Admission Requirements
Minimum Academic Requirements
Candidates for all graduate programs must meet the minimum admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Master of Architecture
Admission is based mainly on the applicant’s design portfolio and academic record. For an applicant to be considered, a minimum of four years (eight academic terms) of university courses is required, including architectural studies equivalent to the Dalhousie BEDS degree, with a minimum B average (3.00 GPA) during the last two years (60 credit hours). A minimum B average in architectural design courses is also required. In assessing an application, the Admissions Committee looks for strong evidence of readiness to pursue graduate studies in design, humanities, technology, and professional practice. For external applicants, the committee looks for strengths equivalent to standards at the end of Dalhousie’s BEDS program.
The Admissions Committee assesses transfer credits and recommends the level at which an applicant is eligible to enter the professional degree program. To meet professional accreditation standards, the committee cannot offer a level of entry that would permit a student to obtain the professional degree with less than six full years of university, including two years of general studies. An applicant who is ineligible for Master of Architecture admission may be offered entry at an advanced level in the BEDS program or may be required to take qualifying courses.
Master of Environmental Design Studies
An applicant must have an undergraduate degree with high academic standing from a recognized university. This degree must be either a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies degree, a Bachelor’s degree with honours, or a Bachelor’s degree with a major in a subject related to the applicant’s proposed field of study in the MEDS program. Admission is based on the applicant’s academic record and statement of intent, regarding one of the graduate positions announced on the Graduate Programs page of the School of Architecture Website. An application that does not specify an available position will not be accepted.
Documents
An external applicant to one of the School’s graduate degree programs must submit all of the following documents before the application can be reviewed:
To be submitted to the Registrar’s Office:
Admissions, Registrar’s Office
Dalhousie University
PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2
To confirm receipt of the items above, please contact the Registrar’s Office: (902) 494-2450.
To be submitted to the School of Architecture:
Graduate Admissions, School of Architecture
Dalhousie University
5410 Spring Garden Road
PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2
MArch applicants:
- an official academic transcript from all previous post-secondary institutions;
- evidence of competency in English for applicants whose native language is not English (see Graduate Studies Admission Requirements);
- a letter describing your background, your interest in the MArch program, your proposed area(s) of specialization in the MArch program (e.g., housing, urbanization, building construction, environmental systems, history/theory, digital media), and a possible thesis topic.
- a printed portfolio of design work that demonstrates your architectural design ability. This portfolio will not be returned.
- two letters of recommendation, including at least one from an academic instructor with close personal knowledge of the applicant's academic background. Each recommendation must be submitted on a Confidential Reference Letter form.
MEDS applicants:
- graduate application form;
- an official academic transcript from all previous post-secondary institutions;
- evidence of competency in English for applicants whose native language is not English (see Graduate Studies Admission Requirements);
- a letter that indicates the graduate position for which the applicant is applying (refer to the Graduate Programs page on the School of Architecture Website), summarizes the applicant's previous academic/work in this area, and describes his/her career aspirations;
- a design portfolio is optional.
- two letters of recommendation, including at least one from an academic instructor with close personal knowledge of the applicant's academic background. Each recommendation must be submitted on a Confidential Reference Letter form.
To confirm receipt of the items above, please contact the Graduate Architecture Secretary, at grad.arch@dal.ca or by telephone (902) 494-3973. For additional application instructions, please refer to the School of Architecture website: dal.ca/architecture.
Dalhousie Year 4 BEDS students who apply directly to the MArch program are required to submit an application form, a design portfolio, and a statement about the proposed area of focus in the graduate program to the Architecture office by February 1. An application fee, transcripts, introductory letter, and letters of recommendation are not required.
Application Deadline
For the Master of Architecture program, the deadline for applications from Canada and the United States is February 1. The deadline for applications from all other countries is December 1.
Transfer students with a pre-professional architecture degree who may not have completed courses that are equivalent to all required Dalhousie BEDS subjects should apply by October 1 and anticipate taking one or more senior undergraduate courses in the winter term.