Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
Please apply four months in advance of your desired entry date.
It is important to note that you will be notified about funding decisions on average four weeks after you have been accepted into the program.
Related professional degree
We encourage individuals with professional degrees in any built environment disciplines including but not limited to architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning and others to apply to the program.
Practice experience
It is recommended, but not required, that applicants have some experience or background in practice. Based on students’ level of preparation, the program might require a concentration in practice-related coursework, which will be determined at the beginning of the program.
Professional & dual-degree seekers welcome
We encourage current Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture students, who are seeking a dual degree, to apply to the MS-ARP program. To pursue a dual degree with MS-ARP and Architecture, please review the requirements of the professional Master of Architecture degree program.
All materials must be received by the program's deadline. The program’s review process takes between four and six weeks once the application is complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Materials required for all applicants
- Complete University of Minnesota Graduate School Application
- Unofficial transcripts of all college or university coursework.
- A statement (up to 1,000 words) that addresses the following:
- Research interests, including any past research pursued and methodology skills learned; ideal electives that would support your research interests and skill-building (750 words);
- A description of your work experience, professional progress, and goals (250 words). You may include, approximate Architecture Experience Program (AXP) hours in each required area; a clarification of your intention for licensure. For example which state(s) do you plan to be licensed in.
- Diversity statement: Please write a statement of no more than 500 words that identifies the distinctive qualities, characteristics, and life experiences you would contribute to your graduate program and to the education of fellow students. You may wish to include examples that address your contribution to the diversity of the student body and illustrate your motivation to succeed by setting high standards for accomplishing intellectual and other goals, overcoming obstacles to achievement, and/or helping others to gain access to the resources necessary for success.
- Two or three letters of recommendation, at least one written by a faculty member(s) who is familiar with your aptitude for academic work
- Portfolio (see portfolio requirements below for more details)
- Application fee of $75, international students pay $95
Portfolio requirements
Your portfolio must be uploaded as a PDF file electronically to the online application. There is a 5-GB limit for the file size.
- The portfolio must not exceed 20 pages/sides and should indicate your design ability as well as your research ability.
- Please do not send a hard copy of the portfolio.
Examples of work you may include in your portfolio are as follows:
- Drawings and design studio work that show design sensibility
- Practice work that shows your experience in professional practice, if any
- Other work showing facility with tools and digital technology such as digital fabrication etc.
- Research samples, such as outcomes of research, excerpts from research papers, professional reports, published articles, or exhibition texts
For applicants who are non-native English speakers
- TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted in PDF file format to the University of Minnesota (school code: 6874)
- Please note that the exam date should be within two years of the graduate program start date.
- For more testing options and details, view the Graduate School English Language Proficiency guidelines.
- Minimum accepted TOEFL scores are:
- Total Score: 79
- Writing Subscore: 21
- Reading Subscore: 19
- Minimum accepted IELTS scores are:
- Total Score: 6.5
- Writing Subscore: 6.5
- Reading Subscore: 6.5
NOTE: If you will earn or have earned an undergraduate degree in the United States you do not need to submit English language test scores.
GRE scores
Graduate Record Examination (GRE scores) are not required for the MSRP program, but many scholarships require GRE scores (school code is 6874).
The MS-RP program is distinguished in part by the unique financial support we can offer our students. Your eligibility for various financial support options is considered automatically; no additional application is required.
In addition to the 1–2 paid internships with Consortium firms that pay salary to students, we will pay for research expenses, travel to conferences, ARE study materials, and the fee for taking the ARE exams.
Additionally, graduate students receive financial support in the form of research or teaching assistantships, scholarships or fellowships, professional internships, or occasional assistantships, grant-based assistantships and other assistantships outside the department. This provides students with tuition benefits, and health and other benefits and additional stipend.
Contact us for a full guide to financial support for MS-RP students