Online Application

Please note that while the online application site is hosted by Notre Dame's Graduate School, all application materials will be processed and evaluated by the School of Architecture's Graduate Admissions Committee.

Resumé or Curriculum Vitae

Statement of Intent

The statement of intent is an opportunity for the applicant to express themselves directly. This statement can take many forms, but should include some combination of what the applicant believes about architecture/urbanism/community/etc., why the applicant wishes to engage in graduate studies in architecture/urban design/historic preservation, why the applicant wishes to be a part of this program in particular, what led the applicant to this point, and what the applicant wishes to do with their career.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

At least one letter should be from a former instructor or academic advisor/mentor. If the applicant has worked in a design firm or similar professional environment, at least one letter should be from an employer or supervisor. In any case, these letters should be from persons who can speak directly to the applicant's character and abilities.

Recommenders are asked to submit the letter directly to the School online and are likewise asked to complete a short online survey, accessible once they are officially listed as a recommender by the applicant.

Portfolio of Work

All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of their work from academic experience, professional experience, independent projects, etc. 3-year professional degree (M.Arch/Path C) applicants without an extensive body of work or experience in the discipline should submit materials that offer a sense of the student's logic/clarity of thought in terms of submission layout/organization and their ability to draw—or an ability to learn to drawn. Projects in a variety of media may be submitted, but at least some hand-drawn/painted work should be included.

A hard copy of the portfolio must be sent for use in admissions committee deliberations. Please do not send any original work—reproductions only. It is requested that portfolios have a maximum size of 11x14 inches. Portfolios (with self-addressed return package and sufficient postage if return of the portfolio is desired) should be directed to:

Admissions Committee

The Graduate Program

School of Architecture

110 Bond Hall/Attention: Carol Kraus

Notre Dame, IN 46556-5652

Additionally, a PDF copy of the portfolio should be sent to Carol Kraus at ckraus@nd.edu.

There is no required PDF file size, though large files over 25MB may need to be sent using a method other than direct email.

Any items uploaded to the online application will be printed on standard 8 1/2x11 bond paper and included in the application folder.

Sample of Academic Writing

Applicants may submit a writing sample on any subject matter. The writing sample should be an individual work (not from a group project) and must be in English or an English translation must be provided.

Transcripts from all undergraduate and previous graduate institutions

Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts for the purposes of admissions review, but will be required to submit an official transcript from all previous institutions prior to matriculation. International applicants with a foreign language transcript must include an original language copy and official (i.e. notarized) English translation of each transcript. Applicants still in the midst of a program of academic study should provide an official copy of their latest transcript with their application. If accepted, incoming students must then submit an official copy of their final transcript immediately after graduation and prior to enrolling in a School of Architecture graduate program.

The School of Architecture does not list a strict minimum GPA for admission, but does see an applicant's GPA in a previous course of study as one key indicator of future academic performance. Generally, the Admissions Committee seeks a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

GRE Scores - General Test (Verbal, Quantitative, Writing)

GRE scores reported must result from tests taken within the last five years. Exceptions might be made for GRE scores used to enter a previous graduate program, however all applicants must report GRE scores. Test scores should be ordered and sent by the testing service to the University of Notre Dame, institution code 1841. To expedite the review process, applicants may also upload preliminary (unofficial) scores until official ones are available.

The School of Architecture expects a minimum GRE score of 308 and would find it difficult to consider someone submitting a score below 300 for the combined Quantitative & Verbal Reasoning portions of the exam. The score for the Writing portion of the exam is expected to be 3.5 or above.

TOEFL or IELTS Scores

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY

The University of Notre Dame recommends a minimum score of 7.5 (TOEFL) or 100 (IELTS) and the School of Architecture graduate programs do as well. Students in the 2-year post-professional program must serve as teaching assistants, a duty which may include grading papers and written tests or offering design critiques for undergraduates. For those in the 2-year or 3-year professional degree or historic preservation programs, taking technical lecture courses can prove difficult for those without a high level of comfort in English.

TOEFL or IELTS scores reported must result from tests taken within the last two years.

Students for whom English is a second language may avail themselves of a variety of courses and services from the English for Academic Purposes program on campus free of charge. This program is intended to improve select skills which may be required as a student or serving as a teaching assistant, but does not replace a fundamental strength in and comfort with the English language.

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required of all professional degree applicants (Path B and Path C) seeking financial aid. The School of Architecture addresses scholarships, stipends, health insurance and technology fees, etc. while all student loan questions should be addressed directly to the Office of Financial Aid.

Applications are due January 15

All materials other than the portfolio should be submitted online. Applicants should be sure to post their portfolio early enough to ensure that it will be received in the School of Architecture by the application deadline. The Graduate Admissions Committee conducts several rounds of application review. Applicants will be notified as to acceptance by e-mail and letter in the second or third week of March. Please note that applications, particularly portfolios, are reviewed in groups by program and path of study to ensure as equitable a comparison as possible.

For further information about graduate program applications, please contact:

Professor Samantha L. Salden Teach

Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies

Phone: (574) 631-0191

Email: ssalden1@nd.edu.

Carol Kraus

Academic Coordinator - Graduate Program and Research,

Scholarship & Creative Work

Phone: 574-631-2312

Email: ckraus@nd.edu

For additional information about our graduate programs, please complete this form and we will contact you.

INTERVIEWS

All prospective students are encouraged to schedule an interview and visit the School before or during their application process. Those who are unable to visit the program in person are welcome to schedule a phone or Skype interview.

Transcript Review For Professional Degree Students

Students entering (the 2-year M.ADU program) with a previous professional degree have completed the educational requirements necessary to test for licensure in the U.S. or in another jurisdiction as certified by another institution.

Students entering the 3-year professional degree program do not have a previous degree in architecture and therefore are not assumed to have any previous coursework experience that would fulfill course requirements within the School of Architecture's curriculum. However, these students are welcome to apply for advanced standing in one or more courses.

Students entering the 2-year professional degree program have already completed a portion of the educational requirements necessary to test for licensure. As the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture will certify the professional degree for these students, careful review of the student's previous transcripts is critical.

All applicants must include a final transcript from all previous institutions with their application (or their latest transcript to be updated with their final one immediately after graduation before enrolling in the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture's graduate program). The Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies reviews each transcript in detail comparing them to the three-year professional degree curriculum and ensuring that a minimum of 26 credits of studio work have already been fulfilled (as the 24 credits within the 2-year professional degree program will complete the NAAB's required minimum of 50 credits). Syllabi for various courses may be requested from the student wherever a question may arise and faculty members may be called on to assist in their review. Any seminar or lecture courses whose contents have not already been covered (Architectural History, Building Technology, Structures, Environmental Systems, Professional Practice, etc.) will be added to the student's required curriculum. Several slots have been identified for that purpose in the curriculum outline. Any of these slots not needed for additional required coursework may be used for elective courses of the student's choice. Students requiring more courses than slots provided may be required to take more than the maximum course load given in a given semester and, if a course is not available in the semester needed, to take the course in an independent study format, depending on the availability of the instructor.

ADVANCED STANDING

Students seeking advanced standing are asked to identify the lecture or seminar course(s) in question and provide the corresponding syllabus or syllabi from their undergraduate or previous graduate work to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. The ADGS will then review the documents with the appropriate instructors to determine whether the previous coursework does indeed fulfill the requirements of one or more courses in the curriculum. Advanced standing may be awarded to students who have completed some portion of their non-studio course work prior to admission, but the four- or six-semester studio sequence is required of all students. Students awarded advanced standing will not receive University of Notre Dame credit for the courses in question, but will simply have the corresponding number of credits deducted from their degree program minimum requirement. A student may then simply have a lighter course load for a given semester or have the opportunity to take additional elective courses. Students opting for a lighter course load in a given semester should ensure that their number of credits still meets the minimum requirements for full-time student status, their student loans, etc.