complete 60-64 graduate credit hours, normally completed in two academic years. Students must take up to 64 credit hours if they have not taken coursework in graphic media equivalent to ARC 615 and ARC 616. All students in the M.Arch. II Program are expected to produce a written thesis document and a design thesis project. Timely completion of the program largely depends on the effort devoted to thesis research and site investigation during the summer prior to the thesis year. Holders of graduate assistantships may receive tuition, a stipend, and academic credit for summer independent study in preparation for the thesis. Students who have previously completed coursework that is the equivalent to required courses in the M.Arch. II sequence may be given credit for that work toward completion of the Master of Architecture degree. While students may petition to have these course requirements waived, the total credit hours required for graduation will not be reduced. Miami credit and waivers are approved only by the Department's graduate faculty in consultation with the director of architecture graduate studies. The following proposal outlines the typical sequence of required courses and electives for the two-year term.

First year (33-37 credit hours)

summer I
ARC 615 Graphic Media III (2) 4

summer III
ARC 616 Graphic Media IV (2) 4

fall
ARC 5xx Departmental Graduate Seminar (3)
ARC 513 Environmental Control Systems I (3) 3
ARC 601 Architectural Design Studio (6) 1
ARC 634 Architecture Theory and Research (3)

spring
ARC 511 Structural Design (3) 3
ARC 514 Environmental Control Systems II (3) 3
ARC 602 Architectural Design Studio (6) 1,2
ARC 636 Design and Research Methods (3)

summer I - III
ARC 700 Directed Thesis Research (3)

Second year (Thesis Year) (27 credit hours)

fall
ARC 5xx Departmental Graduate Seminar (3)
ARC 512 Structural Design (3) 3
ARC 541 Professional Practice (3) 3
ARC 701 Pre-Thesis Design Studio (6)

spring
ARC 551 Modern Architecture (3)
ARC 702 Thesis Design Studio (6)
Architecture electives (3)

1. ARC 517 Architectural Materials, ARC 518 Construction Methods, and ARC 621-622 History and Philosophy of Environmental Design (or their equivalent) are the normal prerequisites for ARC 601-602.
2. ARC 513 Environmental Systems (or the equivalent) is a prerequisite for ARC 602.
3. ARC 511, ARC 512, ARC 513, ARC 514, and ARC 541 can be waived and elective coursework substituted if the student demonstrates that course requirements have been met in their previous curriculum.
4. ARC 615 and ARC 616 will be waived, with no elective substitution requirement, if the student demonstrates that course requirements have been met in his/her previous curriculum.

Three-and-One-Half Year Professional Program in Architecture (M. Arch. III)

(110 hour track for students with degrees in other disciplines)

The three-and-one-half year professional program is designed for students whose undergraduate degrees are outside the field of architecture.

Students admitted to the M.Arch. III graduate program must complete 110 graduate credit hours that are normally completed in three academic years and three summer terms. All students in the M. Arch. III program are expected to produce a written thesis document and a thesis design project. Timely completion of the program largely depends on the effort devoted to thesis research and site investigation during the summer prior to the thesis year. Holders of graduate assistantships may receive tuition, a stipend, and academic credit for summer independent study in preparation for the thesis. Students who have previously completed coursework that is the equivalent to that required in the M.Arch. III sequence may be given credit for that work toward completion of the Master of Architecture degree. While students may petition to have these course requirements waived, the credit hours required to fulfill degree requirements will not be reduced. Miami credit and waivers are approved only by the Department's graduate faculty in consultation with the director of architecture graduate studies.

The first year of the 110 credit-hour-track is a preparatory year during which students receive intensive education in the fundamental principles of architectural design, graphic communication and visual analysis, architectural history and theory, and architectural technology. For M. Arch. III graduate students to continue in the program, design work from the preparatory year must be reviewed and approved by a committee of graduate faculty at the conclusion of the spring semester.

The following curriculum outlines the typical sequence of required courses and electives for the three-and-one-half-year term.

Preparatory year (47 credit hours)

summer III
ARC 581 Architectural Design Studio (6)
ARC 613 Graphic Media I (2)

fall
ARC 517 Architectural Materials (3)
ARC 582 Architectural Design Studio (6)
ARC 614 Graphic Media II (2)
ARC 621 History and Philosophy of Environmental Design (3)

spring
ARC 518 Construction Methods (3)
ARC 535 Theory and History of Landscape Architecture (3)
ARC 583 Design Studio (6)
ARC 622 History and Philosophy of Environmental Design (3)

summer I
ARC 584 Design Studio (6)
ARC 615 Graphic Media III (2)

summer III
ARC 616 Graphic Media IV (2)

Professional Program (63 credit hours)

First Year (33 credit hours)

fall
ARC 510 Statics and Strength of Materials (3)
ARC 513 Environmental Control Systems I (3)
ARC 601 Architectural Design Studio (6)
ARC 634 Architectural Theory (3)

spring
ARC 511 Structural Design (3)
ARC 514 Environmental Control Systems II (3)
ARC 602 Architectural Design Studio (6)
ARC 636 Design and Research Methods (3)

summer I - III
ARC 700 Directed Thesis Research (3)

Second Year (Thesis Year) (30 credit hours)
fall
ARC 5xx Departmental Graduate Seminar (3)
ARC 512 Structural Design (3)
ARC 541 Professional Practice (3)
ARC 701 Pre-Thesis Design Studio (6)

spring
ARC 5xx Departmental Graduate Seminar (3)
ARC 551 Modern Architecture (3)*
ARC 702 Thesis Design Studio (6)
Elective (3)

* Students in the M.Arch. III program will take ARC 551 Modern Architecture. Any waiver of this requirement will depend on the student's undergraduate background in modern architecture.

Post-Professional Master of Architecture (M. Arch. I)

(36 credit hour track)

The one-year, post-professional program is for holders of the Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.) degree from a North American institution whose program has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) or for selected candidates with foreign architectural registration. Having fulfilled academic requirements in preparation for internship and for the eventual licensing examination, holders of the B.Arch. may enter Miami's graduate program in order to pursue specialized interests in a variety of areas. The 36 credit hour track will normally be completed in one academic year and a summer term. The program includes two semesters of studio, may involve directed research, and may include cross-disciplinary or interdepartmental courses and projects. Because the character of the program is individualized it must be negotiated between the graduate student, the student's adviser, and the director of architecture graduate studies. Potential subjects of study should be related to areas of expertise represented by Miami's architecture and interior design faculty. These include, but are not limited to: architectural history, building mensuration, historic building documentation, architectural criticism, architectural journalism, theory, regionalism, housing, urbanism, pedagogy, solar and energy efficient building design, graphics and computer applications in architecture. A final thesis design and written thesis document are required. Strong liasons between the Department of Architecture and Interior Design and the Departments of Theatre, Music, and Art in the School of Fine Arts, and with other departments at the University, make the construction of personalized and imaginative curricula feasible, and interdisciplinary projects conceived in this manner are encouraged.

Fall
ARC 701 Design Studio (6)
ARC xxx Departmental Graduate Seminar 1 (3)
ARC xxx Departmental Graduate Seminar 1 (3)
Elective 2 (3)

Spring
ARC 702 Design Studio (6)
ARC xxx Departmental Graduate Seminar 1 (3)
ARC xxx Departmental Graduate Seminar 1 (3)
Elective 2 (3)

Summer I-III
Elective 2 (3)
Elective 2 (3)

1. Architectural history theory electives
2. Elective coursework that supports your basic program chosen from this or other graduate programs. With your adviser's approval, you are expected to develop a program consistent with your educational objectives and needs.

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