Ball State University
AC-4: Graduate Program

The master of architecture (MArch) professional degree is the second component of architectural education at Ball State University. It is for students who seek licensure in the profession and is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB). Our college is listed among "America's World-Class Schools of Architecture" by Design Intelligence, ranked in the top 10 nationally for our work in digital design and fabrication and our commitment to social justice by Architect magazine, and nationally known for our leadership in sustainability. With two options, our graduate degree is for those committed to developing—with faculty and fellow students—the attitudes, skill, and methods needed to work as an architect in support of the sustainability of a built environment of the highest quality. We see the built field—and architecture as part of it—as an embodiment of culture in all its diversity and complexity. It is in constant flux while adhering to an underlying coherence. The built field consists of both ordinary and special buildings. Spaces found in built fields span time and space from dense urban agglomerations to the most rural settlements. The evolution of the built field—depending on both convention and invention for its sustenance—is guided by professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including architects, engineers, planners, as well as public officials, corporate leaders, product manufacturers, and everyday users. In light of these realities, and because we expect our graduates to engage in diverse forms of local and global practice during their careers, we challenge students with knowledge both new and old. We stress how to learn and how to design, incorporating the methods that constitute the profession’s shared body of knowledge. Because we respect the lessons practice offers, we emphasize the idea of the reflective and global practitioner as a conceptual framework linking our teaching in classrooms and studios, and a variety of immersive learning experiences away from the campus. Given this viewpoint, a distinct part of our program is a required academic internship experience of at least 14 weeks following the framework articulated by National Council of Architectural Registration Board’s Intern Development Program (IDP) for architectural licensing. Students who have already fulfilled the academic internship requirement prior to enrollment in the program, may pursue more internship experience or utilize study away experiences including the following options: • Foreign travel and study in one of Ball State's foreign study centers or with cooperating institutes and universities in the United States and around the world • On-campus immersive and experiential learning experiences such as the Virginia Ball seminar • Another distinct component of our program is the opportunity to embark on one of several certificate programs offered within the College of Architecture and Planning and in the university at large. We welcome students from around the world—of all ages, races, and backgrounds—who wish to work with us on the vital issues and opportunities that face the profession as it seeks to contribute to improving our manmade environment.