Listed below are program options for students who seek a degree at SFIA. All these options are based on a fundamental requirement of 100 academic units for a Master of Architecture degree.

Option 1: If you have graduated from a five-year professional architectural program, you'll need to earn approximately 25 to 50 more units (2 to 4 semesters) for a Master of Architecture degree. The exact amount required will be determined by a review of transcripts, work resumes, and previous work. (Also, anyone who has a license to practice architecture, regardless of prior educational background, would qualify at this level.)

Option 2: If you have graduated with a four-year BArch from an unaccredited school such as the UC Berkeley undergraduate program, you'll need to earn approximately 50 to 75 units (3 to 4 semesters). As above, the exact amount is determined by an examination of record and work.

Option 3: If you have a degree in a discipline other than architecture or have achieved the equivalence of BA status in another discipline through education and/or work experience, you'll need about 75 units. This will require approximately 6 semesters.

Option 4: If you have no education or experience in architecture and no undergraduate degree, you'll need to complete 100 or more units of closely supervised study. This will require 6 or more semesters.

Option 5: If you have some partial education and/or work experience related to architecture, we will evaluate your transcript(s) and confirm your resume of work experience to establish the approximate equivalent credit that can be allowed for your prior work. Work experience equivalency may be limited to 6 units of credit to be applied to the 100 or more required units. School credit will be based on equivalency with courses offered at SFIA. A 5 unit studio class at an accredited school, for example, would count as 5 units equivalency at SFIA.

Option 6: If you have a degree or credit from a non-US architectural school, your status will be determined by the hours spent in your previous courses of study and work samples from each course.

Those without an undergraduate degree can be enrolled for credit on conditional status until they establish they are capable of handling graduate level studies.

SFIA does not provide a Master of Architecture degree based solely on professional experience. School work must be completed as per the options described above.

These options presume the student also has satisfactory knowledge of the sciences and humanities and acceptable communications skills. If the student does not have such background, such work will have to be added to the 100 units of professional educational credit.

Distance learning options are available for core course work at school. Video tapes and course materials are provided and work evaluated as for any on-site study. The non-credit option is not provided for distance learning classes.

Previous course work is most important when reviewing status. Grades or grade point average are not considered as important except that course work has to have been completed to be counted. Courses that received F, Non-Pass, I, or withdrawal status would not be counted.