Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design

Applications are now open for the graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. 

As part of a tier-one research institution, the Sam Fox School’s Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design provides a rigorous academic environment where students develop a love of craft and the ability to move fluidly between digital and analog platforms. From the impacts of climate change on communities around the world, to the need for new housing models to accommodate a changing population, to the rise of artificial intelligence, our students are exposed to design challenges from micro to macro scales, across a wide variety of cultures, climates, and contexts. We take seriously our responsibilities as social and spatial stewards — for both human and non-human inhabitants—locally in our home of St. Louis and globally as citizens of the design world.  

Curriculum 
Our STEM-designated and post-professional programs center around four areas of expertise: discipline-based design practice, technology and the arts, social engagement, and resilient cities. You can earn a dual degree between programs within the school or joint degree in business, computer science, social work, public health, or construction management.

Programs include: Master of Architecture (NAAB-accredited, 2 or 3-year options), Master of Landscape Architecture (LAAB-accredited, 2 or 3 years options), and Master of Urban Design (post-professional, 12 months).

For students with a professional degree in architecture, we also offer a Master of Science in Architectural Studies and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design. 

Faculty 
Our core faculty have pioneered research in building technology, cultural arts, housing, history, and urban sustainability. And each semester, we engage with cutting-edge architects, designers, and researchers from around the world. Through lectures, workshops, and studio instruction, you’ll learn firsthand from global leaders in their field. Our graduate programs are led by Director Aki Ishida and Chairs Mónica Rivera (architecture), Derek Hoeferlin (landscape architecture), and Linda C. Samuels (urban design).  

Facilities 
Weil Hall, a LEED Platinum-certified building, is the hub for our graduate programs. With loft-style studios and a digital fabrication lab, it provides ready access to resources and numerous spaces for making across the school. Further resources include a textile design studio, digital media labs, a lighting studio, wood and metal shops, and more. Students also enjoy access to the school’s Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library and the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, which hosts several exhibitions by major artists and designers each year, including the recently opened Design Agendas: Modern Architecture in St. Louis, 1930s–1970s, curated by Professor Eric P. Mumford and alum Michael E. Willis, FAIA, AB ’73, MArch/MSW ‘76.  

Socially Engaged Practice
The St. Louis region offers an exceptional ecological and experimental terrain for resilient design and research. Each semester we engage in projects and courses that address critical research in race, ethnicity, and diversity through our Office for Socially Engaged Practice. A historic city with a thriving arts and culture scene, St. Louis is a place of unparalleled access—and was recently named the number one city to launch your career (LinkedIn). 

Financial aid and scholarships 
We offer a variety of competitive financial assistance opportunities to students, including our Sam Fox Ambassadors Graduate Fellowship Program which awards ten full-tuition scholarships each year to outstanding candidates. Ninety-four percent of graduate students at WashU’s Sam Fox School receive financial support. 

Student work 
View student work from our graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design here.  

Applications: Apply for free by December 14. Applications close January 3, 2025. 

Upcoming events and visit
Learn more at an upcoming virtual open house or schedule a campus visit. Details and registration here. Virtual open house: September 18, 11:30am–12:30pm CT / Virtual open house: October 28, 11:30am–12:30pm CT. Or, schedule a personalized campus visit with tour by contacting samfoxgradadmissions@wustl.edu.

Questions: Contact samfoxgradadmissions@wustl.edu.