Architecture and Real Estate Development (ARDV)

Graduate Degree Program
School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Abstract

There are several paths, depending on prior education and experience for applicants to consider for Architecture as well as for Real Estate Development. Students applying for the dual degree program will complete fewer courses (permitted overlap of courses) than if they took each degree program separately. The total number of credits for the dual degree is 75 credits for Path A architecture/real estate development dual degree students (those with undergraduate degree credits fully accepted) and is 127 credits for Path B architecture/real estate development dual degree students (those without an undergraduate degree in architecture). For the most complete information on the architecture program, also consult the catalog entry for ARCH. For the most complete information on the real estate development program, also consult the catalog entry for RDEV.

Financial Assistance

The School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation offers a limited and varying number of teaching and research assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, and internships. Applicants should apply for financial assistance when submitting the application for admission.

The Colvin Institute provides scholarship funds to a number of highly qualified students, who may be dual degree students each term. Scholarship determinations are made at the time of application and admission. Scholarships are generally awarded on a per course basis and commitments are made at the time of admission and apply to the entire program, subject to academic performance. Periodically there are named scholarships provided by various real estate organizations or development companies.

In addition, there are work opportunities both on, and off campus, and they are relatively plentiful. However, students in the dual degree program may find it impossible to complete their degree requirements timely if they are working off campus, or more than 10 hours per week. However, the MRED student listserv posts openings periodically as they are brought to the attention of the Program by alumni, friends, faculty and sponsors.

Applicants should inquire as to the availability of funding for the term they are starting. Colvin Institute scholarships are typically for a portion of tuition only, and are paid on a per course basis as students progress through the program.

Contact 

Find additional information on program offerings, degree requirements, admissions, and financial aid on the School’s Web site (www.arch.umd.edu).

Schedule a visit and tour online at: http://arch.umd.edu/arch/prospective-students-arch. Be sure to contact the Program Director for Real Estate Development, Maria Day-Marshall, (mdaymars@umd.edu) if you wish to attend a sampling of RDEV classes while here.

For further information about the Architecture Program, please contact Brian Kelly, AIA, Director, arch-admissions@umd.edu, 301.405.8000.

For further information about the Real Estate Development Program and the Colvin Institute, please contact Maria Day-Marshall, JD, LLM, Director, mdaymars@umd.edu, 301.405.8000.

Mohammad Gharipour
Professor and Director
School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
Architecture Program
1228 Architecture Building
3835 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8000
Email: arch-admissions@umd.edu

Maria Day-Marshall, JD, LLM,
Clinical Associate Professor and Director
School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
Real Estate Development Program 
University of Maryland
1243 Architecture Building
3835 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8000
Email: mdaymars@umd.edu

​Website: http://www.arch.umd.edu
 
Relationships: Historic Preservation (HISP), Community Planning (CMPL)

Courses: ARCH RDEV

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Statement of Purpose: In addition to the stated requirements, students should discuss specific interest in pursuing a concurrent dual degree within two programs.
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Portfolio PDF Upload
• Writing Sample 
• Must be admitted by both programs to pursue dual degree.

The application process consists of the following:

• First, fill out the online application for the University of Maryland Graduate School. The administrative code for the dual degree in Master of Architecture degree and Master of Real Estate Development is "ARDV."
• Second, submit all transcripts, three professional letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, resume, official test scores, portfolio, and writing sample as part of the application.

All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. There is no restriction on the applicant's previous field of study, and indeed we encourage diversity in all senses.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Program Website: arch.umd.edu
Application Process: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development are ideally located between Washington, DC, and Baltimore and surrounded by a number of historic communities and a varied physical environment. The resulting opportunity for real estate development and environmental design study is unsurpassed.

The School’s resources include design workstations for each architecture student, a model shop, a digital fabrication lab, and both PC and MAC computer labs with REVIT, ARGUS, GIS, Maptitude and other design programs available. The School’s library contains some 57,000 monographs and 6,000 current periodicals, making it one of the major architectural libraries in the nation. The National Trust Library for Historic Preservation, housed in McKeldin Library, contains 11,000 volumes and 450 periodical titles. The Colvin Institute holds the entire library offerings of the Urban Land Institute and access to all the case studies published by ULI. The interdisciplinary National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, based in the School, offers perspectives and opportunities to engage important issues facing urban and regional planning.

Both the Real Estate Development and Architecture Programs benefit from the strong support of the professional community, including practitioners who bring expertise into the architectural design studios as instructors, consultants, and critics. The RDEV courses are all taught by working or retired real estate professionals giving unparalleled access for students to make connections with current practice in the industry. Many architecture alumni are leaders in regional firms, while others practice as far away as New York, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, London, and Shanghai.

The ULI Hines competition is open to graduate students who are pursuing real estate-related studies at universities in the United States and Canada, including programs in real estate development, urban planning, urban design, architecture and landscape architecture. In the past six years, the University of Maryland has reached the ULI Hines finals four times, won twice (2014 & 2015) and received one honorable mention.

The award-winning Comprehensive Design Studio and Advanced Technology sequence (an integral component of the M. Arch curriculum) offers an innovative teaching-learning environment where students work with an array of consultants, exploring relationships between conceptual and technical aspects of architectural form and its assembly.

Embracing the importance of context as an integral component of the design process and advocating urban design as an essential component of architectural education, the Program has gained national and international recognition for its work in urban design, through awards and competition performance. Dual degree students are prime candidates for selection to participate in the interdisciplinary competitions supported by the School, including the national ULI Hines, the regional REIDO development competition, and the local capital area competition sponsored by NAIOP which gives the team the opportunity to present a urban (re)development solution to a large professional audience of real estate and design professions.

Study abroad opportunities augment the course of study offered in College Park. Summer study abroad programs are offered to a variety of locations including Rome, Paris, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Turkey, St. Petersburg, Egypt, Peru, and Sri Lanka. Summer and winter study opportunities are also available in conjunction with the Historic Preservation, Urban Studies & Planning, and Real Estate Development programs. A Spring Semester study abroad program is based at Kiplin Hall in Great Britain.

Dual degree students have the option to do their M.Arch thesis and MRED Capstone project in a combined fashion, with a design and development proposition supported by a committee of design and development instructors and professional advisors. These are very challenging and rewarding for students and faculty alike, but require a fair amount of advance planning on the part of both the student and faculty.