Admission & Portfolio Requirements

Application Information

The policies and procedures for application and admission are as follows:

All application materials (application, transcripts, portfolio and letters of recommendation) must be postmarked no later than November 1st (Early Action/Decision) or January 1st (Regular Decision); for more information contact the Admissions Office or Academic Services at 305-284-3731. No applications or application materials will be accepted after this time. Enrollment in the School of Architecture is selective and limited by space and other resources; early application is encouraged.

Undergraduate Admission

Applications for incoming freshmen are processed and reviewed by the Office of Admissions.

The University of Miami uses a holistic admission process in which all parts of a student’s application are considered. Every application receives a full and comprehensive evaluation. We base our admission decision on the student’s academic strength and how competitive that student is in the applicant pool.

There is no minimum GPA or test score requirement for admission. The Admission Committee does not recalculate high school GPAs. We use the GPA (weighted and/or unweighted) provided by your high school. Although not a requirement, a competitive freshman student for admission has a strong A-/B+ average, around a 1320 SAT and/or around a 30 ACT test score, and ranks in the top 10% of their graduating class. All School of Architecture applicants are required to submit a portfolio.

Keep in mind that a student who meets all of these criteria is not guaranteed admission; however, the closer a student is to this profile, the more competitive that student is for admission.

Transfer Admission

Applications for transfer are processed by the University of Miami Office of Admissions and are reviewed by the Architecture Undergraduate Faculty Admissions Committee. Portfolios and letters of recommendation are to be submitted to the School of Architecture.

The minimum requirements for transfer admission are:

1. 3.0 minimum Grade Point Average
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Portfolio is required for advanced placement. Design studio work must be included.

Summer Studio: Students accepted for transfer into the third year design sequence are required to attend a design studio held the summer before their third year. Admission to the Bachelor of Architecture program is subject to satisfactory performance in this design class.

University of Miami Students: Students currently enrolled at the University of Miami in another major who are requesting transfer into the School of Architecture must fill out a “Change of Major” request form and send it to the School of Architecture. Admission is subject to review by the Architecture Faculty Undergraduate Admissions Committee. Students with less than 24 academic credits will be considered as entering freshmen, while those who have completed 24 or more credits will be asked to submit a portfolio. Please note that students enrolled in other majors are not permitted to take required architecture classes and will be advised by the School in which they are registered.

Students Holding a Previous Degree: Applications are not accepted from students who have an undergraduate degree. These students should apply to the Master of Architecture Professional Degree Program. For more information, contact the Office of Academic Services at 305-284-3731.

Graduate Admission

Applications are considered for entrance in the fall semester only. Applications completed by February 15 will be given the highest priority for acceptance and scholarships; late applications will be accepted until April 1. Admission to the graduate program is subject to the rules, regulations and procedures of the Graduate School as stipulated in the University Graduate Bulletin. It is the responsibility of each student to understand these requirements and to ensure that they are met.

The minimum requirements for application to the Master of Architecture Degree program are:

1. 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
2. 1000 cumulative Graduate Record Examination score (GRE) on verbal and quantitative sections for all texts taken before September 2011 / New test scores equivalency will be announced in November 2011 after statistical analysis.
3. 550 TOEFL score for international applicants.

Applications will be reviewed by the admissions committees only after all of the following documents have been received:

1. Completed application form with the $65.00 application fee. We regret that it is not possible to waive this fee.
2. A letter or statement expressing your interest in the program and your reasons for applying.
3. Official transcripts of all college and university courses taken, indicating the date your professional or other undergraduate degree was awarded. All transcripts must be sent directly from the institution’s registrar.
4. Official Graduate Record Examination scores sent directly from ETS and TOEFL scores where applicable.
5. Three academic (and professional if applicable) letters of recommendation. If you have waived your right for access to your letters, they may be sent directly from the recommender, or they may be included with your application in a signed and sealed envelope.
6. Digital portfolio and printed portfolio.

Portfolio Requirements for Undergraduate Programs

The portfolio requirement offers candidates an opportunity to share their visual interests. The work may include but is not limited to reproductions of: drawings, paintings, photographs, mixed-media, graphics, or photographs of ceramics, sculpture, wood-work, and models. Freehand drawings are strongly encouraged while CAD or drafting assignments are not required nor encouraged. Slides and electronic media will not be viewed and therefore should not be included in the portfolio.

Each student may determine the binder or folder that best contains the work. Simple, easy-to-turn pages that are well organized have a greater impact than expensive binders or complicated systems.

The portfolio format is as follows:

1. Preferred size is 8.5 X 11 inches (horizontal or vertical).
2. Cover page (inside the portfolio) with name, program you are applying for: (freshman or transfer), mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
3. Each project or image must be accompanied by a written description of when the piece was done, why (for class,individually, etc.) and, if the work is part of a group project, exactly which part of the project reflects the candidate’s work.

A self-addressed, postage pre-paid envelope must be included for portfolio return. Portfolios are not retained after the application process.

University of Miami
School of Architecture
Office of Academic Services
Re: Undergraduate Portfolio
1223 Dickinson Drive, Bldg 48E
Coral Gables, FL 33146-5010
Any questions, call 305-284-3731

Portfolio Requirements for Graduate Programs

The portfolio offers candidates to the MArch.I / 3-year track an opportunity to present their visual interests and artistic skills. The work may include but is not limited to: reproductions of drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, woodwork; photographs; video work; models. Although drafting (CAD or hand-drawing) courses are not required for admission in the 3-year program, students who want to include such drawings are encouraged to do so.

Students applying for advanced standing (MArch.II / 2-year track) must present a selection of their best architectural works during their pre-professional studies. In order to facilitate the waiving of courses and studios, examples must emphasize comprehensive skills including sketches, plans, sections and elevations, and graphics that exhibit conceptual and diagramming abilities, understanding of structures and of urban context, as well as any other skills (computer modeling, models, photography and film abilities, etc.). Examples of professional work are encouraged but must clearly identify and describe work done independently and that done as part of a team.

Each student is required to provide a digital portfolio in pdf format (maximum size 6MB) as well as a printed copy. Preferred size is 8.5 × 11 inches (11” x 14” maximum-size). Digital portfolio can be sent by mail in CD or DVD format, or by email directly to . Expensive and creative binders are not necessary; ease of review with simple, easy-to-turn pages should be a priority with a preference for Internet-type prints.

Each portfolio must include and in the following order:

1. Cover with full name and citizenship
2. First page with name, address and telephone number; and a one-page resume maximum
3. Personal works as described above with clear indication of the academic year in the program; objectives and site of the project; short description of the project concept.

A self-addressed, postage pre-paid envelope must be included for portfolio return. Portfolios are not retained after the application process.

University of Miami
School of Architecture
Office of Academic Services
Re: Graduate Portfolio
1223 Dickinson Drive, Bldg 48E
Coral Gables, FL 33146-5010
Any questions, call 305-284-3060

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of academic recommendation are required of each transfer applicant. Applicants with an architectural background should request letters from their architecture professors. Professional recommendations may be submitted in addition to the three required academic letters. Letters are not to be included in the portfolio. Please mail your letters of recommendation to:

Office of Academic Services
School of Architecture
University of Miami
P.O. Box 249178
Coral Gables, Florida 33124
(305) 284-3731
www.arc.miami.edu