Length of time for degree completion and cost varies depending on full time or part time enrollment. The most accurate information can be found at the cashier’s office.

Students may be eligible for teaching and/or research appointments and students may also be nominated for competitive scholarships and fellowships at the department and college levels.

Teaching and research appointments for graduate students are based on qualifications of graduate student and department/faculty need.  Students on assistantship also qualify for a tuition waiver. See MU Graduate Student Tuition Support Program for information on eligibility, tuition support, and time limits. Please note that resident graduate students will have more opportunities for assistantships than students enrolled in our online graduate program. More about assistantships and language requirements for international students can be found here.

The MU Graduate School website hosts the online application portal. This is the only way to apply. You are welcome to submit your application early; however, the faculty review will not begin until after the January deadline.

See the University Graduate School Guidelines on Application Fees. Note that we cannot waive application fees unless you meet the requirements as described by the Graduate School.

Please see a detailed list of application requirements here. If the application is missing information at the time of the deadline, please be aware that this may delay the review until the following year.

To achieve graduate-level scholarship in Architectural Studies, it is essential to identify a faculty advisor with the expertise to appropriately guide the theoretical and methodological aspects of your research topic. While there are many potential directions for graduate-level work in interior design and architecture, our faculty are best suited to guide research projects that align with our expertise. Please see the Faculty Profiles to learn more about Architectural Studies faculty who are on the graduate and/or doctoral faculty and able to serve on graduate student committees. We suggest that you locate faculty publications and websites (as available) to help you determine fit between your research interests and current faculty. Successful applicants will have research interests with clear overlaps with current faculty expertise.

We are a research-based program with emphasis areas in Environment & Behavior and Design with Digital Media.

Applicants with a previous degree and/or background in the design fields will be given priority in the application process. However, we consider applicants with a variety of backgrounds who have a clear rationale for choosing Architectural Studies. Please note that the graduate-level research degrees in our department would not qualify an individual for professional licensing in architecture or interior design.

Yes! To make your visit most meaningful, we recommend a tour of the campus and appointments with faculty with whom you wish to work during your program of study. The MU Admissions office runs tours of campus daily. Contact Admissions at (573) 882-2456 to schedule a time or visit the Campus Tour website.

Our online graduate degree is 100% online. However, we encourage online students to come to campus in person to enhance their networks and overall educational experience. We typically offer an annual graduate student workshop when online students can come to campus for in-person workshops and intellectual exchange.

We also recommend that online students come to campus for milestone achievements such as proposal defenses and dissertation/thesis defenses, however this is not required and online web conferencing is a possibility.

You will make a plan of study that could include credits transferred from a previous institution (subject to approval). See the details for doctoral degrees and master’s degrees.

After acceptance, we suggest contacting your advisor prior to the fall term to discuss courses available and other ways to prepare for success upon arrival.

Every admitted student begins a unique journey in Architectural Studies. However, the common degree requirements and milestones are outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook. See here for policies, procedures, degree requirements, and more.

Each admitted student will be assigned an advisor based on the applicant’s preference and faculty expertise. If advising reassignment is appropriate, the Director of Graduate Studies will facilitate the process. Once the student is admitted, s/he will work with their primary advisor to identify faculty inside and outside the department who can support the student’s topic of interest as committee members. We suggest making meetings with faculty members with overlapping interests, taking coursework with potential faculty mentors within and outside the department, and potentially asking faculty to conduct an independent-style readings course to help you discover content in their area of expertise.

There are several key people who will serve as your points of contact throughout your journey as a graduate student at Mizzou:

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS): The DGS interprets department graduate program policies and serves as the department liaison to graduate school. The DGS will assist you with policies and procedures and conduct annual reviews with graduate students.

Department Chair: The department chair leads department policy development, works with all faculty in the annual graduate student review process and the Director of Graduate Studies in the annual graduate assessment report. With fiscal and personnel responsibilities, s/he supervises undergraduate and graduate curriculum offerings. Dissertation/Thesis Advisor: Your advisor advises regarding course work, plan of study, committee member selection, problems and readings course enrollment, and overall matters relating to your academic progress.

Dissertation/Thesis Advisor: Your advisor gives guidance regarding course work, plan of study, committee member selection, problems and readings course enrollment, and overall matters relating to your academic progress.

Committee Members: Beyond your advisor, you will select three committee members (two within the program and one member in a cognate area outside the department). These faculty members will guide the graduate-level research across milestones to support high-quality outcomes with input from their unique perspectives.