Apply to Master of Architecture

February 1 is the deadline for prospective international students. Domestic applicants are highly encouraged to have all materials in by this date.

The application consists of two parts:

UTK Graduate School Application

• Application form
• Official transcripts of all college and university coursework
• Three letters of recommendation
• A TOEFL score (international students only)

School of Architecture Supplemental Material

• Statement of intent
• Portfolio
• Resume
• GRE General Scores are optional, not required

Your statement of intent should indicate why you are pursuing a graduate degree in architecture at UT. We encourage you to include the following:

• Cite examples of your experiences that demonstrate the personal ambition necessary to succeed in architecture at UT.
• Discuss your primary motivations for pursuing a degree in architecture, especially any areas of specialization that are significant to you.
• Explain why the School of Architecture at UT is the preferred program for you to launch a career in architecture, architectural research, or an allied field.

Portfolios are reviewed for quality of content, never for quantity. The selection committee is looking for evidence of your ability to think spatially, visually, and critically. A shorter but more striking portfolio helps to demonstrate this quality—25 pages as a maximum should be sufficient. A strong portfolio may have very few images, provided those images are of high quality and strong critical value.

• Applicants to the M.Arch 3G come from diverse backgrounds. Images submitted may include photography, montage or collage, images of 3-D artifacts such as sculpture or craft, or images of drawings, paintings, or other forms of 2-D artwork.
• Applicants to the M.Arch 2G need not include every project, nor every semester’s design studio work. Include only the best work and only the best images of that work. Make sure to note the curricular year and duration of each project and note any information regarding collaboration, including your responsibility for any of the drawings or models produced jointly.

All portfolio submissions shall be uploaded electronically as PDF files and will be viewed on standard monitors, and should be created with that in mind.

Financial Aid

Our admissions team reviews all applicants for the possibility of an offer of financial support, which would be made based on the strength of the application materials submitted. When it is available, support in the school is awarded competitively and is intended to allow a graduate student to excel in the program. There are several forms of support, including fellowships, grants, scholarships, and research and teaching assistantships (with tuition waivers and stipends for the semester of the award). Offers of financial support are stipulated in a prospective student’s letter offering admission into the M.Arch program.

Questions? Want to tour the A&A?

Feel free to contact Jennifer Akerman, Associate Professor and Architecture Graduate Studies Chair, at jakerman@utk.edu to discuss any questions you have about our graduate degrees and programs.