The J. Irwin Miller Architecture M.Arch program attracts students from a variety of backgrounds and interests. They typically have some of the following qualities:
- Imagination and intellectual curiosity
- An appetite for art and design
- Creative Problem solving
- Multi-disciplinary attitude and an interest in cross-pollination
- Less an interest than a dissatisfaction with knowledge limited to that from only one discipline
Students enter our program from backgrounds as diverse as Business, Computational Linguistics, Philosophy, History, Political Science, and the life sciences. Common degrees include:
- Design/Interior Design
- Studio Art
- Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Theater)
- Humanities
Through a series of studios and community engagement projects, students receive a uniquely cumulative education where design problems are interwoven with the concepts of:
- Structure
- Spatial composition and sequence
- Movement
- Admission of light and air
- Energy consumption and sustainability
- Building surface and skin
- Materiality and assembly
- Visual Thinking and Artistic Inquiry
- High degree of experimentation
With each project and with each semester, students tackle increasingly complex design problems. They’ll begin with giving priority to the composition of space. In both their third and final semester, students will solve a semester-long design problem with a hands-on research component to address more complex issues of aggregate form in architecture.
We see artistic practice as vital to the practice of architecture. That’s why students take parallel studios in architecture and visual arts throughout their three years of study. Though each of these deals with different problems, learning how to tackle measurement, proportion, cadence, relativity, depth, line quality, tonal structure, and visual order in their artwork will greatly enrich the quality and thoughtfulness of their architectural designs for years to come.
One of the best places to see examples of student work is our Instagram @iu_architecture and Facebook @IUMillerMArchProgram accounts.
Incoming U.S. and international students are eligible for merit-based fellowship awards. A completed application to the program is the application for these awards. Merit-based fellowship decisions are made by the program chair based on recommendations from the admissions committee; admitted applicants are notified of their merit award in their admission letter. Fellowships are awarded at three levels that range from $8,000 per year to full tuition.
We also offer funding for both phases of the Nomadic Studio to help with travel and housing costs. Phase 1 (Rome) offers $2,000, and phase 2 offers $3,500. These funds are only available to students who attend these study abroad opportunities.
The Miller M.Arch is a first professional degree program, meaning that graduates will be equipped to continue through their internship period to the licensing exam, and ultimately to their professional architecture license.
Many graduates will follow the classic path, joining an existing architectural practice, designing, and getting buildings built. Many others will take advantage of the habits of mind, strategic thinking, and deep knowledge of design to begin their own architectural practice, hybridize it with something else, or even head off in a different path altogether.
Students should prepare a personal statement, resume/CV, 3 letters of recommendation and an architectural portfolio.
GRE NOTE: Our program does not require the GRE.
More information about these requirements can be found on our website: https://architecture.indiana.edu/admissions-aid/index.html.
Coursework needed for admission
A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university is required for admission. There are no course prerequisites, but Calculus I, Physics I, and Arts History courses are recommended.
