At the core of an architectural education is the design studio, during which students are immersed in hands-on, project-based courses where they build visual literacy, learn design skills, test ideas, and receive continuous, personal feedback on their work from studio faculty.

During Design Studio, students hone design and technical expertise while employing advanced tools and technologies in the development of projects which fuse together concepts of space, aesthetics, architectural theory, and materiality, among others.

SCI-Arc’s M.Arch 2 curriculum is structured around Design Studio. Students will enroll in one design studio course each semester while in the program.

Beginning with a two-semester core sequence of design studios and seminar courses, M.Arch 2 courses challenge students to employ advanced tools, techniques, and software while refining design skillsets for speculative architectural production.

Students continue on to two semesters of Vertical Studios which match small, combined groups of students from SCI-Arc’s undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs with faculty and visiting architects leading design projects that explore a wide variety of focuses and interests. Applied research in advanced studios and seminars in the final semesters of the program prepare students for Graduate Thesis.

In their final semester of Design Studio, students complete the production of a thesis project, which addresses a position in relation to contemporary architectural discourse.

SCI-Arc’s studio faculty is primarily comprised of practicing architects, who provide a window into the lives of the profession, as well as opportunities for professional internships and employment outside the school.

During studio hours, SCI-Arc faculty meet with students individually and in groups to discuss the progression of their design projects. Through these collaborative discussions, students learn to engage in an open exchange of ideas with faculty and fellow students, building the life-long relationships that will serve them throughout their careers.